Immigrants under Attack: Right-Wing Extremism to Blame

Hate crimes and hate incidents have risen to a record level in the UK in recent months. The spike in these incidents has been attributed to last year’s Brexit campaign, Donald Trump’s election victory in the USA and terror attacks perpetrated by ISIS. New figures have unveiled that hate incidents in schools have sky-rocketed by a staggering 89%, according to Times Educational Supplement. Likewise, data published by the Muslim News newspaper shows a whopping ‘fivefold increase in Islamophobic attacks’ in London.

In spite of the rise in hate crimes against immigrants, and especially against Muslims, the mainstream media has failed to allocate proportionate air time to these issues. For the mainstream media, it is business as usual.

Immigrants are scared and feel estranged. Based on recent statistics, European Union migrants have started to leave because of the increasingly xenophobic atmosphere. Moreover, the3million, a group which campaigns for the rights of EU citizens, has branded the current situation in the UK as ‘unacceptable’.

More visible policing is needed on the streets, not less. However, this is not the only solution to the problem and it is by no means enough. An understanding must be fostered between various communities. The root cause of extremism has to be diminished. Assimilation cannot be imposed, it can only be taught.

Double standards should be dropped if we are serious about eradicating extremism from British soil.

Whenever individuals claim to commit violence in the name of Islam, the source of their ideology is rightly investigated. The same approach ought to be taken with right wing extremists. Their private lives should be investigated: the digital literature they access, the newspapers they read, the pressure groups they associate themselves with and the political parties they are members of must be exposed to the public. In a tweet, Brendan Cox, the widower of MP Jo Cox stated that ‘when Islamist terrorists attack we rightly seek out hate preachers who spur them on. We must do the same to those who peddle Islamophobia’.

For far too long people have been tolerant of right-wing extremism. Statements uttered about immigrants, and especially Muslims, would never be deemed acceptable about any other group of people.

Consequently, our society is slowly but surely approaching a destination where we seem to give-off the rhetoric that no matter what immigrants do, it is simply not enough. Regardless of how much money immigrants pay into our treasury or the extent to which they enrich our culture, they will never be granted the status of ‘us’. Since last year’s Brexit referendum campaign, this is how the rest of the world views us.

Prime Minister, Theresa May said in the aftermath of the Finsbury Park Mosque terrorist attack, that ‘islamophobia is a form of extremism’. There is certainly no doubt about that. This sort of extremism must be dealt with the full force of the law.

All members of society are equally important. ‘An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain’, wrote Benjamin Zephaniah. To prevent ‘damage’ and ‘pain’ we have to address every form of extremism in our society with an equal measure effort and resources.

Muhammed Hussain is a writer for Student Voices and a student at University of Roehampton.