US President Donald Trump's administration reportedly want to rename and revamp a government anti-radicalisation programme to make it focus solely on Islam.

The programme Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) is a branch of Homeland Security, which undertook efforts to counter recruitment by groups such as Islamic State (Isis) and al-Qaeda, but also targeted white supremacists and ultranationalist groups.

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Officials briefed in the matter have told Reuters that the programme's name could be changed to "Countering Islamic Extremism" or "Countering Radical Islamic Extremism".

Such a move would reflect Trump's election campaign rhetoric against former President Barack Obama — portraying him as being weak in the fight against IS (Daesh).

The rename would please Republicans who have labelled CVE as politically correct and ineffective.

However, advocates of the programme say that the rebranding could make it more difficult for the government to work with Muslims already hesitant to trust the new administration, particularly in light of Trump's travel ban affecting seven Muslim-majority countries.

It has also been criticised for potentially alienating three million Americans who practice Islam peacefully.

Hoda Hawa, director of policy for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said: "[It] is concerning for us because they are targeting a faith group and casting it under a net of suspicion."

Trump's proposed change, if it proceeds, would also largely ignore the information on terrorist incidents within the US.

On mass shootings for example, the New York Daily News revealed that of the deadliest shootings in US history since 1949, only one was led by a Muslim.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report into all terrorist incidents on US soil between 1980 and 2005 shows that 94% were carried out by non-Muslims.

The name change would also ignore the atrocities committed by Dylann Roof, James Holmes and Robert Dear.

Islamic State