Articles from 2016

The SACC/IHRC Islamophobia Conference was held at the Augustine United Church, Edinburgh on Saturday 3 December.

A Prevent Action Plan released by Orkney Islands Council reveals that not just teachers, but Parent Councils and volunteers working with schools are to be given briefings on Prevent. A similar plan from Aberdeen reveals worrying intelligence-gatherin activities.

Public bodies say that they are legally required to implement the Prevent strategy under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act (CTSA) 2015. Are they really?

Writing in October 2012, former barrister Frances Webber looks at the injustice confronting Khalid al-Fawwaz, the facing extradition to the US after being held for 14 years without trial in the UK

Amina MWRC was given £21,000 by the Scottish Government in 2016 for "Educating Against Extremism". This sits awkwardly with its claim that its workshops were not funded by Prevent.

The government’s Prevent strategy is dividing our communities and will do nothing to deter terrorism, warns Stephen Smellie in the Morning Star

The National Council of the EIS agreed a resolution opposing Prevent in January 2016

Rahmaan Mohammadi speaks about his experience as a school student targeted by Prevent at the age of 15 because of his support for Palestine

Being targeted by PREVENT doesn't mean you are suspected of a crime, but it puts you at risk of further police attention and could put you at risk of prosecution. What should you do if you are targeted?

Following the fantastic Challenging Prevent conference in London on 4 June, SACC has agreed its action plan to stop Prevent in Scotland.

Ediburgh University replies to our letter supporting a student sit-in over Prevent

Amina Muslim Women's Resource Centre (Amina MWRC) was given a £15000 grant for "tackling radicalism" in the year ending 31 March 2015, according to accounts filed at Company House. The grant was most likely used to fund Amina's "Take Ownership" workshops, targeting young Muslims

Public meeting on prevent, 30 April 2016, Edinburgh. If you missed it, you can watch it here. With Zareen Taj, Pete Cannell, Nahella Ashraf, Richard Haley

Letter from SACC Chair, Richard Haley, to Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea, Principal of Edinburgh University, on the implementattion of Prevent at Edinburgh University

Open letter calling on the government to take urgent action to repeal the legislation imposing "Prevent" on public bodies, and for all those working in affected sectors to make clear their opposition to it

"I'm tired of hearing that opposition to UK foreign policy by Muslims is a pathway to terrorism. It's a pathway to peace and justice". Speech by Richard Haley at the seminar on "countering extremism" held by the Muslim Council of Scotland in Glasgow City Chambers on 2 March 2016

Response from SACC to questions raised at the Muslim Council of Scotland seminar on countering extremism. The Muslim community and its institutions have shown great resilience and common-sense under the pressures that have developed since 9/11. We hope that the community will maintain and develop this course. And we hope it will refuse to cooperate with the Prevent strategy

Response to a freedom of information request covering the first 18 months of operation of the Scottish Preventing Violent Extremism Unit (SPVEU). The SPVEU runs the Prevent strategy in Scotland