Muslim Council of Britain may be ‘extremist’

Government plans to redefine bodies deemed to pose a threat including one with which it has worked

THE Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Palestine Action and Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) could be among groups identified as extremist under government plans to broaden the definition of extremism.

As revealed on Saturday by The Telegraph, ministers are to create a broader definition of extremism to enable universities, councils and other public bodies to crackdown on a wider range of Islamist and Right-wing groups.

Michael Gove, the Communities Secretary, will unveil the plans as early as next week enabling the Government and public bodies to bar groups from venues or campuses and block funding if they are judged to be promoting extremist ideology that “undermines” or “overturns” British values.

It is understood that officials have drawn up a list of organisations that are likely to be captured by the new definition including the MCB, Palestine Action and MEND. Mr Gove is said to be keen to publish a list, although the final names are currently under review because of legal concerns. One insider was sceptical that the MCB would be included in the final version.

The Government has a policy of non-engagement with the MCB over its alleged association with extremism but Whitehall departments have still worked with it and given funds.

The Ministry of Defence has used the MCB to appoint imams in the military. The police have worked with leading figures from the MCB.

Last year, more than three quarters of funding for the MCB Charitable Foundation, a total of £326,000, came through Kickstart, a government scheme to get young people into work by part-funding salary costs.

Palestine Action is committed to closing down Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, while MEND, a non-governmental organisation, campaigns against Islamophobia and promotes engagement with Muslim communities.

The moves come after Rishi Sunak warned on Friday that extremists were trying to undermine British democracy.

A spokesman for the MCB said: “Mr Sunak’s speech not only attempted to smear hundreds and thousands of protesters calling for peace in Gaza, it was also peppered with ill-defined warnings of extremism from ‘Islamists’ and the far-right. We await to see how the Government will expand its definition of extremism.”

Palestine Action said: “This government along with Israel has killed over 30,000 Palestinians in a genocide. The primary target of our campaign is Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, who market their weapons as ‘battle-tested’. No definition will deter our campaign to shut Elbit down.”

MEND has also been contacted for comment.