Islamophobia In Britain: Why It Exists And How To Overcome It

The Muslim community are often victims of prejudice, oppression and discrimination. Islamophobia is on the rise both in Britain and mainland Europe, and it is deeply concerning. This should not be happening in a supposedly tolerant society. There is also a distinct lack of religious tolerance in mainstream politics. The left are having serious institutional problems with anti-Semitism and the right are having issues with Islamophobia. We often turn to politicians for guidance on social issues, but when they re part of the problem, it makes dealing with the issue all the more difficult. Yet there is still hope. The Muslim community generally speaking are very charitable. Charity is at the heart of their religious doctrine and there are many examples where the Muslim community have helped the wider community in Britain. In addition, it is only a minority that hold prejudiced views towards the Muslim community. However, we probably assume it is more than a minority, probably because of the media s role in creating this hysteria. Islamophobia can be reduced and there are many ways to achieve that. This blog piece will not just explore some of these ways, but also examine how we got to this stage. Finally, I will look at the charitable nature of the Muslim community in an attempt to help people realise that they are a beneficial community for British society. If one can understand the actions of the other, this will help remove the negative stereotypes and prejudices that hinder the wellbeing of our society.

Why is Islamophobia on the rise?

A phobia, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is an exaggerated, usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular, object, class of objects, or situation . As the think-tank Gallup have pointed out this is exactly what islamophobia is. It s a fear of a Muslim or the Muslim community based on fears that are often worse than reality they re exaggerated or sometimes illogical. These fears arise from negative stereotypes and prejudices of the Muslim community, often resulting in bias as well as discrimination.

Gallup also highlighted that islamophobia has increased in frequency since the 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist attacks. This has made life more difficult for Muslims living in the west, which the Runnymede Trust found. From a non-Muslim perspective, it is not surprising to see that islamophobia has risen since these terror attacks and there have been other terrorist attacks in the West more recently too - such as the attacks in Paris, Manchester and Brussels. This unfortunately paves the way for islamophobia because wars in the Middle East are one thing, but attacks on home soil that kills innocent civilians is another thing entirely. These attacks play right into the hands of the far-right as the far-right can use the rhetoric that British people are not safe or Muslims will take over the country . At times of grief and despair at the loss of life, people will always turn to an extreme ideology that promises radical transformation. These ideologies insure that there is a scapegoat and it directly fuels hatred and prejudice. This has repeated itself time and time again throughout history. The best example to illustrate this would be Germany. A country which was on its knees economically after the First World War. Hyper-inflation led to huge food shortages and the Nazi Party offered an alternative and scapegoated Jews as the cause for all their ills. Whilst nowhere near to the same extent, this has happened in Britain too. The far-right blame Muslims for a lot of ills in society and therefore are somewhat scapegoated.

Another cause in the rise of islamophobia is Islamic extremism in Britain. The media are partly to blame for the rise of islamophobia because the media are fixated on British Muslims who flee to join ISIS in the Middle East. You only need to look at the amount of media coverage that Shamima Begum received. This has directly contributed to the far-right rhetoric that British people are not safe and that they will not rest until 10 Downing Street is flying the black flag of Islam. I am not for one minute denying that this is the aim of a tiny tiny proportion of Muslims, but islamophobes claim that this is the aim of the Muslim community as a whole or at least a considerable proportion. They could not be further from the truth! Out of the 2.7 million Muslims residing in Britain, around 900 hundred have left to join ISIS. That is 0.03% of the British Muslim population. I am not for one minute downplaying Islamic extremism in Britain. It is something barbaric and unacceptable so politicians need to stamp down on it to ensure we do not see a repeat of Manchester. But we need perspective. It is a tiny percentage of the Muslim population that hold these ideals and people need to know this. I truly believe that this would decrease the frequency of islamophobia in this country and take away some power from the far-right who are exploiting the situation for their own gain.

