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EXCLUSIVE: 'I will gag the hate clerics': Cameron to launch new terror task force to bring an end to religious extremism
- British Prime Minister heads a new task force to stop the spread of 'poison'
- Will urge Muslim 'whistleblowers' to report terrorism to the police
- Government says it 'cannot allow extremist clerics to incite young people'
- Cameron wants Muslim groups to support and aid his programme
PUBLISHED:15:58 EST, 25 May 2013| UPDATED:05:15 EST, 26 May 2013
David Cameron is planning new powers to muzzle Islamic hate preachers accused of provoking terrorist outrages such as the killing of soldier Lee Rigby.
The Prime Minister wants to stop extremist clerics using schools, colleges, prisons and mosques to spread their ‘poison’ and is to head a new Tackling Extremism and Radicalisation Task Force (TERFOR) made up of senior Ministers, MI5, police and moderate religious leaders.
The high-powered group will study a number of measures, including banning extremist clerics from being given public platforms to incite students, prisoners and other followers – and forcing mosque leaders to answer for ‘hate preachers’.
Islamist preacher Omar Bakri praised Michael Adebolajo for remaining at the murder scene
How has the government dealt with the Woolwich terror killing
It will also urge Muslim ‘whistleblowers’ to report clerics who act as terrorist apologists to the police.
The launch of TERFOR signals a major overhaul of the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy in the wake of the brutal murder of Drummer Rigby on Wednesday.
A senior Whitehall source said: ‘The PM is determined to challenge the poisonous narrative of extremist clerics and confront religious leaders who promote violence.’
The move comes as:
- It was revealed that Woolwich suspect Michael Adebolajo was known to MI5 after being held over terror charges in Kenya and deported to the UK.
- The Mail on Sunday has been told that Adebolajo was offered cash by MI5 to work for them – then sought legal help to ‘get them off his back’ after refusing to do so.
- Cleric Omar Bakri described Adebolajo as a ‘hero’ for remaining at the murder scene.
- Two-thirds of Britons backed a clampdown on hate preachers in a Mail on Sunday poll, which also found strong voter support for the way Mr Cameron reacted to the horrific incident.
Career: Drummer Rigby, 25, known as 'Riggers', was known as a brave soldier
The Government, police and security services and religious and ethnic leaders have all struggled to come to terms with the Woolwich outrage. Government insiders say Mr Cameron’s new TERFOR group is intended to ‘disrupt’ the activities of extremist clerics wherever they preach their ‘hateful message’.
One said: ‘We are looking at the range of powers and current methods of dealing with extremism at its root, as opposed to just tackling criminal violent extremism.
‘And we will look at ways of disrupting individuals who may be influential in fostering extremism.
‘We cannot allow a situation to continue where extremist clerics go around this country inciting young people to commit terrorist acts.
‘We will do everything we can to stop it.’
The source stressed that Mr Cameron was ‘aware of the importance of avoiding a kneejerk reaction,’ and added: ‘This new group will study the issue in great depth before acting.
‘There is no question of restricting freedom of speech – this is about preventing people spreading the message of extremism and radicalisation in a totally irresponsible and reckless way.
‘We cannot stand by and let people whip up violent hatred of Britain and its values and culture with the appalling consequences that we have seen.’
Rant: A man identified as Michael Adebolajo, 28, brandishes a meat cleaver with bloodied hands near the scene of the killing
Messages: Anjem Choudary at a demonstration in 2007, with alleged Woolwich killer Michael Adebojalo behind him
Mr Cameron will tell moderate Muslim groups they must be much more proactive in condemning pro-terrorist clerics.
He believes that while mainstream organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain have unequivocally condemned the slaughter of Drummer Rigby, they have failed to take a similar firm stance in the past.
Mr Cameron will also ask police and security chiefs for more details on the number of young people who have been radicalised like Drummer Rigby’s murderers.
‘It is hard to measure the extent of radicalisation but we know there are many hundreds of individuals,’ said one source.
Fallen hero: Father Lee Rigby, 25, from Manchester, was killed in Woolwich on Wednesday
Suspect: Michael Adebowale, 22, of Greenwich, south-east London, with a knife in his hand at the scene where Lee Rigby was stabbed to death
‘We have to encourage clear condemnation from groups that those vulnerable to radicalisation may listen to. TERFOR will want a better assessment of the size of the problem so they know what they are dealing with and can counter it.
‘We must find ways to identify and tackle radicalisation in places which can be very hard to reach, such as unregulated schools and madrasahs.
'We must ensure imams and other religious leaders are not promoting extremist messages.
‘Mosque committees need to be held to account for the choice of imams they make.
‘And those attending religious services need a route to express their concern about extremist messages they hear at mosques.’
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