The Invisible History

How our contemporary counter-terrorism practises reveal the persistence of Empire.

Since 2015, in the name of countering terrorism, the 'Prevent' programme requires public sector workers - university staff, nurses, teachers, doctors, and council workers - to seek out signs of 'extremism', and report them. This new 'duty' turns British citizens into a surveillance militia, encouraging them to be suspicious of views different from their own, and to endorse 'British values' instead of universal human rights.

As a result, black, migrant, minority, and racialised Muslims are increasingly portrayed as threats, while basic democratic liberties and protections are being dismantled. 80% of reported accusations have proved to be unfounded, with over 90% over-reporting occurring in schools: more than 60 children are investigated each week. Few believe this method is an effective deterrent, yet it continues unabated.

In The Invisible History Nabulsi reveals the older, and near invisible British habits that lie behind this current policy, connecting Prevent to its deeper historical origins of Empire, and the active erasure of Britain's recent colonial history. She explores our current crisis in security and policing, and shows how engaging with this recent past is the only way of overcoming an increasingly unequal society/present.