Another cause in the rise of islamophobia is the basic lack of understanding of the religion and its followers. The best example to illustrate this is the Islamic concept of Jihad . Jihad in literal terms means the fight against non-believers . Islamic fundamentalists and extremists interpret the term literally, but the vast majority take the term in a non-literal sense. They interpret the word as the spread of Islam aiming to convert people to the religion of Islam. Also the word can be viewed as the defence of Islamic traditions and values. Jihad highlights the huge problem that all global religions have in 21st century societies and that is how to interpret religious texts. Many including myself believe that the Quran, Bible and Torah should not be interpreted literally. In order to interpret accurately, one must understand the cultural and historical meanings behind the term. Religious fundamentalists can pose a danger Islam is no exception. However, Jihad poses no logical reason to fear Muslims. Christian fundamentalists have been brutally violent in the past - for example the KKK. Do we fear all Christians? Religious texts as a whole need to be scrutinized and criticised. This is an issue concerning all global religions not just Islam and it is a huge theological issue. All governments need to discover how to contain religious fundamentalism and inhibit its increasing popularity, as it often causes conflicts and wars. If religious fundamentalism can be reduced, then I believe religions would not be persecuted as much. A better understanding of religions as a whole for me would lead to a decrease in islamophobia.

Muslims are often seen by non-believers as having a completely different way of life to the wider community. Islam is after all a traditional Abrahamic religion, so therefore it does have a relatively conservative belief system. For example, Sharia forbids homosexuality, abortion and euthanasia. Those countries which are an Islamic theocracy or are heavily influenced by Sharia often practise the death penalty and torture and for us in Britain, this is perceived as extreme and immoral. For example in Saudi Arabia, you will often lose your hand should you be caught stealing. Moreover, homosexuals who are reported for gay-sex in many countries are often punished by death. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen all practise the death penalty for homosexuality. Moreover, ISIS practise the death penalty for homosexuality and many other so-called crimes . For example, if you refuse to follow Sharia Law, that is punishable by death. These practises and moral perspectives should be criticised if one feels it necessarily too. After all, Britain prides itself around free speech. Unfortunately, these practises create an illogical fear, but nevertheless a fear. This fear is held by a lot of outsiders to the faith that Islam is barbaric and / or dangerous , but the death penalty and torture is cultural, even if it is claimed to be religious. British society has changed massively over the last century. Women have been given the right to vote, contraception has been made more easily available, transgenderism has been recognised and divorce, abortion, homosexuality and gay marriage have all been legalised. This has led Britain to become more socially liberal. Therefore, Islam is often seen as incompatible with the beliefs and practises of the British people . This paves the way for islamophobia, because Islam is perceived to be different and therefore viewed as Muslims being unable or unwilling to integrate into mainstream society, as often it would mean living a life away from Islamic teaching.

Recent political events have no doubt led to an increase in islamophobia. Due to the prominence of ISIS in the Middle East, millions fled (mostly Muslim) and attempted to enter Europe often illegally, by using people smugglers. This fed the illogical rhetoric, which many held that they were criminals coming over here to take our jobs or take advantage of our benefit system. The EDL and BNP often upload videos and photos of desperate refugees and migrants attempting to get into lorries in Calais, or trying to break through fences to continue their migrant journey. These organisations create divisions by taking advantage of people s illogical fears. Many people believe that they were coming here to take our jobs. No they were not. Most were escaping not just a war but a genocide. They were simply desperate to remove themselves away from persecution. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced during the height of the crisis that Germany would welcome one million refugees and migrants with open arms. The German people as a whole seemed to welcome the decision. However attitudes changed when on New Year s Eve 2015, mass sexual assaults took place in Cologne. It is estimated that there were as many as nearly 500 victims and the majority of perpetrators were migrants and asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa. Since then, the support for far-right parties in Germany has increased massively but this has also had a knock-on effect for far-right countries throughout Europe. In Britain, events such as those in Cologne are used by Tommy Robinson and organisations such as the EDL to strike fear into people that the same would happen should Britain welcome Muslim asylum seekers and refugees.

