In the last 24 hours, extremist muslim campaign group, Islam4UK, has been catapulted into the headlines. Its leading activists were last night fined £500 each for hurling gratuitous insults during a march by the Royal Anglian Regiment in Luton last year. And this morning the Home Office has said that the organisation willl be listed as a terror group and banned, under counter-terrorism laws.
I had heard of Islam4UK before, although the name hadn’t really registered. It is the organisation that was behind the proposed march of coffins through Wotton Bassett which to symbolise Muslims killed in conflict and the proposal drew much criticism and was then called off – but probably would have been banned anyway.
So in the last 24 hours, a group which had been on the fringes of public debate is receiving extensive national (and international media coverage). Its leading activists have received fines totalling less than the costs of their prosecution. If they don’t pay it, they may go to prison – but that will only elevate their status further. Being a member of the organisation – which was beyond the pale of acceptability – is now illegal, making its members outcasts and all the more glamarous for it.
And what positive impact has this had on society? The judge ruled that freedom of speech is important but not where the language used is “gratuitous”. Great. So lots of lawyers can now argue about what constitutes a gratuitous insult. And Islam4UK is now an attractive proposition for any disaffected rebellious teenager and those who were on the fringes of the group and not yet totally disconnected from mainstream society have been instantly criminalised.
The government’s strategy demands some serious questions:
- Will these actions make it easier to monitor the activities of members of Islam4UK?
- Will fewer people join Islam4UK?
- Will its activities be any less hated by the majority or any less appealing to the disaffected or misled?
- Has the treatment of Islam4UK helped protect the majority of citizens (and decent Muslims) from the activities of extremists?
I’m no expert, but I haven’t seen any evidence that any of these questions can be answered ‘yes’.
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