UK 'lacks knowledge about Islamist extremism because research focuses on far right'

Dame Sarah Khan, the Home Office's former head of counter-extremism, warned that official proposals for tackling extremism in the UK «lie with shelf «gathering dust» Photo: Riy Schrör

There are «significant gaps» in knowledge about Islamist extremism in the UK as research into radical groups is «skewed» towards the far right, warns a report published by the official counter-extremism body.

A study by the Commission on Countering Extremism found that Islamist extremists use legal threats to deter researchers from writing about them.

It said research projects funded by millions of pounds of taxpayers' money appeared to be «biased towards the study of extremism in general, as well as research into the far right», warning that the Islamist movement in Britain was «systematically under-researched».

Among the reasons for the research's apparent bias toward right-wing extremism was the «legal onslaught» that the researchers suggested they faced if they wrote about specific individuals and groups, «especially in the Islamist sphere.»

In the paper, published on the gov.uk website, states: “As a result of systemic problems both in the study of extremism and in disseminating the results of such research, there are likely to be significant gaps in the knowledge base about extremism in the UK.

“The tilt towards studies of right-wing extremism and away from studies of Islamism (especially in the context of contemporary Britain) could… perhaps be seen as problematic given that Islamist extremism proportionally represents a much greater terrorist threat in the UK. «.

'Unprecedented' level of radicalization

The report will heighten concerns about the UK's ability to cope with rising levels of extremism caused by the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

< p>Earlier this month, Ms Sarah Khan, the Home Office's former head of counter-extremism, said official proposals to tackle extremism in the UK were «sitting on the shelf collecting dust» despite evidence the country was facing «unprecedented» level of radicalization.

Dame Sarah said she was “perplexed” that the department had failed to formally respond to any of the reports she produced as head of the Countering Extremism Commission between January 2018 and March 2021.

Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, promised the legislation, which received royal assent in October, would put an end to sham court cases called strategic suits against public participation (Slapps), which use the UK legal system to «shut down critics and prevent negative consequences». stories never come to light, even when there is clear evidence of wrongdoing.”

The study, prepared for the Commission on Countering Extremism, now chaired by Robin Simcox, said interviews with academic researchers suggest that the “good legal offensive” described by anti-Slapps campaigners “may reflect the experience of extremism researchers who are trying to publish papers about specific people and organizations, especially in the Islamist sphere.»

«Systematically under-researched»

It added: “Although a defendant's victory in court may serve to give the claims inciting Slapp more credibility than they previously had (as may have been the case, for example, in Shaquille Begg v British Broadcasting Corporation). 2016), combating these types of problems requires resources and institutional support that are often in short supply, and this may be one of the factors why much published research on extremism remains high quality.

“Although more general studies of a social phenomenon can certainly be of great value, their use will often be uncertain without modern research into specific aspects of the phenomenon, which, as the results of this study show… may have been systematically criticized. -researched — particularly when it comes to the Islamist movement in modern Britain.»

The report, compiled by Daniel Allington, lecturer in social analytics at King's College London, added: «Projects supported by the largest government research funders appear to be lean towards research on extremism in general, as well as research on the far right, particularly in relation to Britain today and the recent past.»

And a spokesman for the UK Research and Innovation Authority, which distributes government research funding, said: «We We are aware of this independent report and will study its findings. Funding decisions for research projects are made through a rigorous peer review process by relevant independent experts from academia and business.»