LONDON -

Muslim MP Zara Sultana blew up the debate on racism against Muslims from inside the parliament halls, with an intervention in which tears were mixed with strong words to show the extent of racism against Muslim women, and the danger of condoning this phenomenon.

This comes at a time when pressure is mounting on the British government to adopt an official definition of Islamophobia after a delay of more than 3 years.

In a speech within the committee to discuss the definition of Islamophobia, the young Muslim MP presented examples of the messages she receives, which are dripping with racism, defamation and incitement, which caused a state of shock and affection within this parliamentary committee and among many British politicians.

The 27-year-old parliamentarian could not resist her tears as she talked about the amount of racist incidents she has been exposed to since her arrival in Parliament and her participation in the public debate.

This wasn't an easy speech to give, but I can't be silent about Islamophobia.

pic.twitter.com/lU26RsmSez

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) September 9, 2021

Suffering of Muslims

In her intervention, which lasted about 6 minutes, Zara Sultana spoke about the state of tension she felt as a Muslim woman running for elections in the Coventry South region, and how public opinion would deal with her “because I grew up seeing the abuses suffered by British Muslims who have reached high positions or for Parliament.” ".

With great sadness, Sultana admitted that she was wrong when she was telling young Muslim women that they do not have to worry about succeeding in society, and that the obstacles they will encounter are the same as those encountered by other girls from other cultural backgrounds, but “after my short stint in Parliament I would like to admit that my journey It's not easy."

Zara Sultana's speech received wide interaction on social media, and more than half a million people watched it on her page in less than two days.

Among these examples is a message that says to the Muslim MP, “You and Muslims represent a real danger to humanity,” another wrote to her, “You are a cancer wherever you go, and soon Europe will spit you out,” and a third accuses her of being sympathetic to terrorism, “and the scum of this earth, and the world must be cleansed of its likes.”

And here the Muslim MP will collapse in tears before announcing her discovery that "Being a Muslim woman, speaking in the public space, and belonging to the left-wing, all of this will make me subject to a flood of hatred."


Islamophobia exists

With great disappointment, Sultana said that she had previously hoped that things would improve, but “the opposite is happening and things are getting worse,” expressing her rejection of the official cynicism that characterizes dealing with the phenomenon of hatred against Muslims “because Islamophobia is a real reality in Britain and cannot be hidden.” ".

Despite all this suffering, Sultana confirmed that she will no longer remain silent about all manifestations of racism against Muslims, and that she has learned in this short time from political work "how to deal with racism and to understand this psychological intolerance that reveals itself in different forms, and now I will confront and challenge it." wherever he was".

The parliamentarian warned that silence about racism against Muslims makes racists go further, "They spread racism towards everyone, Jews, blacks, gypsies, immigrants and refugees, and they will never stop."

Sultana referred to previous statements by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (he later apologized) in which he described the veiled women as being like mailboxes or bank robbers, considering that such statements increase the spread of racism.


wide solidarity

Zara Sultana's speech caused an uproar among British politicians, especially among Muslim MPs, as well as from the Labor Party, who considered that Sultana spoke on behalf of many Muslim women who were victims of Islamophobia.

The most prominent reaction to this speech was former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who praised Sultana's speech and described it as "a wonderful and courageous message of strength to all those who fight racism in all its forms." You have Zara (Sultana) for such courage and strength, a speech that says so many things, you are making a huge difference.”

Also, many tweets went to parliamentarians, including the youngest member of the British Parliament, Nadia Withum, and others, who considered that this word should be a starting point for revealing all manifestations of Islamophobia that Muslim women are exposed to in particular.

It also comes in the context of a number of Muslim and non-Muslim parliamentarians expressing their disappointment at what they described as the "procrastination" shown by the British government in approving a definition of Islamophobia so far, despite the launch of consultations on this issue 3 years ago, and the appointment of a special advisor to define Islamophobia.