New extremism definition unveiled by government

Under the new definition, which comes into force on Thursday, extremism is "the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to: negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; or undermine, overturn or replace the UK's system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve the results in (1) or (2)

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Organisations or individuals added to the list will not be criminalised, unlike terrorist groups. Instead, they will be barred from contact with government and will not be able to receive government funding.

Looks like we’re finally going to separate church and state!

This is the best summary I could come up with:

It is not known which groups the government proposes to label as extremist, though it has promised to publish a list in the coming weeks and suggested Islamists and neo-Nazis will be targeted.

Discussing pro-Palestinian protests that have taken place since the Hamas attacks in Israel, he said: "On too many occasions recently, our streets have been hijacked by small groups who are hostile to our values and have no respect for our democratic traditions."

The previous definition, introduced in 2011 under the Prevent strategy, described extremism as "vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and belief".

Azhar Qayum, CEO of Muslim Engagement and Development, said "delegitimising lawful dissent in this way is itself undermining liberal democratic principles" and that he had "placed the government on legal notice".

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner, who also serves as shadow communities secretary, said extremism was a "serious problem that needs serious action" and that "tinkering with a new definition is not enough".

In an open letter published in the Guardian on Sunday, former home secretaries Priti Patel, Sajid Javid and Amber Rudd urged the Conservatives and Labour to "work together to build a shared understanding of extremism and a strategy to prevent it that can stand the test of time, no matter which party wins an election".

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