ISLAMOPHOBIA

In recent years, a specific phobia has gripped Western societies and that is Islamophobia. The meaning of Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general.

I totally agree with Rachel Shabi who wrote the article “Labour’s failure to tackle Islamophobia disturbing,” July 12, Gulf Today). Yes, it is the smell of double standards within the Labour Party, in its approach to different elements of its voter base, that is becoming overwhelming.

The thing is scholars and human rights activists find the term Islamophobia problematic and a misnomer. Several scholars consider Islamophobia to be a form of xenophobia or racism, although the legitimacy of this definition is disputed.

Whether through ca ck-handed mis management or calculated strategy, the opposition is sowing pain, alienation and mistrust among Muslim members and voters alike, while also pursuing the sort of principles-free, divide-and-rule tactics that would make a colonial-era viceroy proud.

I am also criticising Labour leaders in the UK just like the writer said in the article that an ill-advised Labour campaign leaflet, featuring the British prime minister shaking hands with India’s Narendra Modi, belied crassly insulting assumptions about the intelligence of Muslim voters. And ater Labour’s narrow win in the constituency, a campaign source told a Times reporter that the party had “lost the conservative Muslim vote over gay rights and Palestine, and won back a lot of 2019 Tory voters”, and that the result showed Labour was “reconnecting with the wider electorate again.”

Abu Ali By email