Michael Gove fumes at ‘dangerous’ New York Times claims

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Michael Gove has warned of a “well-organised campaign” of Islamist extremism, criticising the New York Times for “dangerous” claims. In a joint article with Nick Timothy, the Levelling Up Secretary, Mr Gove said the claim that the Trojan Horse affair had nothing to do with Islamist extremism was “as dangerous as it is false”. The podcast, which suggested that the affair was wrapped up in governance malpractice rather than extremism was part of a “concerted attempt to muddy the waters”, Mr Gove and Mr Timothy said.

The New York Times broadcast claimed to tell the true story of an alleged plot by hardline Islamists to take over state schools in Birmingham, which prompted a national inquiry.

It alleged no such plot existed and that the letter which sparked the first investigation into the affair was a hoax.

But in a foreword to a new report on the Trojan Horse affair by the think tank Policy Exchange, Mr Gove and Mr Timothy said: “The notion that the events in Birmingham had nothing to do with extremism is as dangerous as it is false, since it conceals an ugly truth that too many prefer not to acknowledge.

“We have a problem in Britain with Islamist ideology and its adherents, who seek to impose their intolerant values on Muslim communities, including children, through nonviolent means including the capture of important institutions such as schools.”

Their article added: “The fear of being branded Islamophobic has only made it more diffcult to speak up about such extremism. There is a well-organised campaign that seeks to undermine our counter extremism work and the Government’s counter-radicalisation strategy, Prevent.

“Many of the key players in this campaign – who will no doubt repeat their demands for the scrapping of Prevent regardless of how it is fine-tuned – are also involved in undermining the truth about Trojan Horse. The common thread to their campaigning is the allegation of state-driven Islamophobia.”

“Many of the key players in this campaign – who will no doubt repeat their demands for the scrapping of Prevent regardless of how it is fine-tuned – are also involved in undermining the truth about Trojan Horse.

“The common thread to their campaigning is the allegation of state-driven Islamophobia.

“An important element of this campaign of grievance is the activists’ insistence on writing their own truths.

“Their attempt to rewrite the history of Trojan Horse was given fresh wind earlier this year by a podcast series from Serial and the New York Times.”

Number 10 echoed Mr Gove’s points but avoided singling out Islamist ideology itself.

When asked about the minister’s claims, a spokesperson today said: “Clearly we need to be alive to any attempt to radicalise groups of individuals based on any ideology or fatih.

“That is something the Department for Education is alive to.”

He added: “We have the Prevent duty in place to help.”

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