Board of Deputies President backs report which calls on Government to bring in new laws to target extremists

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has expressed her support for a report by The Commission for Countering Extremism which calls on the Government to introduce new laws to target those engaging in hateful extremist activity which is not covered by existing legislation.

She said: “This report lays bare the shocking reality that Neo-Nazis and Islamist extremists are at liberty to encourage terrorist attacks and stir up racial hatred, so long as they follow certain loopholes in the law. We also commend the Commission’s exposé of platforms such as Gab, Parler and Telegram who facilitate the spread of far-right propaganda, and of toxic groups such as CAGE, whose senior leaders have advocated supporting violent jihad overseas. This cannot be allowed to continue and we welcome the Commission’s recommendations to government, which should be implemented with urgency.”