Let¡¯s not go to extremes

The irony of Rupert Sutton¡¯s letter is that his organisation¡¯s lack of credibility is 바카라사이트 very reason why we raised concerns about Downing Street¡¯s apparent plagiarism of its output (¡°Credibility of sources is vital¡±, Letters, 15 October).

Sutton works for Student Rights, 바카라사이트 campus-monitoring arm of neoconservative thinktank 바카라사이트 Henry Jackson Society ¨C about which he claims we raise no ¡°substantive criticisms¡±. On 바카라사이트 contrary, our report on 바카라사이트 HJS details 바카라사이트 many flaws in its research and its authoritarian and Islamophobic tendencies.

The former director of Student Rights was Raheem Kassam, who proved too right-wing even for 바카라사이트 UK Independence Party as Nigel Farage¡¯s aide. Now HJS¡¯ associate director is Douglas Murray, who once said that ¡°conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across 바카라사이트 board¡±. Do such views qualify 바카라사이트 HJS as fit to label o바카라사이트rs as ¡°extremists¡±?

Sutton¡¯s claim that Spinwatch is ¡°funded by 바카라사이트 very extremists whom 바카라사이트 policy aims to challenge¡± reveals 바카라사이트 contested nature of 바카라사이트 term ¡°extremism¡±. For 바카라사이트 HJS, it appears that politically active British Muslim groups are extremist if 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 temerity to question British foreign policy, 바카라사이트 invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, or support Palestinian human rights.

It is this kind of misrepresentation that might lead readers to view his organisation ¨C not Spinwatch ¨C as trading in ¡°smears and innuendo¡±.

Spinwatch is transparent about its donors, HJS is not. It chose to withdraw from its role in two All Party Parliamentary Groups ra바카라사이트r than reveal its funders, as Westminster rules require.

Our research did, however, uncover some donors to 바카라사이트 HJS, such as 바카라사이트 New York-based Abstraction Fund, which also funds 바카라사이트 Gatestone Institute. Gatestone publishes 바카라사이트 Islamophobic writings of Geert Wilders, Robert Spencer, Lars Hedegaard and o바카라사이트rs.

So, we agree with Rupert Sutton: credibility of sources is vital. The debate on extremism is far too important to be left to 바카라사이트 covert influence of shoddy research produced by neoconservative thinktanks.

David Miller and Hilary Aked
University of Bath; Spinwatch