The issue of islamophobia is one of the most spoken about in the world of politics. Many politicians from all parts of the political spectrum have spoken out in support of the Muslim community and have defended their way of life. This has not been the case for all politicians however. Boris Johnson for example sparked a huge debate when he referred to those who wear the burka as looking like letter-boxes . In addition, Margaret Thatcher in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 criticised the Muslim community for failing to condone the attack , even though many prominent Muslims and Muslims organisations spoke out. Islamophobia in politics seems to be an issue for those on the right. As mentioned, the far-right constantly create all sorts of illogical fears regarding Muslims, but the Boris Johnson example is just one example of how the issue of islamophobia has leaked into mainstream politics too. Many Conservative councillors have been suspended or investigated for Islamophobic remarks. The burka debate in general has caused an increase in islamophobia too. Countries in Europe such as Belgium, Denmark and France have all banned the burka. This has led to many calls for Britain to do the same. This unfortunately paves the way for those who are islamophobes to speak out more - as they feel more empowered. This therefore directly leads to an increase in cases of islamophobia and causes Muslims to feel like their way of life is not respected.

Therefore, islamophobia is continuously on the rise because of the increasingly negative light in which the Muslim community are portrayed.

Survey results for the question: Why is Islamophobia on the rise? (tick as many boxes as relevant)

Lack of integration by the Muslim community into wider society - 54.17%

Wars that have occurred in the Middle East - 33.33%

The British media - 62.50%

Islamic extremism - 81.25%

Concept of Jihad - 39.58%

Political parties and individual politicians - 43.75%

Lack of understanding about Islam - 72.92%

The burka debate - 37.50%

Prejudice - 56.25%

Islamophobia: the statistics (from numerous sources)

In order to understand the severity of islamophobia, I believe it is crucial to provide some statistics to show just how much discrimination Muslims face. Here is some information which reveals the extent to which islamophobia is rife in British society:

For a short period after the Christchurch shootings in March 2019, incidents of islamophobia rose by 600% globally.

70% of Muslims in the UK have said that they have experienced direct religious prejudice

In 2017, the Runnymeade Trust found that 25% of Britons admitted to being racially prejudiced

Muslims make up the victims for 52% of all hate crimes in the UK

1 in 4 believe Muslims living in the US, France, Britain and China are not treated fairly

More than half of the Muslims sampled by Gallup believe Muslims in the West are not treated as equal citizens

48% of victims of religious discrimination in the US are Muslim

16% of the UK population have said that they would not welcome a Muslim as their neighbour

In 2017, there was a 26% increase in Islamophobic attacks from the year before

Most Islamophobic cases in the UK occur face-to-face as opposed to on social media

8/10 Islamophobes in the UK are men and 60% of victims are female

Majority of offenders are between the ages of 13 and 18

60% of Muslims in the UK have at some stage been a victim of hate crime

The rate of hate crime in the UK has doubled over the last five years

What can we do to reduce islamophobia?

Firstly, I would argue that policies need to be implemented that increase the responsibility that media outlets must have. As my survey shows, the majority do not believe that they should hold prejudices about Muslims, so an external factor is causing these perceptions and I believe it to be the media. The majority of the media have been very misleading regarding this topic and this is enhancing the negative perceptions of Muslims. Only simple things need to be changed, so this is not something that should be rejected straightaway. For example, changing headlines from Muslim attacker or Muslim terrorist to attacker or to terrorist . This avoids the negative perception of Islam. There is undoubtedly a media bias. When the Christchurch shootings took place, the media chose to focus on the mental health issues that the white supremacist had. They did not refer to him as a terrorist although he was. This is a perfect example of media bias. Media outlets are fuelling negative perceptions of Muslims and in an era surrounded by the media, this must change.

