‘Let’s talk about why Prevent is Islamophobic’ thread is must-read – especially for David Cameron

David Cameron and a right-leaning thinktank have warned the government to defend its flagship counter-extremism strategy from criticisms or risk enabling terrorism. The report claims that Prevent is being undermined by “Islamist campaigners and their allies.”

However, a blistering thread has slammed the programme for blatant Islamophobia.

In response to David Cameron’s defence of Prevent, the UK’s controversial and discriminatory counter-terrorism strategy, Ilyas Nagdee, Amnesty International UK’s Racial Justice Director, said: “David Cameron’s defence of Prevent is shockingly misplaced and only does more to demonise Muslim organisations. Cameron’s assertion that criticising the flawed counter-terrorism strategy increases terrorism is simply wrong.

“Policy Exchange’s report should have instead focussed on the host of human rights violations committed by Prevent – and not just been another excuse to make scathing attacks on Muslim organisations.

“The former prime minister’s comments fail to address the real cases of Prevent referrals and the traumatic consequences it has on children. There is mounting evidence that the controversial counter-terrorism strategy discriminates and disproportionately targets British Muslims – specifically children and young people.

“Thousands of children are routinely referred each year to Prevent but have not been suspected of a crime, yet they are criminalised by having their data retained on secret databases with little transparency on how these are monitored and who has access to them.”