An opinion poll showed that attacks on Muslim communities in Britain in the past four months have increased three-fold (Al Jazeera)

London -

While the Conservative Party - which leads the British government - has shown rigor in dealing with complaints of “anti-Semitism” since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza following the events of last October 7, doubts are growing about the party’s seriousness in confronting the rhetoric with the same rigor. Hatred and anti-Muslim hatred that has escalated recently against the Muslim minority in the country.

In light of the intense polarization that the British political scene has been experiencing for days, after one of the party’s prominent leaders issued statements against the Muslim Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, which were described as inciting “Islamophobia” (phobia of Muslims), controversy has returned regarding the growth of racist views within the ranks of the party, which is accused of His political leadership turns a blind eye to anti-Muslim views that fuel hatred against them.

Conservative position

The Conservative Party, for its part, took the initiative to suspend MP Lee Anderson’s membership, after he insisted on not apologizing, justifying the racist tone of his speech against Muslims by what it said was “growing frustration with the record of the Muslim Mayor of London, who handed over the capital, London, to his Islamist comrades,” in reference to his planning of demonstrations in support of the issue. Palestinian violence witnessed in the streets of London since the start of the aggression against this besieged sector.

But the leadership of the Conservative Party, despite its attempt to distance itself from Anderson's statements, also seems cautious in formulating its position on the ongoing controversy, as Prime Minister and party leader Rishi Sunak contented himself with describing the MP's statements - who is considered one of the most prominent right-wing figures within the party - as "wrong" without describing them. In the category of anti-Muslim speeches or those that spread “Islamophobia.”

Sunak is keen to avoid angering the right wing of the party as the parliamentary elections approach, or risk losing an important electoral reservoir that he relies on to reduce his party’s expected electoral losses.

The Conservative Party also continues to have reservations about adopting a definition of “Islamophobia,” which was previously adopted by a broad parliamentary group in 2019, claiming that it is “a broad definition that conflicts with the principles of freedom of opinion and expression.”

This comes at a time when an opinion poll conducted by the Tell Mama Foundation - one of the most prominent British institutions concerned with issues of hatred of Muslims - showed that attacks on Muslim communities in the country have increased three-fold over the past four months, coinciding with the ongoing Israeli army aggression against the Gaza Strip. .

Peg "Islamists"

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Muhammad Kuzbar, one of the trustees of the Muslim Council of Britain, said, “These hostile statements reflect an inherent racist view of the Muslim community in Britain within the ranks of the Conservative Party, and the party is not working seriously to break with it,” noting that Islamic organizations and representatives of the Muslim minority have repeatedly submitted legal objections. Against these abuses.

Cosper - who also serves as head of Finsbury Park Mosque, one of Britain's largest mosques - added, "The Prime Minister did not have enough political courage to acknowledge that the statements made by leaders affiliated with his party are incitement to anti-Muslims."

He also believes that “the political discourse adopted by these right-wing voices is trying to hide behind launching an attack on those they call Islamists, to cover up the growing Islamophobia among them, as it is a racist and discriminatory practice against Muslims primarily because of their religious and cultural identity, especially in light of the political polarization that occurs due to the positions of the political elites.” From the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Cosper stressed that "the electoral behavior of the Muslim community in the upcoming elections will be primarily determined by the position of the political candidates on the ceasefire in Gaza, regardless of their affiliation to the left or the right," in an attempt to form a balanced electoral bloc that can influence the political decision in the country.

Election paper

While "Islamophobia" and the position on the Israeli aggression on Gaza top the list of priorities of Muslim voters, electoral obsession can largely explain the behavior of the political class in dealing with the phenomenon of phobia against Muslims.

Despite the sharp tone of condemnation issued by Labor Party leader Keir Starmer, commenting on Anderson’s statements, and accusing the Conservative leadership of “failing to combat Islamophobia within its ranks,” he also seems keen to win over the votes of the right, warning against angering this electoral segment that the aspiring party is courting. To lead in the next elections.

The Labor Party, in turn, faced accusations of failure to combat "anti-Semitism" among its cadres during the past few weeks, which led to it withdrawing its support from two electoral candidates after they criticized Israeli policies against the Palestinians in Gaza.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, the Palestinian academic and former member of the Labor Party, Kamel Hawash, said, “Starmer is trying to remove from his party the accusation of anti-Semitism, after it was attached to it during the leadership period of Jeremy Corbyn, who was expressing advanced positions in support of the Palestinian cause, so he is working to build... "His political positions are very cautious so as not to arouse the anger of the right."

Hawash pointed out, "This confusion is now also spreading to the protests and movements in support of the Palestinians, which the right is trying to portray as exclusively supportive of Hamas, supporting hatred of Jews, and led by Islamists. This discourse reflects a deliberate confusion between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel or Zionism."

On the other hand, Hawash believes that leaders in the Conservative Party are trying, by using the term “Islamists,” to circumvent any accusation of being anti-Muslim, while other voices within the party’s ranks have been issuing repeated warnings about the spread of anti-Muslim rhetoric, while the positions of the former prime minister and party leader at the time were Boris Johnson's open hostility to Muslims is a prominent example of the spread of this rhetoric within his circles.

Source: Al Jazeera