Securitising Muslim School Children: The Case of the ‘BRIT’ Questionnaire by Dr Sophia Butt

On Wednesday 11th September 2024, AMI’s Dept. for Studies in Comparative Religion was privileged to host University of Birmingham’s Dr. Sophia Butt, to lead a research seminar entitled “Securitising Muslim School Children”. The presentation, which centred on UK-based research, asked critical questions about the UK government’s ‘deradicalisation’ initiatives and how they were administered to schoolchildren. The presentation critically evaluated the theoretical basis, adequacy and application of questionnaires that were targeted at schoolchildren, as well as the lack of transparency involved with the initiative and the islamophobic underpinnings its consequences had. Some of the research questions relied on theories of cognitive development from western scholars, like Jean Piaget, implying that government questionnaire, trialled without parental consent, was inappropriate considering the children’s underdeveloped psyche, and did not yield accurate or ethically defensible results. Research on this theme has a growing significance considering geopolitical tensions around the Middle East, and political scrutiny of Muslim responses in the UK.