Shafaqna Pakistan | by Shafique Jami, Muslims have resided in the cities and towns of Western Europe for around a century now. Despite this long history, they remain one of the most persecuted, discriminated against, stereotyped, and profiled groups in the region and arguably throughout much of the Western world. They are ‘insiders’ in the West, having lived, worked, worshipped, and fought for the region for decades, yet they are treated like permanent outsiders. Both citizens and recent immigrants among Muslims have been frequent targets of the far-right in the West, while mainstream politicians have instituted immigration and internal security policies that systematically and unfairly target them.
In the UK, this toxicity has permeated beyond officialdom and the extreme right wing, affecting much of the wider population. This is evident in the chaos following the stabbing of three young girls in Southport, northwest England. The far-right capitalized on the attack, spreading misinformation about the alleged perpetrator’s identity, falsely claiming he was an immigrant and/or a Muslim. While such details shouldn’t matter, generalizing blame is a common tactic of bigots and extremists.
These false claims have incited violent riots in several towns, leaving a trail of destruction. Mosques now require extra security, hotels housing asylum seekers are being attacked, and shops and businesses have been looted throughout the country. The situation has escalated to the point where the UK’s Policing Minister had to clarify that there would be no need to deploy the army. Authorities have labeled the rioters as ‘far-right thugs’ and promised swift action against them.
However, this narrative likely understates the problem. With thousands participating in the riots, it is apparent that far-right narratives against Muslims have a broader appeal than previously thought. This situation indicates a significant number of extremists capable of causing widespread mayhem and pushing one of the world’s most advanced countries to the brink of a national emergency.
This perspective is supported by the significant gains far-right parties made in the UK’s recent general elections, with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party securing 14.3 percent of the aggregate votes, marking a historic success for a far-right party in Britain. The hostility towards Muslims is similarly intense outside the British Isles.
Italy’s government, openly hostile to Muslim immigrants and making it harder for NGOs to rescue stranded migrants at sea, has been voted into power. In the Netherlands, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders’ party became the largest in the Dutch parliament following the November 2023 elections. Previously, rampant Islamophobia was viewed as a mainland Europe issue, not a UK’s problem. Clearly, this is not the case. Islamophobia in the West is only growing, with increasing official and popular support.
Source: Shafaqna Pakistan
Note: Shafaqna do not endorse the views expressed in the article