Threats to Cohesion in 21 st Century Britain Tufyal Choudhury - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

∂ Threats to Cohesion in 21st

Century Britain

Tufyal Choudhury t.a.choudhury@durham.ac.uk

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Popularity of the far-right parties in Europe

Denmark Danish Peoples Party 21% (2015) France National Front 27% (2015) Finland True Finns 17% (2015) Hungary Jobbik 20% (2014) Sweden Sweden Democrats 13% (2014)

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Getting on together

A majority of Muslims (69 per cent) and

non-Muslims (67 per cent) “agree” or “strongly agree” that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together.

Muslims in EU Cities

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Helping neighbours

Three quarters of Muslims and non-Muslims ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that people in their neighbourhood are willing to help their neighbours

Muslims in EU Cities

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Shared Values

Perceptions remain of differences in the values held by Muslims and non-Muslims living in the same neighbourhood

Muslims in EU Cities

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Important national values

Muslim Non-Muslim Total Respect for the law 64% 54% 1300 Freedom of expression 50% 62% 1217 Tolerance towards

• thers

37% 50% 956 Equality of Opportunity 41% 44% 937 Respect for all faiths 52% 29% 889

Muslims in EU Cities

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The paradox of integration

Integration as a ‘threat’ to cohesion

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Fear and Hope 2016

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Fear and Hope 2016

Confident Multiculturalist: doubled since 2011 (24%-32%) Mainstream Liberals: no change (14%-16%) Immigration Ambivalent: sharp decline (28%-20%) Culturally concerned: no change (24%-24%) Latent Hostiles: (10%-16%) Active Enmity: sharp decline (13%-8%)

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Fear and Hope 2016

• Young people are significantly more positive than older people about

multiculturalism, immigration and Muslims

• 45% see Muslims as the group that creates problems for society, down

from 53%

• 18-24 year olds: 24% think Muslim create a problem in the UK, 27%

don’t know any Muslims well

• 65+: 53% think Muslims create a problem in the UK, 64% don’t know

any Muslims well.

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Policing diverse communities in the context of terrorism

• Key role of community policing
• The impact of the ‘false positives’
• Community vs state conceptions of ‘threat’
• Perceptions of ‘procedural fairness’ to cooperation
• Language is important: its not what you say but what people hear that

matters

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Description of the terrorist threat: what is said…

‘At present the greatest threat to the UK as a whole is from Al Qa’ida and groups and individuals who share the violent Islamist ideology associated with it. ‘ (para 3.12) ‘Since the first CONTEST strategy was published in 2006, the threat from violent Islamist terrorism has continued to diversify’ ‘people convicted of Islamist terrorism -related offences’ ‘Islamist extremists can specifically attack the principles of participation and cohesion, rejection of which we judge to be associated with an increased willingness to use violence’ (para 5.35) ‘radical Islamist groups such as Al-Muhajiroun’ ‘At present the greatest threat to the UK as a whole is from Al Qa’ida and groups and individuals who share the violent Islamist ideology associated with it’.

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Impact of Counter terrorism policy

‘Islamism is a philosophy which, in the broadest sense, promotes the application of Islamic values to modern government. There are no commonly agreed definitions of ‘Islamism’ and ‘Islamist’, and groups or individuals described as Islamist often have very different aims and views about how those aims might be realised. Some militant Islamists would endorse violence or terrorism to achieve their aims. Many Islamists do not.’

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What is heard…

‘At present the greatest threat to the UK as a whole is from Al Qa’ida and groups and individuals who share the violent Islamist ideology associated with it. ‘ (para 3.12) ‘Since the first CONTEST strategy was published in 2006, the threat from violent Islamist terrorism has continued to diversify’ ‘people convicted of Islamist terrorism -related offences’ ‘Islamist extremists can specifically attack the principles of participation and cohesion, rejection of which we judge to be associated with an increased willingness to use violence’ (para 5.35) ‘radical Islamist groups such as Al-Muhajiroun’