Islamophobia in the UK

Writing in the Independent, Peter Oborne talks about the rise of Islamophobia in the UK:

The systematic demonisation of Muslims has become an important part of the central narrative of the British political and media class; it is so entrenched, so much part of normal discussion, that almost nobody notices. Protests go unheard and unnoticed.

The consequence of this is frequent hate-crimes and abuse against Muslims, and increasing isolation from the rest of society.

It's a warning echoed by Shahid Malik, the UK's first Muslim cabinet minister: are now

Shahid Malik, who was appointed as a minister in the Department for International Development (Dfid) by Gordon Brown last summer, said it has become legitimate to target Muslims in the media and society at large in a way that would be unacceptable for any other minority.

[...]

"I think most people would agree that if you ask Muslims today what do they feel like, they feel like the Jews of Europe," he said. "I don't mean to equate that with the Holocaust but in the way that it was legitimate almost – and still is in some parts – to target Jews, many Muslims would say that we feel the exact same way.

And he'd know, given that he has been the victim of several Islamophobic attacks.

Victimising people on the basis of their religion is wrong, as wrong as victimising them because of their sexuality the colour of their skin. Just as it is wrong to burn crosses on people's lawns, and scrawl "faggot" on their fence, it is wrong to firebomb people's houses, break their windows, beat them, scrawl graffiti on their front doors, and shove pigs trotters and dogshit through their letterbox. All of those things violate the basic respect and dignity each of us has as a person - respect that is due regardless of whether you are black or white, gay or straight, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, or Muslim.