David Cameron announces new powers to investigate and shut down British Madrasas teaching antisemitic conspiracy theories

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, the Prime Minister announced new powers to inspect “intensive” religious schools and to shut down any that teach antisemitic views.

The Prime Minister said: “In some madrasas we’ve got children being taught that they shouldn’t mix with people of other religions; being beaten; swallowing conspiracy theories about Jewish people…So I can announce this today: if an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so it can be inspected. And be in no doubt: if you are teaching intolerance, we will shut you down.”

Mr Cameron continued: “For too long, we’ve been so frightened of causing offence that we haven’t looked hard enough at what is going on in our communities…This passive tolerance has turned us into a less integrated country; it’s put our children in danger. It is unforgivable. So let me say it right here: no more passive tolerance in Britain. We’ve passed the laws – now I want them enforced.”

The announcement follows a major speech delivered by David Cameron in July in which he identified antisemitic conspiracy theories as a gateway to Islamic extremist ideology.

We welcome the Prime Minister’s call for firm enforcement of the law. We have found that in many cases we have had to press far too hard for the police to investigate, and been dismayed by the outcomes in a number of cases.

We will continue to work with the authorities to improve the way that they handle antisemitic crime. If you would like to help with this work, please volunteer with us, or donate to support our work.