The Muslim civil society is doing the dirty work of the British state.
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we explained the role and structure of the Research Information and Communication Unit (RICU) of the Home Office in working with the PR firm Breakthrough Media/Zinc to deliver astroturfed PR campaigns for Muslim civil society groups. In this second article, we will give an account of how RICU has developed what it calls its ‘product’ — that is, campaigns launched by Muslim civil society groups as if they were their own, but which in reality are constructed and signed off every step of the way by British intelligence officers.
Before we dive into the specific civil society groups that were used in these campaigns, we need to look at RICU’s ‘theory of change’.
Counter-narratives and RICU’s ‘Theory of Change’
The concept of the counter-narrative emerges from an understanding of terrorism rooted in the ‘radicalisation’ thesis — the idea that terrorism emerges in the context of ‘extreme’ or ‘radical’ ideas. In accordance with this view, advocates of the ‘counter-narratives’ strategy believe that if you offer an alternative or counter-narrative to the ‘radical’ ideas that give rise to terrorism, you can essentially disrupt the so-called ‘path to radicalisation’. RICU described this ‘theory of change’ in one internal document submitted to the Swedish National Coordinator Against Violent Extremism (CVE) in 2015:
IF CSOs working to counter extremism are supported to improve their planning, delivery and management of projects and raise funds as well as build their communications capacity
THEN there will be a greater number of CSOs applying for funding to deliver high impact and scalable CVE projects whilst also leveraging their activities through communications to challenge extremist narratives online and offline and promote democratic values.
THEREBY Ensuring greater numbers of vulnerable young people are reached, reducing the appeal of extremist groups, and creating a more open approach within civil society to tackling extremism and in particular, Islamic extremism
CONTRIBUTING TO a reduction in the number of young people radicalised and recruited by extremist groups.
This is obviously premised on an extremely dubious account of the process of radicalisation, for which there is no secure evidence base.
Religious Leaders and Faith Institutions
Prevent and CVE approaches have sought to intervene in matters of religious interpretation and practice. Mosque regulation and religious roadshows were important components to the first iteration of the UK Prevent programme. This attempt to influence religious thinking and authority and embed pro-government voices within faith institutions has continued through subsequent iterations of the strategy.
Faith Associates
Faith Associates provides training to mosques and madrassas. It was set up in 2004 “as a non-theological consultancy to meet the needs of ethnic minority faith-based communities”. The organisation was involved in Prevent from the outset. In 2006, they helped establish the national umbrella body — the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB). They produce mosque training and management guides, which they now disseminate on a global scale. They have also partnered with private security firm G4S as well as the Home Office, the Community Security Trust, and others to provide mosque security training.
Faith Associates have significant global partnerships. This includes working with the United Nations to develop mosque training across East Africa. They have also worked with tech giants such as Google and Facebook. With the latter, they produced a ‘Keeping Muslims Safe Online’ guide for Muslim communities globally – which is now featured on the Facebook safety page.
In 2011, one of their flagship campaigns, ImamsOnline.com, was launched as “a dedicated portal for the promotion of Islamic leadership”. The intention was also to “provide advice, support and training to religious leaders globally”.
Breakthrough Media claims in internal documents that it and RICU can “only effectively influence online conversations by being embedded within target communities via a network of moderate organisations that are supportive of its goals”. Breakthrough notes, “As a result of its existing work with RICU”, it “has developed close working relationships with the following groups at the forefront of the counter-radicalisation effort in the UK”.
Faith Associates is on the list.