Islamophobia does not only affect British Muslims; it plays directly into the hands of extremists who claim that western societies will never accept Islam and its followers. Challenging this type of prejudice thus goes hand-in-hand with any successful counter-extremism strategy, the latest of which the home secretary has outlined.
It is for this reason that, in the aftermath of the 2010 general election, Sayeeda Warsi worked hard to form a government working group on anti-Muslim hatred. Against the backdrop of her warning in 2011 that Islamophobia had “passed the dinner-table test”, the then Conservative minister brought together representatives from Muslim communities, anti-racism groups and academia.
.... When Lady Warsi resigned from the government in 2014, she argued that the government’s failure to engage with Muslim communities was undermining Britain’s fight against extremism. She was right. We are today no closer to understanding and tackling anti-Muslim hatred. If anything, it feels as though we have gone backwards.
The success of Britain’s counter-extremism strategy will ultimately hinge on its ability to engage across all communities and inspire their trust. Working in this way, in sharp contrast, is only likely to fuel their disappointment. [Matthew Goodwin, 1392 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 385 votes] "The seriousness of Islamophobia will no doubt manifest itself via a plethora of rightwing posts on this very thread."
Indeed - such as those based around an ideology that views homosexuals and women with utter disdain; and aims violent rhetoric at any who challenge it.
I'm struggling to think of any examples, care to enlighten me?
[2ND 380] Encouraging inclusive secularism and pushing out faith groups from the public realm might work better for genuine integration surely?
[3RD 347] Bollocks. 'Islamaphobia' (it's not a phobia, since it's entirely rational) is a natural reaction to the terrible things done in the name of Islam.
Islamism would chug along happily without Islamaphobia.
[4TH 323] "The seriousness of Islamophobia will no doubt manifest itself via a plethora of rightwing posts on this very thread."
What does right and left-wing have to do with it? You do understand that right-wing isn't short for 'doesn't agree with me'?
Also, if you must make it about politics, I think you'll find the left has traditionally been more anti-religion than the right. Islam itself is more than a little conservative, wouldn't you say?
[5TH 298] "...what causes Islamophobia..."
The list is long. I'll start with the belief by some radical Muslims that the key to anti-gravity involves gay people.
The 'rooftop research' continues.
[6TH 295] Why do we need a group to find out what causes hatred against muslims. I would have thought it fairly obvious. People are frightened of them. Why dont we tackle muslim hatred toward the rest of us.
Doesnt their religion explicitly state they should kill us all and our should die? Who is chopping good peoples heads off? Stoning women? Treating women as third class citizens?
I dont hate anybody but you have to admit there is a huge PR problem here.
I think people are fed up with it always being the rest of us who are wrong and need to try harder. Well guess what its a two way street.
Of course religeon is the root cause again, again and again !!!!!
[7TH 272] A COMMENT SAID: A good start would be to follow Russia's example, with production of an "Authorised Version" of the Koran, with the hate passages deleted. You or I would be prosecuted if we published this kind of thing, and rightly so. If they are not taken seriously then they do not need to be there.
"with the hate passages deleted"
One of the world's shortest books, then?
[8TH 242] Problem is that "Islamophobia" is often used as a catch-all term which describes a range of opinions. These range from the atheist's distrust of a rather silly set of beliefs to your actual swivel- eyed racist loonies.
[9TH 205] "more must be done"
Like perhaps, not terrorising people so that they don't experience 'phobia'?
[10th 197] "Instead, the taskforce consulted widely with the Quilliam Foundation, a thinktank that, some say, lacks credibility with many ordinary Muslims, pushes theories of radicalisation that are typically not supported within the academic community, and undertakes research that is seldom subject to rigorous peer review."
Another attack on the Quilliam Foundation. What on earth are you aiming for here?
Well, apart from giving column inches to another Islamist, as usual. [Guardian Cif] Read more
