Baroness Warsi claims UK radicalisation policy has been flawed for ‘years’

Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi described the UK government’s policy on radicalisation as having been flawed for ‘years.’ Speaking at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival yesterday, she said policy-makers focused far too much on ideology as a root cause of terrorism. She insisted Britain cannot afford to have “sloppy” and “lazy” thinking on issues of national security.
 
Baroness Warsi drew attention to how factors such as the upbringing of certain individuals, particularly if they come from backgrounds influenced by gang culture and drugs, can play a role in leading them towards violence.
 
“We need to go back to statistics, to profiles of these individuals – and I just don’t see that happening,” she said.
 
The festival also saw an appearance by Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, who stated his belief that although Muslims had a moral duty to speak out against terrorism, western societies were turning a deaf ear to the continued condemnations by Muslims every time a terrorist attack occurred.
 
“This is is the fiftieth time I am condemning it, so please listen,” he said. “We are responding. What would be good is for our fellow citizens and our politicians to listen to us.”