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Pretty Patel has called for a major overhaul of UK anti-terrorism laws, warning that the UK is not keeping up with the burgeoning problem of online radicalization.
A former home secretary said the UK’s legal definition of terrorism-related activity was “too broad” to deal with new threats to national security emerging on the internet.
“We need to change the law in this area. We are not ahead of the curve enough,” she said. “The internet and digitization have created new spaces for many of these voices and organizations, and now is the time to make really, really solid change.”
Patel spoke today at the Policy Exchange event. There, experts were discussing an independent review of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy released this month.
The former Home Secretary has hailed the review as a “watershed moment” for Britain’s anti-extremism law and urged ministers to use it as a “catalyst for major reform and major change”.
An independent report led by William Shawcross argued that Prevent focused too much on the threat of far-right extremism and was too often used as an extension of social services.
Mr Shawcross recommended returning the program to its original purpose of tackling Islamic extremism, which he said remains the biggest terrorist threat in Britain.Home Secretary Suella Braverman has fully accepted all of the report’s recommendations this month.
However, Mr. Patel appeared to criticize the treatment of the succession four-year report, stating: We are open as usual.is not [business as usual] No more — not really. “
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The former secretary of state called on Ms Braverman to expand the definition of Islamism and terrorism more broadly to include nonviolent extremism and online hate.
Under British law, terrorism is defined as “any action, whether in the United Kingdom or abroad, intended to influence an international governmental organization, to intimidate the public, or to further a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. use or intimidation of the behavior of ”.
Mr Patel said: “If we want to make a difference in this space, we need to narrow down the definition completely to understand who the states are or what they are complaining about because we need better terminology,” she said. said. she said. “Otherwise you’re constantly chasing white rabbits down the rabbit den.”
She also revealed that during her time as Minister of the Interior from 2019 to 2022, she tried to “ban groups and organizations that are doing terrible, horrible things”, but the narrow definition of terrorism was limited to groups “Never hit the threshold, of course.”
Conservative MPs from Witham, who commissioned an independent review of Prevent in 2019, also urged the government to address schools failing to integrate children into wider society.
“I am very concerned that a particular set of values, not just religion, but culture dominates within the school. rice field.
“I think we have a bigger problem with integration … I am very worried where integration has become a dirty word. I think it’s a very precarious situation.”
it comes after the experts say I Earlier this month, governments should strengthen online safety bills to protect young people from the growing risks of online radicalization.
Jonathan Hall KC, Independent Commentator on Terrorism Law, said: I The Online Safety Bill “includes special obligations for children in its current iteration in relation to things like self-harm, but does not have the same obligations for terrorism.”
Lewys Brace, a professor at the University of Exeter who advises governments on extremism, added that radicalization needs to be added to the national curriculum.
“Realistically, we have no intention of removing all alarming content. The Internet will always evolve faster than the law,” he said. I“Yes, let’s continue with the online thing, but we have to come up with something on the education side as well. That’s the only way to really start mitigating.”
According to recently released official figures, the education sector had the most referrals to Prevent for the first time last year. More than a third of all people reported to the scheme were reported through a school, college, or university. Police made up the second largest referral stream.
Ms Patel called on the government to strengthen anti-terrorism laws to ensure that all schools comply with preventive obligations requiring educational institutions to report students showing signs of radicalization.
“If you were born and raised in this country, you need to live and breathe fully British values,” she said.