Imams must issue a fatwa against Muslim

LIKE millions of others, I was left horrified by the barbaric Manchester attack. My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones and to those who were injured. As an Asian Mancunian, I felt appalled beyond words. My own children could have been among those killed in the UK’s worst atrocity since 7/7. I was heartbroken but I was not surprised. As one of the Met’s most senior officers, having seen classified intelligence, I knew more than most about the jihadi threat facing Britain. As security co-ordinator of the 2012 Olympics, I knew public events were soft targets.

I always felt it was a matter of when, not if. Last Monday, my worst fears were realised.

We face an unprecedented terrorist threat in Britain – about 3,000 extremists are subjects of interest to MI5 and police, and about 500 plots are being monitored. Add more than 400 jihadis who have returned from Syria and you realise the numbers are way too many for the security services and police to monitor. The atrocities of Manchester and Westminster have shown that ordinary surveillance, monitoring and tagging are not working.

The time has come to set up special centres to detain these 3,000 extremists.

These would be communitybased centres where they would be risk-assessed and theologically examined.

Then the extremists would be made to go through a deradicalisation programme, using the expertise of imams, charity workers and counterterrorism officers. Those who can be deradicalised should be carefully allowed back into the community. But those deemed too dangerous should be locked up.

These centres would have oversight from vetted Muslim and other community leaders, who would ensure they stayed within the law.

There is some precedent for these centres. At the height of the Troubles, internment camps were set up for 2,000 deemed extremists. I know those camps led to hunger strikes, but the centres I’m proposing would be different as they would have backing from Muslim leaders.

I would like imams to issue a collective fatwa, condemning terrorist atrocities and giving religious backing to the new centres for the good of society. With their support, the centres would not be seen as a ‘tool of the state’.

This would also show that Muslim leaders are doing something to make the UK safe and not just delivering words.

I know many will oppose these centres as oppressive. But the threat we face from terrorism is unprecedented and if we do not take bold

steps now we will not be able to prevent future attacks.

As a further solution, the Government should overhaul the entire asylum system.

In the 1980s and 1990s, hundreds of asylum seekers came in, claiming they were fleeing persecution. We had no way of seeing if they were genuine, or hate clerics lying to get in. Many extremists who came in never integrated.

Extremist asylum seekers need to be re-vetted, and if they are deemed a threat they should be kicked out. The Home Office should set up a ‘cold cases’ review team to re-examine all asylum seekers.

We have never faced a terrorism threat like this. So let us have a proper national debate and not be afraid to speak openly for fear of offending any communities, or for the sake of political correctness.