Trevor Kavanagh’s ‘Muslim problem’ article is the latest in a series of brazen Islamophobic attacks that have become widespread in the rightwing press, writes Naushabah Khan

‘What will we do about the Muslim problem?’ No this is not a statement from 1930s Nazi Germany, although you could be forgiven for mistaking it as one, but a headline published in 2017 in one of the United Kingdom’s most read tabloids, the Sun. The article, loosely claiming to explore the immigration debate after Brexit, actually launches an uncorroborated attack on Islam and Muslim men. The author of the inflammatory piece, Trevor Kavanagh, places the blame of sex gangs, female genital mutilation and honour killings firmly at the door of the Muslim faith writing ‘it is acceptable to say Muslims are a specific, rather than a cultural problem.’

Now, I am used to reading provocative, divisive and extreme headlines in much of our rightwing press but this article and Kavanagh’s subsequent failure to apologise for his comments or to understand why they might create outrage, really does strike a sense of fear. Declaring that an entire section of society is in itself a ‘problem’ is not just divisive but dangerous, and risks legitimising hatred towards anyone who happens to be a member of that community, while playing to people’s worst fears.

I have previously written about the growing tide of Islamophobia across the UK, which has become steadily normalised as part of daily life. As a Muslim born and brought up in the UK, I and many like me are growingly entirely frustrated, scared and tired at the increasing tirade against Islam which seeks to place us in the same category as those who vile individuals who carry out such crimes. Lazily, the common denominator that is always pointed to is faith, rather than any of the other numerous and influential factors that might be driving factors behind their behaviour including economic status, education and a perverse interpretation of culture.

In previous articles, I have also identified a lack of integration within some Muslim communities, as an inherent problem which they must seek to address. But this is a two-way street and belief that their faith and way of life is constantly under attack has only further isolated such communities, heightened sensitivities, and made it more difficult to engage them. This is not to say that they should not be challenged or given special compensations, but our priority to be to build understanding and diffuse tensions. The media has done little to aide this and this latest example of a sensational and careless headline in a national newspaper will do little to break down barriers.

Kavanagh’s response to the criticism he has faced has been to moderate his intentions stating ‘I was treading on eggshells as I described the very specific problem of ‘some’ Muslim men and their attitude to white Western women.’ A significant departure from the original piece, given that this is not how the article read or was engineered. Ironically, the Sun columnist has also ridiculed accusations that he is Islamophobic and branded suggestions he used Nazi language as ‘a ludicrous, offensive and perverse distortion of the truth.’

In isolation this is irresponsible journalism at best, against a growing tide of Islamophobia that is spreading across Europe and the US, it is worrying to see how widespread and brazen the attacks have become. And the cumulative impact of such rhetoric which is constantly drip-fed through the press and rightwing politicians remains to be seen.

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Naushabah Khan is former parliamentary candidate for Rochester and Strood. She tweets @NaushabahKhan

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