Security and Counterterrorism
Sara Khan’s appointment as chief of Commission for Countering Extremism stands to alienate British Muslim community
Khan’s reputation as a “mouthpiece” for the Home Office has caused her appointment to be criticised by a number of politicians and Muslim groups for alienating the British Muslim community from counter-extremism efforts.
Liberation of journalist signals cautious détente in German-Turkish relations
After one year and two days in Turkish prison – mostly spent in solitary confinement – journalist Deniz Yücel was set free by the Turkish authorities on February 16, 2018. The case of Yücel, a German and Turkish dual national working for the German Die Welt newspaper, had been a severe stumbling block in German-Turkish…
Ofsted’s mission to tackle extremism in British schools criticised for unfairly targeting the Muslim community
The head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, has called for “muscular liberalism” in order to tackle ‘extremism’ in British schools. However, the organisation’s approach has been criticised for unfairly targeting the Muslim community and for promoting Islamophobia.
Jewish community speaks out against Sarcelles attack
France’s Jewish community firmly condemned the anti-Semitic attack in Sarcelles on an 8-year-old boy wearing a kippa. The act’s anti-Semitic nature was clear to René Taïeb, president of the Union of Jewish communities of Val-d’Oise. “It’s terrible that one can attack a child as a result of prejudice,” he said. “If one can no longer…
Politicians speak out against attack on Jewish boy in Sarcelles
An 8-year-old Jewish boy wearing a kippa was attacked by two teenagers in Val d’Oise near the “Little Jerusalem” quarter of Sarcelles. The child was repeatedly kicked by two 15- year-olds, who then fled. His parents have decided to press charges. Two days after the attack, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe denounced “a new, violent and…