Terrorism is a violent political motivation, not a racial or religious one. So why mention Islam in your tweet Sir Keir?
Keir Starmer yesterday in a tweet referred to the term Islamist Terrorism.
Can you imagine what his response would be if somebody were to refer to, just as a for instance, Israeli attacks on Palestine as Jewish Terrorism? Can you imagine what he would do if that person were a Labour member? Terrorism is terrorism, but the minute you attach a racial or religious aspect to it, you’re making it about that and less about the terrorism. The literal definition of the word terrorism is ‘the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims’. There are of course millions of Jewish people around the globe who do not support what is happening in Palestine at Israeli hands, so of course the term Jewish Terrorism, if anyone were to ever use it, would rightly be condemned for being antisemitic. So how come Keir Starmer feels so comfortable using the phrase Islamist Terrorism, when equally, millions of Muslims around the globe would have been rightfully appalled at the murder he was referring to?
It is blatantly in my opinion an Islamophobic comment, the entire global Islamic faith did not order such an attack, nor did every man, woman and child among them celebrate it. By invoking their faith, by connecting that with a terrorist act, you tar them all with the same brush and that is racist. Islamophobia remains a real problem with the Labour Party under this administration.
The Labour Muslim Network wrote a damning report in 2020 into institutional Islamophobia and bigotry amongst the right wing of the Labour Party. Starmer promised it’d be implemented in full, yet as Skwawkbox reported back in March of this year, it still hasn’t happened. Think about all the noise Labour under Starmer has made regarding antisemitism, yet he does not extend the same level of involvement to Islamophobia, in fact he’s just engaged in it himself. The issue has become such a problem that 7 out of 10 Muslims in a Labour Muslim Network Poll – and bear in mind they’re a Labour associated campaign group – don’t trust Keir Starmer to deal with Islamophobia. Muslim Labour members have been disproportionately purged or blocked from standing for the party, Starmer used a speechwriter who had been condemned for his own Islamophobic comments, Labour quietly readmitted broadcaster Trevor Phillips to the party after he was suspended for comments he’d made in relation to Muslims. In fact earlier this month we saw the Aspire Party surge to take control of Tower Hamlets Council off Labour, with one of the key reasons given being Islamophobia. Labour clearly has a serious problem with this, when it goes right to the top, when the Party Leader himself is seen engaging in it. You cannot be selective in fighting racism, or you’re part of the problem. If Labour was serious about it, all forms of racism would be treated with equal severity.