Islamaphobia has again reared its ugliness in the UK after Nusrat Ghani, a former British MP of Pakistani heritage, said she was dismissed from her role as transport minister in 2020 because her “Muslimness” was “making colleagues uncomfortable.”
Revealing that she felt isolated and powerless, Ghani has got support from different parties and faiths.
While Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi said her claims are serious, Labour’s Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said it is simply unacceptable.
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Yet, ex-minister Baroness Warsi said that what happened to Ghani is an open secret, adding that Conservative Muslim politicians keep their heads down to protect their political careers.
Apart from claims and support, there are two matters of concern. First, if Ghani raised this issue with our Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2020, why did it take him till January 2022 to launch an investigation?
Second is a statement from an MP Michael Fabricant who said it is ‘hardly obvious’ that Ghani is a Muslim, dismissing her statement and demonstrating Islamophobia even further. His remarks were about the way Ghani dresses as she doesn’t cover her hair, thus implying that she isn’t visibly Muslim.
Discrimination
In response to this, British Muslim Dr. Iram Sattar, co-chair of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, told BBC News, “People are questioning Nusrat Ghani’s Muslimness, like Michael Fabricant in his radio interview. But unfortunately, this is also happening from within the Muslim community.”
“For example, if you don’t wear a hijab, you’re not a Muslim woman. This is why we launched the hashtag #iamamuslimwoman to show the diversity of Muslim women. We don’t all wear headscarves, we don’t all look the same, and we’re not all South Asian.”
While men are subject to Islamophobia as well, women tend to bear the brunt of it. Whether targeted by non-Muslims or even being targeted for their ‘Muslimeness’ by Muslims themselves.
While there should always be a forum to debate and discuss matters of faith as often it is subject to interpretation, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) reminds us that part of faith is to leave things that don’t concern you; effectively saying live and let live. This is something that should be understood by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Writing this on Holocaust Memorial Day, I’m reminded of the extremes hatred can lead to in society. Whether it is antisemitism targeting Jewish people during WWII, Islamophobia targeting Muslim people in Bosnia in the 1990s, or anything else affecting any other group of people.
Hating others on account of their faith, culture, or ethnicity is something that should always be challenged.
Certainly, these extremes of oppression are a far cry from ‘just’ hash words and discrimination. But as Ghani said in an interview to the Sunday Times, “It was like being punched in the stomach. I felt humiliated and powerless.” Even words and non-violent actions hurt.
No person, let alone an elected member of parliament, should ever be subjected to bullying and discrimination. And the sooner we collectively address and challenge these negative narratives, the better the quality of life for everyone in society will be.