DAVID Cameron has pledged to dismantle the "conveyor belt to radicalisation" in Britain with Coalition plans to target schools, universities, prisons and the internet.
The Prime Minister's promise to confront those who "perverted and warped" Islam came as one of the two men accused of murdering soldier Lee Rigby made his first court appearance and asked to be referred to as Mujaahid Abu Hamza.
Michael Adebolajo, 28, blew kisses to a man in court, pointed to the ceiling, and held up a copy of the Koran as he appeared in court almost two weeks after Drummer Rigby was hacked to death near his barracks in Woolwich in south-east London.
Mr Cameron pledged to dismantle the "conveyor belt to radicalisation" in Britain with Coalition plans to target schools, universities, prisons and the internet. He told MPs the incident in Woolwich was a "despicable attack on a British soldier who stood for our country and our way of life".
Mr Cameron said it was a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities which gave so much to the UK. "There's nothing in Islam which justifies acts of terror and I welcome the spontaneous condemnation of this attack from mosques and Muslim community organisations right across our country," he said.
He said the UK Government's Prevent Strategy had closed down websites and helped people vulnerable to radicalisation. Since 2011, more hate preachers had been excluded from the UK than ever before while 5700 items of terrorism material had been taken down from the internet, with almost 1000 more blocked when they were hosted overseas,
However, the Prime Minister suggested it was necessary to understand the root causes of extremism and that more needed to be done to tackle them.
Mr Cameron said: "When young men born and bred in this country are radicalised and turned into killers, we have to ask some tough questions about what is happening in our country. It is as if that for some young people there is a conveyor belt to radicalisation that has poisoned their minds with sick and perverted ideas.
"We need to dismantle this process at every stage – in schools, colleges, universities, on the internet, in our prisons, wherever it is taking place."
Labour leader Ed Miliband said extremists would fail to divide Britain. He said: "British people know this attack did not represent the true values of any community, including Muslim communities who contribute so much to our country."
Earlier, Adebolajo, of Romford, Essex, wearing a white T-shirt and trousers and with a bandaged arm, asked Westminster deputy chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot: "May I respond to you? You would prefer me not to speak to you. I am only a man. I would like to alleviate the pain if I may?"
He then kissed the Koran and raised his arm into the air.
He is accused of murdering Drummer Rigby, 25, on May 22. He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey within 48 hours for a bail hearing.
His co-accused, Michael Adebowale, 22, from Greenwich, who was at the same court last week, appeared yesterday via video-link at the Old Bailey. He is to reappear for a preliminary hearing on June 28 when his case is expected to be joined with that of Adebolajo.
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