The Conservatives have finally been forced to sack the government adviser Roger Scruton, who had dismissed Islamophobia as a “propaganda word” and said homosexuality was “not normal” .
The Tories knew about these views but chose to defend him and keep him in post. The Scruton story really goes to heart of the Conservative party’s problem with Islamophobia. It exposes the depressing reality that they don’t really think there’s anything wrong with it. They are not abhorred by it the way we all should be by all hatreds and prejudices.
Scruton has repeatedly argued that Islamophobia is a “propaganda word” used to “hide the truth”, and that those mocking the idea that Islam is a religion of peace run the risk of an “Islamist” killing them. This paints Muslims as violent, dangerous others, who don’t share the west’s values and shouldn’t be trusted. Such speech stokes fear and loathing towards Muslims at a time when Islamophobic hate crime is rising in our society and around the world. [Guardian Cif] Read more
