May: The game’s up for UK extremists
May pledges to kick out fanatics who reject British values and promote terror
MUSLIM fanatics will be driven out of schools, universities, town halls and charities, the Home Secretary will pledge today.
Amid mounting alarm at the number of Britons joining Islamic State, Theresa May will warn those who reject British values that the ‘game is up’.
Tory manifesto plans will include a ban on preachers of hate spreading their bile in public or on the internet and an independent review of Sharia courts amid fears they are being used to oppress Muslim women.
Mrs May will tell Islamist hardliners: ‘ We will no longer tolerate your behaviour. We will expose your hateful beliefs. Where you break the law, we will prosecute you.
‘Where you seek to divide us, we will stand united.’
ISLAMIC extremists who reject British values will today be warned that ‘the game is up’.
In an uncompromising speech, Theresa May will promise to drive out the ‘significant’ number of fanatics who have been allowed to infiltrate schools, universities, town halls and charities.
Under Tory manifesto plans, the Home Secretary would ban preachers of hate from spreading their bile in public or on the internet. There would also be an independent review of Sharia courts amid fears they are being used to oppress women.
Mrs May will say to the Islamist hardliners: ‘ yTohuer bgeahmaevioisuru.pW.eWweilwleilxlpnooseloynoguer r tolerate hateful beliefs for what they are. Where you seek to spread hate, we will disrupt you. Where you break the law, we will prosecute you. Where you seek to divide us, we will stand united. And together, we will defeat you.’
Amid mounting alarm in Whitehall at the number of British men and women travelling to join the Islamic State, Mrs May will warn there is a clear link between extremism and terrorism.
Yesterday, it emerged how respectable mother of two Rehana Begum Islam had disappeared overnight with her children to Syria after being radicalised under the nose of her husband. Nine British medical students have also travelled to areas controlled by IS.
It follows widespread revulsion that the IS executioner known as Jihadi John was a British citizen named Mohammed Emwazi, whose family was given asylum in the UK and hundreds of thousands of pounds in benefits.
Mrs May, who has clashed with the Liberal Democrats and even some Tory ministers over the contents of the strategy, insists extremism can no longer be tolerated.
In tough language, she will say: ‘There is increasing evidence that a small but significant number of people living in Britain – almost all of whom are British citizens – reject our values.
‘We have seen the Trojan Horse plot to take over state schools in Birmingham. Concerns about religious supplementary schools. Widespread allegations of corruption, cronyism, extremism, homophobia and antiSemitism in Tower Hamlets.
‘Hate speakers invited to speak at British colleges and universities. Segregation by gender allowed at universities and even endorsed by Universities UK. Charities and the generosity of the giving public abused by extremists.
‘Examples of Sharia law being used to discriminate against women. Thousands of honour crimes committed every year. And hundreds of British citizens who have travelled to fight in Syria and Iraq.’ Speaking to a Westminster audience this morning, the Home Secretary will warn: ‘Extremism is not something that can just be ignored. It cannot be wished away. It must be tackled head on.’
The extremist strategy has been subject to long delays and coalition rows and will no longer be published in full until after the election.
But Mrs May is expected to set out priorities for a Tory government – including a review of Sharia courts and powers to stop preachers of hate from public speaking or using social media. ‘Extremist disruption orders’ will target hate preachers like Anjem Choudary.
The authorities would have to show, on the balance of probabilities, that the individual ‘is undertaking, has undertaken, or proposes to undertake activities that spread, incite, promote or justify hatred’.
The orders would be issued by the courts as a civil power, following an application by the police. Breaching an order would be a criminal offence, with penalties including jail.
In a separate move, banning orders would target extremist groups in order to make it easier to force them to disband. The ‘independent review into the operation of Sharia courts will focus on whether they work to ‘British values’.
It is understood that a number of Tory ministers joined the Liberal Democrats in insisting the strategy was not ready for publication in the current parliament.
Mrs May’s speech will be seen as her way of reasserting authority.
A drunken mob stormed into a North London synagogue as young worshippers celebrated the end of the sabbath yesterday.
The 20 invaders were beaten back by the faithful at the Ahavas Torah synagogue in Stamford Hill.
Community elders said it was a case of drunken disorder.