DAR AL HARB - U.K.: WE HAVE BEEN WRONG ON HOW TO TACKLE HOMEGROWN TERRORISM

We have been wrong on how to tackle home-grown terrorism
Ruth Kelly

Recently, I met academics and scholars from the UK's Muslim communities. They came from different schools of thought and they represented a diverse range of opinions. But all agreed that we urgently need a new approach to tackling the violent extremism that seeks to undermine our society and that this approach must be based as much on winning hearts and minds as on security measures - and must put a new emphasis on local solutions. In a few weeks, the government will set out a way forward. Our aim must be not just to stop people committing violence but also to challenge the ideologies that drive them.

Successive governments have not always got this balance right; this one is no exception. We have put too much faith in action, not enough in debate. This must change. There will remain a role for decisive action when individuals and communities are threatened. But we can't afford to rely on just the police and security services to guarantee our long-term security.

The overwhelming majority in our Muslim communities, just as in our other communities, share the same values: respect for the law and for others; freedom of speech; equality of opportunity; responsibility towards others. These values are the backbone of a pluralist society. But there is a tiny minority which seeks to undermine them. It is imperative that we challenge ideologies of hatred. Take the far right. They are still with us. They have never broken into the political mainstream because the vast majority of the British public rejects their ugly message. But we must never be complacent and I am determined to step up our efforts to tackle far-right extremism. Similarly, we must be relentless in the struggle against the deprivation used by extremists to generate a sense of grievance. The new challenge is reaching out to the disaffected young Muslims who are vulnerable to violent radicalism. Some will say this is an issue for Muslim communities. But putting an end to intolerance and violence is a responsibility for everyone.

The government's role must be to support the law-abiding majority in confronting the ideology spread by extremists. After listening to the Muslim community, I believe there are three areas where we need to refocus our approach.

First, there is widespread consensus among Muslim scholars and academics that the extremists' arguments have no foundation in theology. It is not the government's role to interfere in or steer religious debate. But community leaders tell me that they welcome support in their efforts to stand up for the values they believe in. That is why the government is proud to support organisations such as the Bradford Council of Mosques and the Muslim British Forum which are taking action to promote tolerance.

Second, the government in the past has sometimes fallen into the trap of setting too much store by the voice of a small number of organisations. We must make sure we hear the voices of those, such as Muslim women, who have too often been overlooked. The government has shifted funding to the organisations which are taking the lead by forging stronger links with other communities, providing high-quality teaching about Islam and standing up to extremist messages.

Third, central government has also been guilty at times of trying to provide all the solutions. This approach is doomed to fail. The nature of the diversity in the UK today means that the issues facing communities in Stepney are very different from those in Swansea. It is local people who know those issues best and who can find the best solutions.

That is why earlier this year I announced a £5m fund to help local authorities work with their communities to build on successes such as the leadership schemes that are equipping leaders to stand up against hateful messages, and the school twinning programmes that build bridges between young people from different backgrounds.

Where violent extremism seeks to drive us apart, we must work harder to overcome it together.

· Ruth Kelly is Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government



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1) We have been wrong on how to tackle home-grown terrorism