'politici en media niet bezorgd over islamofobie'

Dr Chris Allen, onderzoeker aan het Institute of Applied Social Studies van University of Birmingham, maakt zich grote zorgen over de toename van 'hate-crimes' in het Verenigd Koninkrijk.

In de Britse krant The Telegraph schreef hij een zeer lezenswaardig opiniestuk. Enkele interessante passages:

"Last year saw the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK since recording began in 1984. In a report by the Community Security Trust (CST), a total of 924 incidents including extreme violence, threats to human life and abusive behaviour were recorded, an increase of 69 per cent from the previous year."

"Islamophobia does not appear to be being taken seriously by the Government, the media or the general public and the situation is becoming increasingly dire - why this is remains unclear. It could be because of a lack of understanding and recognition of the seriousness of Islamophobia; it could be because little ‘hard evidence’ exists; it could also be that anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic attitudes are becoming more socially acceptable. Whatever the reason though, it is clear that neither Islamophobia – nor indeed anti-Semitism – are going to quickly or easily disappear."

"But hate crimes are just the tip of the iceberg. Anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic attitudes are also increasingly commonplace. As the British Social Attitudes Survey recently highlighted, not only are Muslims the least popular religious community in Britain today but over half the population would be bothered by a large mosque being built in their community. Neither of these attitudes are specifically Islamophobic but they do suggest a hardening of attitudes especially when Muslims and Islam are considered against other religions. As Professor David Voas provocatively put it, Muslims are increasingly being understood as posing a threat to British society."

"Whether anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, racism or indeed anything similar, there needs to be a commitment from the politicians, public servants, police, media and general public to address these unwanted and unnecessary discriminations and hatreds head-on."

"Now is the time to get the influential decision-makers to think hard about what still needs to be done. If we do not, then British society will become less fair and less equal, more divided and more disparate and the spectres of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia will continue to rear their ugly heads. If we do, then we will begin the process of socially marginalising Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the same way that we have racism since the 1970s."

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