UK steps up counter-extremism push despite Muslim concern

LONDON: Britain's government backed schools that want to ban Muslim women and girls from wearing full-face veils as it ramped up efforts on Tuesday to counter the appeal of groups like Islamic State (IS).
The day after Prime Minister David Cameron warned Muslim women to learn English or risk deportation, ministers launched a website to help parents who are worried their children may be at risk of radicalisation.
Speaking at a school in east London from which a trio of girls moved to Syria last year, education secretary Nicky Morgan said the website was targeting "an enemy... putting poison in the minds and hatred in the hearts of our most vulnerable young people".
The Educate Against Hate site says signs for parents to look out for include children spending too much time online and "wanting to shut down debate or pursue the path of segregation".
The measures come amid grave concern over the number of people travelling from Britain to Syria to try to join jihadist groups such as IS.
Ahead of the website's launch, Cameron's government was drawn into a fresh debate about whether Muslim girls should be allowed to wear full-face veils at school.
While Britain currently has no blanket ban on veils, unlike other European countries like France, schools are allowed to prohibit them.
Morgan emphasised this in an interview with BBC radio Tuesday but added: "There are certain things ... particularly learning to read and to speak, where actually seeing the teacher's mouth is very, very important".
Cameron said he would "always back the authority and the institution" if bodies such as courts and border guards asked to see a veiled woman's face.
But his government's approach to the issue has drawn criticism from some moderate Muslim groups.
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of Ramadhan Foundation, said conflating two separate issues – the veil and the website – was not constructive.
"We accept we've got a problem with extremism, with radicalisation and people joining IS and that's what we've got to confront, not minor issues." – AFP