Contradictions in UK policy

The United Kingdom has been a source of suspense of late with regards to the spate of terror it has experienced. A refreshing outlook was provided by Britain’s first Muslim cabinet member, Lady Sayeeda Warsi, on the progress of homegrown radicalisation at the Hay literary festival. Baroness Warsi claimed that lackadaisical attitudes have guided Britain’s policymaking thus far, giving easy way to terrorist attacks, and additionally that this is not only a war against ideology.

The UK policy on homegrown radicalisation can be examined in light of Lady Warsi’s remarks. While Britain’s ideological war is valid, the angle is passive; the cabinet member is correct in that the issue requires more depth and evidence-based responses to elucidate the elements that lure one towards a path of radicalisation. Meticulous vetting will help to identify factors that Muslim leaders the world over can work to eliminate or educate against as part of a uniform narrative so as to leave no room for misinterpretation or contradiction by confused minds.

Baroness Warsi’s speech was a balanced one; she slammed Muslims who need to bring to the fore a more accurate depiction of “Britain’s Islam” and lambasted policymakers to encourage them to review their decision-making processes. While Operation Temperer will place up to 5,100 on Britain’s mainland, following suit with several other European nations, in light of experiencing the highest security threat level after the Manchester attack, the step is again a defensive one and there needs to be discrete investigation as to the causes where psychologists can play a more offensive role. On the topic of Britain’s Islam, it is plausible that the practicing of a faith system is moulded by the culture of a particular country, which becomes symbolic of life as a member of the faith in that country but also bears great responsibility. There is mounting pressure on Muslims to condemn all acts of terror and Ms Warsi’s self-check plea to Muslims is accurate; lives lost to terrorism, whether in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Britain, are equal. This statement by no means is to trivialise the magnitude of loss in any of the countries but to note that terrorism anywhere is condemnable.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2017.

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