Islamic extremism primary threat to Britain, says new report

A new report under Britain’s ‘Prevent’ strategy to counter domestic extremism is hugely significant. One often uses the word “historic” a little loosely, but it could not be overstating the case to consider this of historic significance.

India has developed a little history after all of saying to the British what this report says. Now and then, here and there, someone or the other has accepted this view. But not enough, and not those who count enough. Within parliament, at best a couple of MPs will say clearly enough that the issue here is with Islamist extremism. Their voices have been overwhelmed by the large numbers of MPs repeating the Pakistan line.

Pakistan

This report reverses the Pakistan arguments more comprehensively and more convincingly than anything we’ve seen yet.

The independent report led by Commissioner for Public Appointments William Shawcross says categorically that Islamic extremism is the primary threat to Britain. It speaks of growing radicalisation over Kashmir, fed by Pakistan. And it speaks of a “potentially toxic” threat from Khalistanis.

The report recognises rhetoric from Pakistan for inflaming anti-India sentiment in Britain, particularly over Kashmir. Shawcross says he has seen evidence personally of British extremist groups and of a Pakistani cleric calling for violence in Kashmir.

The report speaks of a “crossover” between Pakistani clerics, Pakistani rhetoric, and the anti-India sentiment being spread in Britain and Kashmir. The common thread running through all of this is Pakistan.

Just that the report is able to say all this freely is of significance. Shawcross speaks of a “culture of timidity” in Britain in recognising the threat posed by Islamist extremism. The publication of this report breaks through that barrier of silence.

Accepted

The report has been accepted in full by Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Braverman, in accepting that report, has also accepted all of its recommendations for firm steps to counter the threat of Islamist extremism. This recommendation includes primarily steps to counter radicalisation in Britain by targeting those leading that drive.

The report was commissioned by former home secretary Priti Patel. The Pakistani lobby will no doubt pick on that to launch a campaign calling this pro-Indian propaganda. But not many will be in a hurry to accept that William Shawcross was somehow doing the Indian government’s job here. The report marks a firm vindication of the Indian government’s position, and of what Indians in Britain have long been seeing, and saying.

Khalistanis

The report also considers what it calls the “potentially toxic” threat posed by Khalistani extremists. Shawcross’s report does put this into perspective. It speaks of only a “small minority” of British Sikhs engaging in a “false narrative” that Khalistanis are spreading about India and among British Sikhs.

That problem is as yet seen to be nascent. But flagging that will itself do something to counter it. British Sikhs will undoubtedly now have had official confirmation from an independent UK investigation that Khalistanis are only a few, who are then engaged really in spreading lies.

This report now has given the Indian government and Indians in Britain the talking point they have long been looking for in challenging extremist views.

That talking point has been valid long through its inherent legitimacy. But acceptance of that view through this report marks a turning point.

The next debate on Kashmir to come in parliament — and there will be many — will not be fundamentally different as a consequence of this Shawcross report. In one stroke this has taken the steam out of ISI’s long-running and well-resourced campaign against India.

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