The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said that from next year it will offer an alternative to the highly controversial Prevent counter-extremism program.

Mosque-centered strategy will start next year in challenge to Home Office’s unpopular Prevent program. British Muslims are planning to set up their own program to stop people becoming terrorists in a direct challenge to the government’s controversial Prevent scheme, the Guardian has learned. The plans are being masterminded by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), representing 500 charities, schools and mosques, which plans to start the Muslim-run counter-radicalization scheme next year.

“In reflecting the wishes of a cross-section of British Muslim society, our affiliates have directed the MCB to explore a grassroots-led response to the challenge of terrorism. Real challenges exists, as we see with Muslim families broken up as a number of children, mothers and fathers leave to travel to Syria,” the MCB said in a statement.

The Home Office’s Prevent scheme is run by the police and security officials. The new initiative, run by a network of community groups across Britain, could cause concern as it could take people away from the official program. The number of referrals to Prevent reached a record 8,000 in the year to April 2016. Critics, many of whom are in the Muslim community, say Prevent has at its heart an ideological purity test meaning western foreign policy cannot be criticized, and the government is only prepared to work with those who do not challenge it.

Instead of trying to liberalize British Islam, the new scheme will focus solely on a message that violence can never be used. A source familiar with the plans said: “If we can get these voices more heard, they are anti-government and therefore more credible in saying do not turn to violence.” Mosques will be the key point of contact, being at the heart of Muslim communities across Britain. People can also be referred directly to the new counter-radicalization scheme.

Continue reading at: The Guardian