Community Engagement Principles and Extremism Definition

Debate between Lord Khan of Burnley and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Wednesday 22nd January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Khan of Burnley (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble and right reverend Lord makes a strong point about ensuring that we provide more education about and awareness of the importance of democracy. Democracy unfortunately is also being attacked by malign actors and foreign interference, as we have seen evidence of in recent weeks and even in previous elections. I reassure the noble and right reverend Lord that I am having those conversations with the Department for Education and the Minister responsible to ensure that we can look at focusing education and getting more understanding of democracy, so our citizens understand and appreciate the historical struggle for democracy and celebrate our system. Although there are challenges, it is a wonderful system and we need to ensure that people engage with it.

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, just a small point first: countering extremism always has sat in the Home Office. I should know, as I was the first Minister for Countering Extremism in the Home Office. Linked to that, a lot of the extremism is imported from other parts of the world and it is important to stop it at source. Can the Minister assure this House that there will be an integrated approach to ensure that the foreign threat is also dealt with?

Anti-Muslim Prejudice and Hate Crime

Debate between Lord Khan of Burnley and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Monday 9th September 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)]

My Lords, in thanking the Minister for sharing his answers, perhaps I might make a suggestion. My noble friend on the Front Bench has already articulated the issue of funding. There is existing architecture from the previous Government—the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group. Also, it was the Conservative Government led by my noble friend Lord Cameron that made anti-Muslim hatred a specific hate crime. There is also an issue of underreporting.

I hope that the Minister agrees that we must focus on reporting these crimes and make that issue of education prevalent in the communities. Linked with that, we must accentuate the positive. Muslims make an incredible contribution across the piece in the United Kingdom, even in areas such as cricket, which may be the litmus test. I recall a particular ministry official saying to me that when he gets up in the morning, he hears Mishal Husain on the radio, travels on an Underground run and overseen by Sadiq Khan, then reports to a Minister called Tariq Ahmad. Let us accentuate the positive of Islam and Muslims in Britain alongside what we do in tackling anti-Muslim hatred.

[Lord Khan of Burnley (Lab)]

I do not have anything to respond to that with. It was a fantastic point. I pay tribute to the work that the noble Lord did as Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief. His points were very clearly made, and I will take them forward. I appreciate his comments.