Racists try to hijack Islamophobia inquiry
FAR-RIGHT BID TO INFLUENCE PROBE MSP Sarwar slams thugs who spread hate propaganda
RACISTS tried to hijack a public inquiry into anti-Muslim hatred by calling for a ban on Islam and for mosques to be bulldozed.
A bigot also called on Scotland to copy China in their persecution of the Uighurs – a Muslim minority. Labour MSP Anas Sarwar said: “The far-right is on the rise in Scotland, the UK and across the globe. They are organising online, as these sickening responses to the public inquiry show. We can no longer dismiss them as a fringe movement.” As revealed by the Daily Record, a public inquiry by a Holyrood group unveiled the shocking levels of Islamophobia in Scotland.
About 36 per cent of Muslim respondents said it was an everyday issue, with 41.3 per cent saying it was a regular issue.
Four out of five said they had experienced Islamophobia and roughly the same number said the problem is getting worse.
More than 75 per cent reported being verbally abused and nearly 94 per cent said they feared experiencing Islamophobia.
However, thugs with far-right views tried to skew the survey.
One made a submission saying: “Moslems want to take control of our society, Islamophobia is a reasonable reaction.”
Another vile contributor claimed: “Inventing a problem, Islamophobia, which barely exists is a waste of public money.”
The bile continued: “Islam in its current form is a disgusting ideology that doesn’t belong in our society because at its core it teaches division and hatred. The Government keeps telling our nation that Islam is OK and accepting but is not.”
Another individual wrote: “Bulldoze all mosques, pass order in the same lines as China is doing to Uighurs – no beard, no mosque, no roza, no knife/machete.”
China has been detaining thousands of Uighurs for growing beards, visiting foreign websites or wearing a veil.
Another submision stated: “The Scottish Government should ban Islam before Islam bans all trace of humanity and the free world.”
Sarwar said: “We can’t be complacent and need to challenge their hatred and prejudice. We still have a great deal of work to do to make Scotland a more tolerant and inclusive society, and this is a fight for all of us.”
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “This was an important inquiry that highlights the all-toocommon experience of Islamophobia directed at Muslims in Scotland.
“It is pathetic a small group of cowards used this inquiry as an opportunity to share their bigoted hatred but it won’t distract from the vital efforts being made to tackle racism.”