30th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities – 22 to 24 March 2016

Rising to the challenges of creating intercultural societies at local level

Mariam Inayat, Ambassador for the British Youth Council, United Kingdom

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The news this morning has been devastating and heartbreaking. I, along with all of the U.K. delegates here today, and on behalf of all of the young people I am here to represent, would like to extend my deepest condolences to the people of Brussels. Every single life lost represents the loss of someone's world, but also the world's loss of the abundance of love and hope that one life had to offer. To the parents, the children, the siblings, the partners and the friends who are mourning today, I wish you comfort and peace at this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Europe, and indeed the world, has seen too much terror, too much loss and too much destruction. The perpetrators of these heinous acts make no exceptions, they target you and I, they target humanity. And so it is apt that you and I, within this council, come together to propose ways to tackle the problem of radicalisation in our communities. It is essential, now, more than ever, that we reflect on our strategies so far and ask ourselves how and why they have failed us. What could we do differently to truly address the issue in our communities? 

Today, it seems fitting to shine a light on the UKs current Prevent strategy, one of the four main components of the Government’s anti-terrorism programme known as CONTEST. June 2015 saw the most recent publication of The Prevent guidelines, making it a statutory duty for public service organisations such as schools, prisons and local authorities, intensifying the legal obligation and responsibility to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’.

But, with the spread of Islamaphobic rhetoric and anti-Muslim hate crimes, what does this policy really do effectively, apart from target a minority and hinder the integration of thousands of Muslim young people, in our European communities. 

Defenders of the programme have responded to accusations of failure by blaming those it is training to implement their strategies: teachers, social workers, local authorities. However, I believe the issue is deep rooted within the effect a governmental policy such as Prevent can have on stigmatising Muslim communities, particularly, its young people. So, I urge members of the congress to learn from this example and tackle this issue with a different approach. It is ludicrous to suggest that a one-hour training programme is suitable for anyone to understand the complex issue of radicalization, and learn to deal with it sensitively and responsibly. The result in the UK, has been an over referral of children, students, and young people, as young as 3 years old, to Channel, part of the Prevents approach to work with young people and prevent radicalisation.

Figures released by the Association of Chief Police Officers in the UK show an overwhelming 78% of referrals were false positives, a clear indication of the inadequacy of this policy. The increasing figure of those wrongly referred, can and will create hostility amongst Muslim youth, potentially worsening the problem of extremist views arising, through the alienation of young people based on their religious beliefs. This is an intrusive violation of individual liberty.

We must be mindful that counter terrorism policies can create an atmosphere of suspicion and scrutiny under which a large group of young people must live, simply for their religion. This is likely to create if not intensify such a crisis. The publication of policies such as Prevent, create a screen of mistrust against an already isolated minority. This is a barrier that must be removed, in order for radical views in any community to be eliminated - that includes white supremacists, the extreme right wing and Islamic fundamentalism.

I would like to remind members of the congress of the three core values we all share in our membership to the Council of Europe; Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights. Yet, the UKs prevent strategy is a prime example of a breach of our fundamental civil rights and it operates outside the rule of law, whilst posing a threat to our democratic institutions. Without a careful approach to these policies, you will distance yourselves from the young people that can effectively bring the change you want to see in your communities. We need to dispel the myths being spouted by the fanatics trying to hinder the progress of East and West integration.  We must ensure all citizens feel equal, instead of under scrutiny. 

I stand before you to share my experience and views as a young Muslim in Europe today. First and foremost, we must stop the trend of making policies about young people, without young people.  We must also create a safe space to educate our youth and allow them to learn from a dependable source. In most cases, information relating to terrorism and conflict is obtained through the media. This plays a big part in skewing the perception Europe has of the minorities within our society. It is therefore crucial that Young people should have a place to openly discuss and learn without the fear of accusation.

Furthermore, we need to have a uniform and universal approach to terrorism. Our vocabulary, our media coverage and our government discourse should not be guided by the leaning of the radical views that led to death or destruction. Attacks in Ankara should generate the same outrage as those in Paris. Anders Breivik who killed 77 to feed his hatred is as much a terrorist as Michael Adebolajo who took the life of an innocent soldier. We cannot have an approach whereby Muslims are the only perpetrators but never the victims of terror.

In addition, inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue is pivotal in community integration at local and regional levels. This can be encouraged through events and consultations that help citizens establish a mutual understanding and an opportunity to eradicate xenophobic views. Swedens successful Exit programme is based on working with individuals who are affiliated with neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. They can get counselling and psychiatric support. The programme also offers education for frontline workers in the community, to spot vulnerable young people at risk of extremism and counselling for families to help support young people displaying radical views.

Another case of best practice was a two-year project commissioned by the UK. Project Safe space’ began in 2009. It was entirely youth led, in partnership with UK Youth Parliament. The project involved nine regional youth conferences, organised by young people, with a focus on terrorism and violent extremism and its effect on the youth. This was a useful tool for engaging young people in discussion and gaining an insight into how this issue is affecting local citizens in our communities.

Engagement and participation must replace isolation and exclusion. I want to be a young Muslim in a Europe that is at the forefront of initiatives that encourage open and honest inter-cultural discussions, educating all citizens in our communities. I want to be a young Muslim in a Europe where decision makers are supportive of building inclusive societies and actively advocate for the integration of people regardless of their faith. Lastly, I want to be a young Muslim in a Europe that will never regard my faith as a barrier to integrating in any European community I choose to work or study in.

I will finish by sharing with members of the congress a quote from Winston Churchill, who was not only instrumental in the creation of the Council of Europe, but also an MP of Oldham, the town I live in today. During his speech, ‘the tragedy of Europe’ Churchill said: ‘We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only, will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes, which make life worth living. The process is simple. All that is needed is the resolve of hundreds of millions of men and women to do right instead of wrong and to gain as their reward blessing instead of cursing.’ This message is just as important and relevant today as it was in 1946.

I strongly believe every member of this congress can work together, towards building a society in which inhumane acts of terror are a thing of the past. We must confront this challenge with an honest engagement with citizens, based on empathy and not prejudice.

Thank you.