{"id":5580,"date":"2025-02-18T16:01:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T16:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/?p=5580"},"modified":"2025-02-18T16:01:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T16:01:40","slug":"uks-counter-extremism-remit-to-include-hindutva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/?p=5580","title":{"rendered":"UK&#8217;s Counter- Extremism Remit to Include Hindutva"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div><p class=\"pvc_stats all \" data-element-id=\"5580\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 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428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> &nbsp;79&nbsp;total views, &nbsp;1&nbsp;views today<\/p><div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-container-2 wp-block-gallery-1 wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"923\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"5581\"  src=\"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e3-923x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5581\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e3-923x1024.jpg 923w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e3-270x300.jpg 270w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e3-768x852.jpg 768w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e3.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"882\" data-id=\"5582\"  src=\"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e2-1024x882.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e2-1024x882.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e2-300x258.jpg 300w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e2-768x661.jpg 768w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e2.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"855\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"5583\"  src=\"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e1-855x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e1-855x1024.jpg 855w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e1-251x300.jpg 251w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e1-768x920.jpg 768w, https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/e1.jpg 1069w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.punjabtodaynews.com\/hindutva-in-uks-counter-extremism-review\/\n\">https:\/\/www.punjabtodaynews.com\/hindutva-in-uks-counter-extremism-review\/<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/nagalandpost.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/15\/uks-counter-extremism-remit-to-include-hindutva\/\n\">https:\/\/nagalandpost.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/15\/uks-counter-extremism-remit-to-include-hindutva\/<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/muslimmirror.com\/uk-expands-counter-extremism-focus-to-include-hindutva\/\n\">https:\/\/muslimmirror.com\/uk-expands-counter-extremism-focus-to-include-hindutva\/<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/clarionindia.net\/uk-widens-counter-extremism-focus-to-include-hindutva\/\n\">https:\/\/clarionindia.net\/uk-widens-counter-extremism-focus-to-include-hindutva\/<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.punjabtodaynews.com\/hindutva-in-uks-counter-extremism-review\/\n\">https:\/\/www.punjabtodaynews.com\/hindutva-in-uks-counter-extremism-review\/<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newageislam.com\/war-terror\/asad-mirza-new-age-islam\/uks-counter-extremism-remit-include-hindutva\/d\/134571\">https:\/\/www.newageislam.com\/war-terror\/asad-mirza-new-age-islam\/uks-counter-extremism-remit-include-hindutva\/d\/134571<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1>UK\u2019s Counter-Extremism Remit to Include Hindutva<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newageislam.com\/war-terror\/asad-mirza-new-age-islam\/uks-counter-extremism-remit-include-hindutva\/picture_library\/Asad_Mirza_NewAgeIslam.jpg\" alt=\"\">By Asad Mirza,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10 Feb 20205<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>A yet unpublished UK Home Office report has outlined eight key extremist threats facing the UK besides Hindutva. These threats further include Islamist extremism, extreme right-wing extremism, extreme misogyny, environmental extremism, left-wing extremism, anarchist and single-issue extremism, and conspiracy theories and violence.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the new Labour government in the UK led by Keir Starmer taking over, it was expected that the government will undo some key policies of the earlier Conservative governments and have a relook at how the policies or programmes started by it, were given a fresh-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the last week of January witnessed confusion around the future direction of the UK government\u2019s counter-extremism strategy, as Home Office ministers were forced to reject the conclusions of a leaked internal review which called for a focus on \u201cbehaviours and activity of concern\u201d rather than ideology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An analysis of different parts of the report calling for the scope of counter-extremism work to be widened to cover a range of causes and activities including Hindutva (Hindu nationalism), Sikh extremism, extreme misogyny, and a fascination with violence, were published by Policy Exchange, a right-wing think tank. So far, the report has not been made public and only its analysis by Policy Exchange has gained traction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reportedly, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper did not agree with the recommendations of her own department\u2019s review and thus may order the focus of the policy to remain directed towards Islamist and far-right extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UK introduced its Prevent policy in 2003 as part of an overall post 9\/11 counter-terrorism approach called CONTEST, with the aim of preventing the radicalisation of individuals to terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Successive British governments have long grappled with legal definitions of extremism, which human rights groups have warned, pose a serious threat to freedom of speech and freedom of belief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, one wonders at the alacrity with which the Labour Government and Cooper reacted to the alleged inclusion of Hindutva \u2013 as an ideology responsible for stoking violence in the UK. The reason is not hard to fathom, post-Brexit, UK has been striving hard to finalise a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, so far 15 rounds of bilateral talks have been held to finalise the agreement. For