CAGE calls for the abolition of anti-terror legislation
The latest incident at Finsbury Park underlines the need to abolish all anti-terror legislation. We have witnessed the abject destruction caused by the War on Terror first hand and must resist demands to extend the injustice it has unleashed. The draconian and oppressive anti-terror laws have led to the dismantling of basic protections. What motivated Darren Osborne or others before him does not negate the fact that these incidents need to be subjected to the scrutiny of the criminal law and overseen by an independent judicial system. Theresa May has used the latest incident to launch another attack on civil liberties by declaring that the Queen’s speech on Wednesday will include flagship legislation to “confront the menace of extremism, especially Islamist extremism, including a statutory commission to identify and expose examples”. She reaffirmed the review of official counter-terrorism strategy including the possibility of new criminal offences to deny “safe spaces” to extremists, both online and in the real world. We do not need any more anti-terror laws and call for an abolition of the extensive web of laws that have ensnared our fundamental freedoms and rights. We call upon all right minded people to join our struggle to establish once again the Rule of Law and apply it to all irrespective of their background, race or religion.
Dr Adnan Siddiqui, Director of CAGE, said:
“The insatiable desire by politicians to appeal to the mob mentality and the prejudicial media blitz leads to a poisonous environment in which basic rights are trashed at the altar of populism. The tragedy of the victims is exploited and the perpetrators are shovelled into a two tier justice system where their rights are curtailed because of the terrorism tag.” "The calls for tougher laws and sentences is led by former extremists to venal politicians who have created a virus that has infected the whole criminal justice system so that the use of secret evidence is normalised, mental health frailties are ignored and teenagers are given disproportionate sentences for immature comments on social media and labelled as terrorists for life.” “This is the right occasion to declare that we do not seek the lynch mob mentality of the terror laws to be applied to Darren Osborne or anyone else. We have witnessed the abject destruction caused by the War on Terror first hand and are proud to say that we do not call for laws that demean us to be applied or be extended further. Not in our name.” CC image courtesy of Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
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