Cameron Takes Controversial Steps to Combat Terrorism in the UK

UK PM David Cameron proposes new laws to fight jihadists in Britain
Prime Minister David Cameron will put into
effect new laws to fight jihadists in the UK.
Image:  Frederic Legrand / Shutterstock.com
In the wake of raising the United Kingdom terror threat level to “severe,” Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday that he plans to give the police new powers in dealing with suspected terrorists in Britain.

Hoping to stem the flow of British jihadists traveling through the UK on behalf of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Cameron will enact laws allowing police to seize passports and prevent suspects from returning to the UK.  In addition, airlines will be required to hand over more information about passengers traveling to and from areas of conflict.

Other plans include forcing terrorist suspects to undergo de-radicalization programs as well as relocate and cut themselves off from associates.

Meanwhile leaders of the British Muslim community have issued a fatwa, or religious decree, against British jihadists, the first of its kind in the UK.  The fatwa calls those who would help Islamic extremists “heretics” and states that while Muslims have a “moral obligation” to assist those who are suffering in Syria and Iraq, they must do so without “betraying their own societies.”

Cameron says he hopes to work with Germany, Turkey, and other countries in order to keep suspected jihadists from returning to Britain.

This new counter-terrorism direction has raised some criticism within British politics, with some concerned about the effectiveness of these upcoming laws.  Some Liberal Democrats are questioning Cameron’s move, and Dr. Sara Silvestri, Senior Lecturer of International Politics at City University London suggests the laws may backfire by creating more solidarity amongst Islamic extremists instead of weakening it.  “Threatening to strip people of their British citizenship could potentially play into the hands of the militants because it could be a way of endorsing alternative citizenship,” Silvestri said.

There’s also the question of whether or not equally useful laws already exist on the books, let alone how legal these current actions are.  According to Conservative Member of Parliament Sir Edward Garnier, “We do have to consider what can be done, but also what can be done within the law.”

As always, taking a legal stance to deal with the threat of terrorism has caused consternation on both sides.  The effectiveness of Cameron’s new laws remains to be seen.

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