The Islamist Threat To Britain

'Islamist extremists are looking to fragment governance of the public sphere in their favour'

Stuart Mitchell/@IncMonocle

Last week, while I was delivering a speech in Brussels on immigration, security, and cohesion in Europe, the UK Parliament descended into abject chaos. 

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, decided to twist conventional parliamentary procedure over votes relating to the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza in the name of protecting the security of MPs.

As it stands, very little is known about these ‘threats’ – in terms of their scale and seriousness, as well as the individuals and organisations involved. There is a fundamental lack of transparency which should concern all.

Since ‘Hoylegate’, it has been reported that the Home Office and Whitehall are looking to pour more money into beefing up the security of MPs – if only they showed as much urgency when it came to the safety of the wider law-abiding British public. 

Since then, there have been unhelpful political interventions from the British political Right. Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman argued that the Islamists are now in charge of Britain.

With my record, it would be hard to argue that I am guilty of trivialising the threat of Islamist extremism in Britain – but Islamist extremists are not the prevailing decision-maker and sovereign source of control in the spheres of law and order, security, and defence.

Neither are they in charge of the FCDO and the way the UK positions itself in international affairs. Let’s maintain some perspective.

Then we had former Tory Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson argue that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is in the pockets of Islamists.

If I was an Islamist controlling a politician who repeatedly indulges in LGBTQIA+ activism and opposes the anti-Israel BDS movement, I would be asking for a refund!

Much of this has deflected attention from the reality that Islamist extremism represents the predominant terror threat in modern Britain.

This is reflected in the ideological composition of both the Mi5’s terror-related watchlist as well as the terror-offending population across the prison estate.

It is also reflected by the death toll across 21^st Century terrorist attacks in the UK by ideological character – including the 7/7 London bombings and May 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.

Islamist extremists are looking to fragment governance of the public sphere in their favour – benefiting from weak mainstream political ‘leadership’ and collapsing state authority.

None of this trivialises the threat of far-right extremism – but to draw some sort of ‘false equivalence’ between Islamist extremism and far-right extremism is wholly incorrect.

Robust political, social, and law-and-order leadership is needed more than ever to tackle the multi-dimensional threat of Islamist extremism (in both its violent and non-violent forms).

This includes the British state better engaging with anti-Islamist British Muslims who have often been sidelined under models of so-called ‘community engagement’.

Indeed, those who tend to prioritise tribal interests over the common good have managed to worm their way into public institutions. They must be weeded out.

It is best to put the hyperbole and alarmism aside and take practical action to shore up national security and public safety in modern Britain.