There is something deeply dishonest about a rally that calls itself “Unite the Kingdom”, while giving a platform to rhetoric that tells British Muslims they do not belong and mocking Muslim women’s clothing.
This weekend’s events in London were not merely offensive, nor just another ugly episode in our already poisoned public debate. They were a warning about the dangerous direction in which parts of our politics and media culture are drifting.
When Islamophobia is disguised as patriotism, and entire communities are spoken about as if they are a threat to be removed, restricted or defeated, we are no longer witnessing robust political disagreement.
We are witnessing the deliberate dehumanisation of millions of fellow citizens - a path history has shown leads only to darkness.
A recent report from the Runnymede Trust documents rising Islamophobia in the UK in recent years, as manifested in the 2024 summer riots. In addition, survey after survey has highlighted the problem, with a report last year finding that one in three Muslim women have experienced Islamophobia or racism first-hand while travelling on public transport.
