HUMAN rights groups have slammed a Tory-backed review of anti-extremist programme Prevent, claiming the report is “riddled with bias and plain anti-Muslim prejudice.”

The long-awaited review, led by William Shawcross, concluded that the government’s strategy is “not doing enough to counter non-violent Islamist extremism.”

Mr Shawcross, who has been accused of harbouring anti-Islamic views, said in his review published on Wednesday that Prevent had focused too much on tackling far-right extremism and not enough on Islamist radicalisation. 

The findings were made despite official figures showing that referrals to Prevent for far-right extremism have exceeded those made for Islamist radicalisation for two years running. 

Amnesty International UK’s racial justice director Ilyas Nagdee said the review has no legitimacy.

He said: “This review is riddled with biased thinking, errors and plain anti-Muslim prejudice.

“William Shawcross’s history of bigoted comments on Muslims and Islam should have precluded his involvement in this ill-fated review in the first place.

“There’s mounting evidence that Prevent has specifically targeted Muslim communities and activists fighting for social justice and a host of crucial international issues — including topics like the climate crisis and the oppression of Palestinians.”

Amnesty was among dozens of human rights and Muslim advocacy groups to boycott the review over the appointment of Mr Shawcross in 2021, and concerns of bias. 

The former Charity Commission director has previously stated that: “Europe and Islam is one of the greatest, most terrifying problems of our future.”

Accepting all 34 recommendations of the report, Home Secretary Suella Braverman welcomed the review’s findings on Wednesday and said it would now focus on “the key threat of Islamist terrorism.” 

The report also criticised an “international campaign” to undermine Prevent, naming particular groups, including advocacy organisation Cage, which has called for Prevent to be abolished. 

Responding to the review, Cage’s head of public advocacy Anas Mustapha said its conclusion that the strategy requires major reform is “an admission of failure.”

“The open discussion about resetting Prevent is a vindication of Cage and others, who consistently highlighted the policy’s racist underpinnings, flawed logic and ways it undermined free speech. 

“Fundamentally Prevent has been falsely sold as ‘safeguarding’ and that untruth is now admitted.
 
Criticising Ms Braverman’s response to the review, shadow home secretary Yvetter Cooper said it was counterproductive to create a “hierarchy of extremism.”