Threats to Cohesion in 21 st Century Britain Tufyal Choudhury - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Threats to Cohesion in 21 st Century Britain ∂ Tufyal Choudhury t.a.choudhury@durham.ac.uk

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Popularity of the far-right parties in Europe Denmark Danish Peoples Party 21% (2015) France National Front 27% (2015) Finland True Finns 17% (2015) ∂ Hungary Jobbik 20% (2014) Sweden Sweden Democrats 13% (2014)

Getting on together A majority of Muslims (69 per cent) and non- Muslims (67 per cent) “agree” or “strongly agree” that their local area is a ∂ place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. Muslims in EU Cities

Helping neighbours Three quarters of Muslims and non-Muslims ∂ ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that people in their neighbourhood are willing to help their neighbours Muslims in EU Cities

Shared Values ∂ Perceptions remain of differences in the values held by Muslims and non-Muslims living in the same neighbourhood Muslims in EU Cities

Important national values Muslim Non-Muslim Total Respect for the 64% 54% 1300 law Freedom of 50% 62% 1217 expression ∂ Tolerance towards 37% 50% 956 others Equality of 41% 44% 937 Opportunity Respect for all 52% 29% 889 faiths Muslims in EU Cities

The paradox of integration Integration as a ‘threat’ to cohesion ∂

Fear and Hope 2016 ∂

Fear and Hope 2016 Confident Multiculturalist : doubled since 2011 (24%-32%) Mainstream Liberals : no change (14%-16%) ∂ Immigration Ambivalent : sharp decline (28%-20%) Culturally concerned : no change (24%-24%) Latent Hostiles: (10%-16%) Active Enmity : sharp decline (13%-8%)

Fear and Hope 2016 • Young people are significantly more positive than older people about multiculturalism, immigration and Muslims • 45% see Muslims as the group that creates problems for society, down ∂ from 53% • 18-24 year olds: 24% think Muslim create a problem in the UK, 27% don’t know any Muslims well • 65+: 53% think Muslims create a problem in the UK, 64% don’t know any Muslims well.

Policing diverse communities in the context of terrorism • Key role of community policing • The impact of the ‘false positives’ ∂ • Community vs state conceptions of ‘threat’ • Perceptions of ‘procedural fairness’ to cooperation • Language is important: its not what you say but what people hear that matters

Description of the terrorist threat: what is said… ‘At present the greatest threat to the UK as a whole is from Al Qa’ida and groups and individuals who share the violent Islamist ideology associated with it. ‘ (para 3.12) ‘Since the first CONTEST strategy was published in 2006, the threat from violent Islamist terrorism has continued to diversify’ ∂ ‘people convicted of Islamist terrorism - related offences’ ‘ Islamist extremists can specifically attack the principles of participation and cohesion, rejection of which we judge to be associated with an increased willingness to use violence’ (para 5.35) ‘ radical Islamist groups such as Al- Muhajiroun’ ‘At present the greatest threat to the UK as a whole is from Al Qa’ida and groups and individuals who share the violent Islamist ideology associated with it’.

Impact of Counter terrorism policy ‘Islamism is a philosophy which, in the broadest sense, promotes the application of Islamic values to modern government. There are no commonly agreed definitions of ‘Islamism’ and ‘Islamist’, and groups or individuals described as Islamist often have very different aims and views about how those aims might be realised. Some militant Islamists ∂ would endorse violence or terrorism to achieve their aims. Many Islamists do not.’

What is heard… ‘At present the greatest threat to the UK as a whole is from Al Qa’ida and groups and individuals who share the violent Islam ist ideology associated with it. ‘ (para 3.12) ‘Since the first CONTEST strategy was published in 2006, the threat from violent Islam ist terrorism ∂ has continued to diversify’ ‘people convicted of Islam ist terrorism - related offences’ ‘ Islam ist extremists can specifically attack the principles of participation and cohesion, rejection of which we judge to be associated with an increased willingness to use violence’ (para 5.35) ‘radical Islam ist groups such as Al- Muhajiroun’