Op-Ed video: I sued the government over 'extremism' and know the game Gove is playing
Michael Gove, the UK's secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, revealed a new definition of extremism earlier this week - despite criticisms from rights groups, senior Tory party members, Church of England leaders and even his own legal advisors.
Prior to the release of the government's new definition, three former home secretaries signed a letter warning against the politicising of anti-extremism; potentially because of a case Salman Butt, a Muslim public intellectual and the head of Islamic Thought at Islam21c, brought against the government.
In 2015, Butt was defamed as a so-called "extremist" in a 10 Downing Street press release, over which he took the government to court.
As well as a case for libel, our legal challenge also included a public law case arguing that the government has been acting unlawfully in its measures to counter so-called "extremism"; for which we currently await our day at the European Court of Human Rights.
Speaking to Middle East Eye, Butt says the British public should realise that Muslims are being used as "a political football in a race to the bottom to appeal to the worst xenophobic sentiments and racist myths using dog-whistle politics."
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The views expressed in this video belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
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