Good Muslim Bad Muslim: A response to the revised PREVENT strategy report

The original PREVENT strategy proved to be counterproductive both in terms of its strategy and its implementation. The government has attempted to rework the way in which it approaches the Muslim community, and unfortunately the revised formulation only seeks to further alienate Muslims from the mainstream of society.
The report—Good Muslim, Bad Muslim—helps to expose the inconsistencies of the position put forward by the government.
Among the main features of the report include analyses relating to:
1. Profiling of Muslims
2. Root causes of political violence
3. Secrecy and spying
4. Problem of definitions and the law
5. ‘Extremism’ amongst other communities
6. Equality, discrimination, sectarianism and human rights
7. The healthcare sector
8. The Channel programme
Throughout the report, what is shown to be of greatest concern, is the overemphasis on the ideological challenges relating to political violence, and very little recognition of other factors.
Indeed, the title of report was chosen precisely because the government’s latest position signals to Muslims in the UK that it is the government that will decide what is acceptable religious practice and belief, and not the communities themselves.