the Labour Government, signing the FTA with India is the top most priority, and it would not like to cause any upset and annoy the right-wing government in India, putting the signing of the FTA at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, the Home Office review warns that \u201cnarrow definitions (of extremism) \u2026 predicated on violence, or that have a requirement for an ideological dimension\u2026. exclude many damaging extremist beliefs and movements and associated harms that may warrant intervention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The review nonetheless marks the first time that Hindutva has been discussed in detail in a major policy document. Examples of extremist beliefs which it cites include Hindutva, which the review notes played a \u201csignificant role\u201d in inflaming tensions between Hindus and Muslims in Leicester in 2022, and \u201cpro-Khalistan extremism\u201d, or calls for an independent Sikh state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is also the first time that a government document has linked Hindu nationalism to the Leicester riots, although a&nbsp;<em>Daily Mail<\/em>&nbsp;report in May 2023 quoted unnamed security sources as saying that the violence was stoked by activists linked to India\u2019s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the London-based institute Middle East Eye (MEE), Policy Exchange has been credited with shaping the direction towards counter-extremism taken by previous Conservative governments, and has been accused of promoting \u201chostility towards British Muslims\u201d, which it denies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Policy Exchange has warned that the review\u2019s \u201cplaying down of ideology in general, and Islamism in particular\u201d risked becoming a \u201cmajor victory\u201d for critics of the Prevent programme. According to Policy Exchange\u2019s report, the review says that a full counter-extremism strategy will be published next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, Policy Exchange recommends that responsibility for counter-extremism be shifted to the Home Office from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It also called for counter-extremism work to be delivered by a standalone team within the Prevent Directorate, which should be renamed the Prevent and Counter-Extremism Directorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also calls for the creation of a Counter-Extremism Ministerial Board, attended by ministers, security officials and representatives from the MI5 and GCHQ intelligence agencies. Other members of the board, according to the Policy Exchange report, include the controversial Robin Simcox, head of the Commission for Countering Extremism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The UK government\u2019s PREVENT programme has always remained contentious, based on its remit shared by several ministries including DCLG, Home Office and the FCDO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The UK-based Muslim organisations in the past had described Prevent as an undue intrusion in their working and treating the Muslim community as a pariah. While, on the other hand there was obviously no resource sharing or even lessons learned sharing between the different ministries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A prudent decision earlier should have entrusted the work of building trust and relationship with the Muslim community, in the UK to the DCLG \u2013 a ministry which has deep rooted links with various communities in the UK, through a vast network of its counsellors and other professionals, who better understand the concerns and aspirations of different communities present in the UK, as they engage with them on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But instead, the lion\u2019s share of the work was given to the Home Office, which with its darkened lenses could not view or understand the problems faced by the Muslim community and their efforts towards better assimilation with-in the British society, but as one related to violence and terror-themed work only, linking everything with extremist Islamic ideologies being propagated from abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, the FCDO in its own skewed way of working, focussed on bringing-in the saner elements from the Arab world, instead of India, to further its objective of portraying a positive image of the British Muslims supported through various government initiatives abroad, but failed to engage properly with those elements, which could have worked more effectively with the FCDO\u2019s and Home Office\u2019s overarching objectives, both within and outside the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the current circumstances, it would be prudent if the FCDO could try to rope-in the secular Hindu leaders, based in India, to address the concerns of the Hindu community in the UK, instead of letting the flashpoints simmering below the surface. Additionally, it would be prudent to rope-in the saner elements from India, as the genesis of Hindutva started in India and only India could help the British government and officials to tame this growing menace, pragmatically and prudently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"pvc_stats all \" data-element-id=\"5580\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> &nbsp;79&nbsp;total views, &nbsp;1&nbsp;views today<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;79&nbsp;total views, &nbsp;1&nbsp;views today https:\/\/www.punjabtodaynews.com\/hindutva-in-uks-counter-extremism-review\/ https:\/\/nagalandpost.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/15\/uks-counter-extremism-remit-to-include-hindutva\/ https:\/\/muslimmirror.com\/uk-expands-counter-extremism-focus-to-include-hindutva\/ https:\/\/clarionindia.net\/uk-widens-counter-extremism-focus-to-include-hindutva\/ https:\/\/www.punjabtodaynews.com\/hindutva-in-uks-counter-extremism-review\/ https:\/\/www.newageislam.com\/war-terror\/asad-mirza-new-age-islam\/uks-counter-extremism-remit-include-hindutva\/d\/134571 UK\u2019s Counter-Extremism Remit to Include Hindutva By Asad Mirza, 10 Feb 20205 A yet unpublished UK Home Office report has outlined eight key extremist threats facing the UK besides Hindutva. These threats further include Islamist extremism, extreme right-wing extremism, extreme misogyny, environmental extremism, left-wing extremism, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[178,83],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5580"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5584,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5580\/revisions\/5584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asadmirza.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}