The government is considering a working definition on anti-Muslim hatred. This process began in Feb- ruary 2025 with the creation of a Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition which submitted advice to the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in October 2025. However, the best response to anti-Muslim hate is an even-handed re-assertion of the existing British legal framework for religious hate, rather than singling out one community and introducing a new definition or legislation that could be counterproductive and divisive. That framework provides equal religious rights for all and is a positive offer...

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The Independent Review of Prevent by Sir William Shawcross observes that many individuals of radicalisation concern appear to harbour antisemitic beliefs, in some cases expressing the intent to assault and kill members of the Jewish community. The Review consequently recommends that Prevent begin to address the anti-Jewish component of both Islamist and Extreme Right-Wing ideology. British institutions tasked with countering extremism should develop a far better understanding of Islamist antisemitism and its role in radicalisation to violence, better enabling practitioners and the policy community to tackle this particularly pernicious and powerful component of extremism. This report provides a resource to assist in the development of such an understanding, combining historical scholarship with statistical analysis and a summary of opinion from a diverse group of experts.

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The UK’s counter-radicalisation Prevent strategy has become one of the most well established soft-power counter-terrorism programmes in the Western world. It offers a far more subtle approach than alternatives such as sting operations or intrusive levels of surveillance by security services. Despite this, from its beginnings, Prevent has faced criticism from campaigners, academics, and community groups. There can be little argument that there are areas where Prevent needs reform and improvement. Yet it is questionable whether adopting the claims made by many of the programme’s critics would assist making Prevent any more effective.

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On March 23rd, 2019, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) lost its last piece of territorial Caliphate: Baghuz, a town in eastern Syria. This was a significant moment in the war against Islamist extremism. However, it did not signify either an enduring defeat for ISIS nor the ideology of Islamism. In Europe, for example, there have been – on average – two Islamist terror plots or attacks per month since ISIS relinquished its Caliphate.

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Fifteen years on from the July 7, 2005 terrorist attacks and huge progress has been made in tackling terrorism. Unfortunately, progress has been trickier to achieve in the so-called battle of ideas and there is still insufficient work being done to push back against extremist ideologies and those who promote them. The relationship between Prevent and counter extremism work has become confused and ambiguity about who the Government will and will not work with has led to inconsistent decisions being made.

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