Source: IRNATwo of Britain‘s most influential right-wing think-tanks have used the fear of terrorism and of Islam to push forward an authoritarian political agenda on the country's Conservative-led government, according to a new study.
The report, entitled The Cold War on British Muslims, shows how the Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC) and Policy Exchange have rejected counter-terrorism policies based on public safety and have instead sought to revive discredited counter-subversion policies.
Published by Spinwatch, which monitors PR and spin, it warns that policies advocated by the neo-Con think-tanks and apparently endorsed by the coalition government, will have “grave consequences for British politics if they are not challenged.”
“Such an approach will inevitably mean the curtailment of civil liberties and the narrowing of political debate. For British Muslims the consequences may be even more serious.”
“A community already facing routine vilification, racial intimidation and violence would potentially face even greater monitoring, intimidation and harassment by the state,” the report said.
The Islamophobic undercurrent of such policies, it concluded, risk “further fuelling the racist violence against Muslims perpetrated by groups like the British National Party (BNP) and the English Defence League (EDL) - ironically the very extremism that organisations like the CSC and Policy Exchange claim oppose.”
The study examining the UK's two leading radical think-talks was carried out before Norway's worst-ever terrorist atrocities, but is seen timely following the concern about the dangers posed by far-right extremists peddling an Islamophobic agenda.
It found that both CSC and Policy Exchange were funded by wealthy businessmen and financiers and conservative and pro-Israel trusts and foundations, who, , inspired by the operations against peace activists and trade unionists during the Cold War, were explicitly seek to revive the tradition of political counter-subversion.
“Their modern targets are politically engaged Muslims, liberals and leftists, as well as liberal institutions such as schools, universities and public libraries,” it said.
“Their efforts should be understood as a response to a resurgence in progressive political movements which have challenged the militarism of the United States, Britain and Israel, as well as the model of globalisation championed by these states.”
Three influential government ministers, who are members of the British neo-Con movement, were identified as being in charge of universities, schools and libraries.
The report suggested that even Prime Minister David Cameron, though initially reluctant to publicly associate himself too closely with the neoconservatives, took part in announcing a so-called war on multiculturalism, when advocating a “muscular liberalism” in defence of Western values.