A better perception of the Muslim community would lead to a drastic decrease in cases of islamophobia. This was touched upon earlier when I referred to the tiny minority of Muslims who hold extremist views. Yet whilst we should not neglect the issue of Islamic extremism, we should focus more on the good that the Muslim community do for society. Time and time again, they help and contribute towards society, but it never seems to get the recognition it deserves. The APPG a cross-party parliamentary group published A Very Merry Muslim Christmas . This publication highlighted just some of the extraordinary work that the Muslim community do. They contribute massively to social welfare. After all, charity is one of the five pillars of Islam (Zakat)! Here are some statistics from that report:

Grenfell Muslim Response Unit provided over £140,000 in financial assistance. They took over 1,000 emergency calls. They also provided over 300 hot meals, 100 large blankets and 250 food parcels. The unit raised £177,000 for survivors of the fire.

Over 300,000 homeless people have been helped by Muslim charities. Over 300,000 food packs have been distributed too.

The National Zakat Foundation donated over £350,000 for supported housing.

The IUS Imam Hussain Blood Donation Campaign have been responsible for over 3,000 blood donations. They have provided around 500 free health checks and around 1000 free health advice appointments.

If more of these statistics were made more aware to the public, the Muslim community would undoubtedly be viewed in a more positive light.

The biggest one for me though is education. We cannot ignore the negative perceptions that many people hold about Islam, but through education we can change this. No doubt some would call this brainwashing but simply producing statistics and teaching our young people about the theology, practises and beliefs of Islam is not brainwashing. It is giving them the facts so they can make their own opinions! A phobia is an illogical fear, so remove the illogicality and society would see the difference. It is frightening that the majority of Islamophobes are between the ages of 13 and 18 but that highlights the real need to teach about Islam in schools.

It is also important to remove the perception that Muslims do not integrate into society. 73% of British Muslims give and receive Christmas presents! Some would argue that having a different belief system and a way of life means you are not integrating with the majority but this is not necessarily true. Muslims contributing massively to social welfare and therefore the wellbeing of our society. Many Muslim charities run food banks or shelters and some Muslims are in prestigious jobs especially in the medical sector. They are a huge source of contribution to society and the perception that Muslims take and not give is simply a myth. By removing these negative perceptions, Muslims would feel able to strive for more. This would improve the level of employment in their community which is lower than the national average and further aid the removal of this negative perception.

These are all ideas that the government should consider in order to deal with islamophobia seriously. However, it is also important to not go too far the other way. For example, positive discrimination should not be introduced. It is innately bias and would aid the rhetoric that Muslims are taking over . Furthermore, it places outsiders of the scheme at a disadvantage. Society for myself should focus on equality of opportunity not equality of outcome. Positive discrimination hinders this as it fails to address the reason for inequality in the first place. Focus on the social issues that are putting the Muslim community at a disadvantage and opportunities will become more equal.

It is also hugely important that Islam in general does not become a topic of political correctness. There are many aspects of Islam which should be challenged and scrutinized, but this should not be considered hate speech. This was agreed by the majority of my respondents in the survey and it is a crucial point. Freedom of speech permits one to challenge and sometimes criticise a particular belief or practise. For example, I do not agree with the practise of Halal. Moreover, I believe Islam is relatively patriarchal. However, that does not make me an Islamophobe. I may not agree with all religions, but I respect them for who they are. People need to respect other religions - even if they do not associate themselves with that religion. It is crucial in a free and forward-looking society that we still have the ability to scrutinize. A criticism of Islam should not automatically be labelled Islamophobic. This was the whole debate regarding Boris Johnson s burka comments . In a free society all should be able to voice their opinions without the fear of labelled a racist or a xenophobe. In society, people need to learn to respect other people s opinions and opinions should be allowed as long as it is not hateful. If we as a society could become more respectful of people who are different to us, Islamophobia and also anti-Semitism which is another huge issue in Britain would decline massively.

Lastly, what we need to see is leadership from government on this issue. However, many would argue this has not happened as of yet. The biggest party in the country the Conservatives have been labelled by many as Islamophobic . The Conservatives need to deal with this issue robustly to set a precedent for the rest of society to follow. They need to implement policies which distinguish between what is freedom of speech / opinion, and what is hateful and offensive. If nothing changes in government, then unfortunately it means the changes in the rest of society are less likely to happen.

Many thanks to Gallup and APPG for providing the majority of the statistics.