The aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. A report on UK counter-terrorism policy is due on Wednesday. AP
The aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. A report on UK counter-terrorism policy is due on Wednesday. AP
The aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. A report on UK counter-terrorism policy is due on Wednesday. AP
The aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017. A report on UK counter-terrorism policy is due on Wednesday. AP

UK’s Prevent terror strategy review to address classifying extremists as victims


Laura O'Callaghan
  • English
  • Arabic

The classification of extremists as vulnerable people is a “mischaracterisation”, the author of a review of the UK’s Prevent strategy is expected to say.

William Shawcross, author of the review, is understood to have taken issue with how the government’s counter-terrorism programme is categorising potentially dangerous men and women as vulnerable.

His review is expected to highlight that Islamic extremists, in particular, are being treated as victims rather than the public being shielded from the threat they pose.

Excerpts of the long-awaited report have been leaked to media outlets ahead of its release on Wednesday.

A draft of the document seen by The Daily Telegraph signalled grounds for a potential shake-up of the strategy.

“Prevent is a crucial pillar of the UK’s counter-terrorism architecture, yet it has increasingly come to be seen as synonymous with safeguarding (i.e. an emphasis on protecting those referred into Prevent from harm and addressing their personal vulnerabilities),” the draft said.

Mr Shawcross, a former chairman of the Charity Commission, is expected to say that the “mischaracterisation” of extremism has led to a failure by officials to adequately address the radical beliefs fuelling extremist ideology. This policy, he said, brings “potentially serious consequences” for Britain’s security.

Paul Stott, a security expert, last month told The National that a shake-up of Prevent was long overdue and should include clarification on non-ideological extremism.

The head of security and extremism at the Policy Exchange in London said people were being flagged to officials as potential extremists, when mental health support was what they required.

Only a small percentage of terrorists in British prisons are classified as having no specific ideology, yet vast amounts of resources are being used up by Prevent officials to deal with people placed in this vague category.

“An enormous amount of Prevent referrals are being made for those showing mixed, unclear or unstable ideologies,” Mr Stott said.

“It’s a catch-all category. I hope the Shawcross review will give some clarity to that because it does not appear to have the same logic or the same basis as Islamist or far-right extremism.

“It’s just not clear what these individuals are suffering from.

“The suspicion is that it is mental health support that is needed and it will be fast-tracked.”

The Prevent strategy has in the past come under fire, with some critics claiming it has been too soft on Islamist extremists while mosques argue it treats Muslims unfairly.

Seven of the 13 terrorist attacks on UK soil in the past six years were carried out by radicals who had been referred to Prevent.

These included the man convicted of murdering Conservative MP David Amess at a constituency surgery.

Schoolboys account for the highest proportion of people considered to be most vulnerable to radicalisation, recent figures from Prevent showed.

There were 6,406 referrals to Prevent in the year to March 2022 — up 30 per cent on the previous 12-month period when 4,915 were made.

The surge is likely to have been driven by the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.

The education sector made the highest number of referrals (2,305, or 36 per cent of the total), replacing the police, which made up 28 per cent (1,808).

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

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Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

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Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

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Winner AF Almomayaz, Hugo Lebouc (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)

2pm Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner Karaginsky, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Sadeedd, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard.

3pm Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,950m

Winner Blue Sovereign, Clement Lecoeuvre, Erwan Charpy.

3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m

Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4pm Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Bladesmith, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m

Winner Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

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SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors. 

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Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry

Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm

Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Profile

Company name: Marefa Digital

Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre

Number of employees: seven

Sector: e-learning

Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019

Investors: Friends and family 

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 290hp

Torque: 340Nm

Price: Dh155,800

On sale: now

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

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MATCH INFO

World Cup 2022 qualifier

UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm

Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

RESULTS

5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m

Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)

5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi

6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi

6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m

Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m

Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi

Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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Updated: February 07, 2023, 1:28 PM