Shabana Mahmood: I’m not scared of calling out Islamism
Home Secretary delivers well-received speech at CST headquarters
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has addressed communal leaders at the Community Security Trust (CST) headquarters, telling them,”I’m not scared of calling out Islamism”.
Speaking alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a well-received speech Mahmood continued, “We have to go beyond calling it out—we have to think of solutions as well.”
A proud and practicing Muslim the Home Secretary praised CST staff who “ran towards danger and saved lives” during the Manchester synagogue atrocity. ”
“In the immediate aftermath of losing two worshippers on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the whole team up there ran towards danger; they saved lives,” she said.
“These are amazing individuals, and we owe you a huge debt.”
The Home Secretary reflected on the ongoing need for security in Jewish life in the UK: “It is an indictment of all of us in our country that, in fact, Jewish life can only be maintained in this country, behind walls, behind thick glass, behind locks, and that children have to learn what a lockdown looks like.”
“That’s an indictment of all of us,” she continued. “And so whilst your work is necessary and it’s amazing, and your volunteers are a credit, not just to the Jewish community but to the whole of our country, for the spirit in which they do their work and step up to the plate and put their own lives at risk.
“It’s our job to make sure it’s not needed, and so we will do practical things on police presence outside synagogues and other places of interest for the Jewish community.
“We’ve announced the extra funding today, but I know that there is a bigger question here for all of us to think about and try to find an answer to together.”
Mahmood confirmed she is looking at protest legislation and “at our wider legal framework as well.”
She explained, “We’ve announced a couple of changes and amendments that I’ll be making to the Public Order Act on the cumulative impact of protests.
“But I think there’s a question for us to test, whether the issue is practice and operationalization of our current legal framework, or whether the legal framework itself is not strong enough.”
She said she looked forward to working with the CST to “try to find the answer to those issues.”
“But really, the big job here is to work out how we rebuild community cohesion in our country and we deal with the extremism and the threats that this community faces, and that the whole of our communities face,” Mahmood said.
“Extremism is a big and growing problem, and we have to acknowledge and be honest about where those threats are coming from.
“I was very clear in the House on Monday that this attack that took place in Manchester was inspired by Islamist ideology.
“I’m not scared of calling out Islamism. It isn’t necessary, but we have to go beyond calling out, and we have to think of solutions as well.”
Mahmood emphasised the need for a “dial changing moment” to strengthen community cohesion. “I think that in the last two decades, we’ve had lots of good reports on integration and community cohesion,” she added.
“I know that many people in this room will have done the hard yards of interfaith work over the course of their lives as well.
“And I know that at this point, interfaith work is very difficult, and it’s been very challenging, certainly in the last two years, but nothing yet has given us that dial-changing moment where we can all actually know that we are moving forward with confidence together.
“So I think it falls on our government, led by Keir, to be the people who can answer the bigger question, how we deal with the extreme threats that we face?
“Firstly, having the courage to call them out, but secondly, thinking of actual solutions so we can stitch back together again the fabric of our nation, as your children in the future, like every other child in Britain, can go to school without learning what a lockdown is.
“That is the future that we want to see, and that is the work that I would like to do with all of you as we move forward as well.”
Mahmood spoke after the PM had addressed the room, as the pair pledged to tackle antisemtism in the UK.EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Starmer criticises police failure to use powers ‘already there’ to tackle hate marchers
Two people died when Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, carried out the car and knife attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on 2 October. One of them, Adrian Daulby, 53, was hit by a police bullet.
“Investigators believe the attacker was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology evident in a 999 call he made during the incident, in which he pledged allegiance to Islamic State,” the Home Secretary told the Commons on Monday.
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