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RISHI SUNAK’S plan to widen Prevent to target people who “vilify” Britain exposes the programme as a “tool to crush dissent,” campaigners have warned.
Under the proposal, announced by the Tory leadership contender on Tuesday night, people who express “an extreme hatred of our country” could be treated as extremists and referred to the government counter-terrorism programme.
The former chancellor also announced proposals to “refocus” Prevent on Islamic extremism following criticism that it gives too much attention to the far right.
Mr Sunak has insisted that plans to widen the definition of extremism would not include criticism of the government or government policy.
However, advocacy group Cage, which has campaigned to scrap Prevent and worked to expose human rights abuses associated with the “war on terror,” said the proposal reflects increasing attempts by the state to protect itself from criticism.
Cage head of public advocacy Anas Mustapha said: “Prevent is a political tool with a primary function of protecting the state from critique and dissent.
“Sunak is exploiting the prejudices of his party members against Muslims especially, to frame those challenging growing state impunity as ‘extreme.’ While this is unworkable, it also highlights why the toxic programme must now be abolished.”
The proposal has also been criticised by former counter-terrorism chief Sir Peter Fahy, who told the Guardian that the widening of Prevent could “stray into thought crimes and political opinions.”
Extremism is defined by the 2011 Prevent strategy as “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.”
Human rights groups have long raised concerns about the “discriminatory” impact of the programme on Muslim communities and questioned its effectiveness in preventing terrorism.