Islamophobia has also entered into politics throughout the West, not just in the form of Donald Trump's popular 'Muslim ban'. Anti 'extremist Islam' parties have sprung up all over Europe, including the English defence League in the UK, Alternativ fur Deutschland in Germany and Party for Freedom in the Netherlands. The Hungarian president has also been quoted as saying 'not all Muslims are terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims' partly as a reason to exclude migrants.
Many of the supporters of such parties have migrated from other parties on the hard right and carry traditional racist ideologies with them. In many ways Islamophobia resembles traditional racism, even if it is (theoretically) based on religin rather than ethnicity. The supporters of such parties are generally opposed to mass immigration in general which would suggest a very traditional fear of the outsiders or 'others' which fuelled the equally politically popular anti-semitism of the early 20th century.
Added: May 8, 2017, 4:09 p.m.
Last change: May 8, 2017, 4:09 p.m.
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The populist line "not all Muslims are terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims" spouted by the likes of the Hungarian president or the English Defence League is a blatant falsehood that underlines how insidious Islamophobia is. In the USA, President Trump turned the threat of 'Muslim terror' into an election issue and curtailed immigration from certain predominantly Muslim nations. But research has proved over 90% of terrorist attacks in America have been perpetrated by non-Muslims.
One side effect of Islamophobia is that it can make indigenous Muslims feel excluded and marginalised, increasing the likelihood of a handful turning to their own political extremes for comfort - including violent extremist groups.
Andrew Tildesley
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