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New UK laws needed to stop hate speech and extremism, says report

Commission for Countering Extremism says possession of terrorist material should be a crime
Massive gaps in the law allow terrorism to be glorified and hatred to be spread, and a major crackdown is needed to stop more violence being triggered, an official report has said.
The report from the Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) calls for new laws to be considered, with groups accused of spreading hate facing bans.
Potential targets named by the CCE could include the far-right English Defence League and Cage, which has been accused of supporting Islamist extremism and violence.
The commission, which was set up by the government in 2017, also claimed that a tougher approach could have spotted that Thomas Mair, the man who assassinated Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016, was heading towards violent extremism.
The report was co-authored by commission chair Sara Khan and former terrorism chief Sir Mark Rowley.
It said that under current law praising Adolf Hitler, denying the Holocaust, praising Osama bin Laden, and far-right murderers such as Anders Brevik and Christchurch mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant was legal as long as the material did not directly encourage violence.
Other legal material, the report said, includes “fascist extremist organisation circulating pamphlets which promote false claims about a ‘white genocide’ intended to stir up hatred against a racial or religious group, but which are not threatening, abusive, or insulting”.
This amounted to a “gaping chasm”, the report said, with Rowley adding: “Not only have our laws failed to keep pace with the evolving threat of modern-day extremism, current legal boundaries allow extremists to operate with impunity.
“Hateful extremism is creating an ever-bigger pool for terrorists to recruit from, as well as increasing violence, hate crime and tensions between and within communities. The current situation is simply untenable.”
Rowley said even he was shocked by the extent of extremism and its spread, fuelled in recent years by the internet and social media.
The home secretary, Priti Patel, has been briefed on the report and is studying its recommendations.
Successive governments since 2005 have tried to toughen the UK’s stance against extremism, which falls short of breaking current terrorism or public order laws. But previous efforts have failed because of concerns that new laws might criminalise dissent, free speech and unpopular opinions. An attempt by the Cameron government failed because it could not define extremism.
The report by the CCE has the support of critics of previous efforts including activist Peter Tatchell. Tony Blair and David Cameron have also backed the report’s findings.
Rowley said this study avoided that pitfall by targeting the worst material, so called hateful extremism, where one group targets another to “to advance a political, religious or racial supremacist ideology” and wanting “to create a climate conducive to hate crime, terrorism or other violence”.
It is based on a concept already in use in terrorism trials, the “mindset material” where extremist material, such as from the far right or Islamist terrorist videos, are accepted as evidence of pre-existing extremism.
The biggest example of extremism that caused major harm was that of Anjem Choudary who as spokesperson for Al-Muhajiroun and its successor groups was linked to up to 100 terror recruits.
The commission said possession of terrorist material should be criminalised. Such an approach may have captured Choudary’s onetime friend Khuram Butt, ringleader of the 2017 London Bridge attack. In the years before the atrocity he was arrested and released despite being in possession of beheading videos and Isis propaganda because merely possessing them was not deemed on offence.
The new suggested approach drops talk of opposition to British values as being a sign of extremism and suggests a classification system could be used to rank the danger alleged extremist material poses, similar to that used for paedophile material or the harm drugs pose.
Rowley said a tougher approach for the internet was needed but technology companies had pointed out there was little more they could do until they was an accepted definition of what counted as extremism: “The magnifying effect of social media had transformed it from a sideshow to a major threat.”
The report said there were worrying signs the young were being duped by extremists.
The study quoted figures showing that 15% of young people and 20% of young male respondents to a 2020 poll said “the official account of the Nazi Holocaust is a lie”, and other polling showed the young were five times more likely than pensioners to believe lies against Jewish people.
Cage has long been a thorn in the side of government and counter-terrorism officials. Supporters say it is a community-based group fighting the excesses of the “war on terror”. Khan said Cage could meet the threshold for action if tougher measures were adopted.
Cage accused the commission of introducing a state version of cancel culture. A spokesperson said: “The CCE appears to be implementing an ‘official’ state-sanctioned policy of ‘cancel culture’ arguing for further restrictions on lawful speech. The views advanced by the CCE represent a fringe authoritarian and Islamophobic lobby within the halls of power.”
“Cage’s track record in seeking accountability for government overreach and violations of due process is well established. It is interesting that the CCE singles out a Muslim-led organisation for our warnings related to Prevent and ‘institutional Islamophobia’ even though this critique has also been made by a range of seasoned academics, UN rapporteurs and experts.
“After 3 years, and at great taxpayer expense, the CCE concludes its work without any further clarity on what ‘extremism’ is. Instead it promotes ideas from some of the most stridently Islamophobic and censorious organisations in the industry.”
source: Vikram Dodd
Levant
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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