Hardline Islamic literature left in prisons despite call for removal

Five books that were labelled "extremist" by the Prison Service remained in prison libraries in England and Wales for seven months after a review called for their removal, it has emerged.

The books, which promote hardline Islam, were discovered during Home Office official Ian Acheson’s prison review and reported to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in November 2015.

One or more of the texts had been found in chaplaincy rooms at nine of the 11 prisons that were inspected.

Yet according to the BBC, the order to remove the books was only made after 20 June.
 

'Security risk'

An email was sent on 20 June to all prisons by the National Offender Management Service, which runs jails on behalf of the MoJ, asking for the book’s immediate removal and describing them as "extremist literature".

"I made it clear to the Ministry of Justice last November that... my assumption was that urgent action will be taken to remove these materials", Ian Acheson said in response to the findings that the books had only recently been removed.

"Their free access to vulnerable and suggestible prisoners is an obvious security risk."
 

Books inspired Jihad

The books in question are The Way of Jihad by Hassan Al-Banna; Milestones by Sayyid Qutb; The Lawful and Prohibited in Islam by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi; Towards Understanding Islam by Syed Abul Ala Maududi; and Fundamentals of Tauheed by Bilal Philips.

The Way of Jihad and Milestones are both regarded as having inspired jihadists in the Arab world over the past decade.

Hassan Al-Banna was the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt, and Mr Qutb was a leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and 1960s.
 

'Worrying'

Dr Bhatt, Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, said that it is "worrying" that the books were left despite calls for their removal.

"These texts are often standard fare among militant and authoritarian organisations and form the backdrop to their world view," he said.

"The writings of Maududi, al-Banna, Qutb have been central to the growth of modern political Islam."
 

Findings of radicalisation and extremist preachers

Ian Acheson’s report was ordered by former Justice Secretary Michael Gove last year.  It was submitted in March this year, but its publication has been successively delayed.

Throughout the course of this year, various reports have come to light about the prevalence of Islamic extremism in UK prisons, including the radicalisation by hardline Islamists of other inmates, and the presence of extremist Imams.

Christian Concern’s Director of Islamic Affairs, Tim Dieppe, has previously discussed {LINK} how many prison imams were found to be promoting extremism, emphasising that changes must be made in order to prevent this from continuing.

"It is clear that there needs to be a complete overhaul of the Muslim prison Chaplaincy system. There should be zero tolerance for teaching and promoting of Islamic fundamentalism by prison Imams. Guidelines need to be set out and prison Imams should agree to abide by a clear set of regulations," Tim said.

Tim Dieppe has also written about findings of radicalisation and the operation of ‘sharia courts’ in UK prisons.

Related Links: 
Prison Imams found to be promoting Islam 
'Sharia courts' and radicalisation in British prisons 
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