Robert Lambert interview on BBC Radio 4

Robert Lambert interview on BBC Radio 4


Robert Lambert, whose new book on ‘Countering al-Qaeda in London: Police and Muslims in Partnership,’ is out this week, was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning on his work with Muslim groups as Head of the Muslim Contact Unit at the Metropolitan Police from 2002 - 2007.

Lambert criticizes the attitude displayed by Government in recent years towards Muslim groups who have been actively engaged in community-ledcounter-terrorism efforts arguing the approach has “demonis[ed] some of the most effective Muslim groups and organisations against al-Qaeda.”

He argues such groups, who he has worked with during his time as a counter-terrorism officer, are now “demonized as extremists” with government“reclassifying such groups as ‘non violent extremists’”.

Lambert argues that evidence to support the claims that such groups are ‘part of the problem’ is not supported by the evidence. He states that Muslim groups which are derogatorily treated as “Islamists” evince the very values they are frequently called upon to support; the rule of law and ‘Britishness’.

Listen to the interview on BBC iPlayer here.




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