I'm referring to my proposed internment of terrorists, would-be terrorists and extremists in the UK.
Ahha - gotcha.
so how do you think the UK government should deal with the Islamist problem?
I don't actually disagree with the principle of internment for those who are highly likely to have extreme views given the insidious nature of the problem. It does go against my natural inclinations of progressive justice (innocent until proven guilty, burden of proof on the accuser etc.) but I also have no real problem with taking proactive and preemptive action against those who given any kind of opportunity would seek to do harm to people here. The rights of people to feel, and indeed BE, safe absolutely trumps any so called rights of those determined to support extreme Islamist agendas.
Having said that I think it is a short term reaction. I think it would increase the feelings of polarisation and persecution amongst many Muslims, especially young men, and foster further radicalisation. I also question where you are going to put all these people, how long for and how it's paid for. The prison service is already at breaking point without putting even more people into it. There is also lots of evidence that prisons are a breeding ground for further radicalisation.
You then have to ask what happens to those locked up. What do you do to prove their criminal intent? How is that handled in law? Thinking of committing a crime is much harder to turn into something that can be prosecuted. Do you seek to change their minds?
You might think of returning immigrants to their original homes but how does that happen in practice? What about those who are British citizens?
How do you handle upset and angry parents, friends and relatives? How do you overcome the negativity and hostility, let alone foster relations such that those radicals are marginalised within the Muslim community.
How do you monitor the mosques?
How do you reverse an ideology whilst coming down like a ton of bricks on those who you don't even know for sure have embraced it?
The only long term solution is for Muslims to come out of the dark ages and throw their religion down the toilet. It ain't going to happen any century soon.
The best we can hope for is that Muslims the world over get pissed off living with the threat of extremists to the point where they sort the problem out themselves. Where are the Saudis and others in the middle east in all of this?
For the UK government they need to be very careful. By all means target those known to be likely extremists. Get those they can out of the country. Shut down schools and mosques where they know the extremists work. But be very careful about going to far. It could easily back fire.