The Trevor Phillips suspension is exposing the British media for the shyster it is
The Labour Party has suspended Trevor Phillips over allegations of Islamophobia. The response from British media outlets and figures is a sight to behold. Because it’s a far cry from their coverage of alleged antisemitism in the party.
Islamophobia
The Times first reported on Phillips’s suspension, describing him as a “pioneering anti-racism campaigner”. The ex-head of the UK’s equality watchdog has a checkered past when it comes to comments on Muslims, to say the least. One Telegraph headline in 2016, for example, read:
British Muslims becoming a nation within a nation, Trevor Phillips warns
That same year, the Daily Mail reported that Phillips said Muslims are ‘not like us’. Who exactly Phillips was referring to in his amorphous ‘us’ is unclear.
Trevor Phillips said it was fine Muslims are judged collectively, called Muslims a “nation within a nation” and said it would be a “grave mistake” to legally recognise Islamophobia as a form of racism. Swap “Muslim” for any other religious or ethnic group and try defending that
— Marcus Barnett (@marcusbarnett_) March 9, 2020
Read on...
Meanwhile, the Times reported:
Comments by Mr Phillips about the failure by some Muslims to wear poppies for Remembrance Sunday and the sympathy shown by a substantial proportion in an opinion poll towards the “motives” of the Charlie Hebdo killers also form part of the complaint.
Phillips has been energetically talking up the differences between ethnic groups for a long while now, though. That’s made him somewhat of a favourite among Britain’s right-wing press. Because highlighting the differences between people along ethnic lines – rather than what unites them – is a pet topic for these rags, of course.
Same thing
On the other hand, these same right-wing rags – along with the rest of the mainstream media – have spent the last four years rallying against these sorts of views in relation to another religious group: Jewish people.
Alright, so on the Trevor Phillips thing: his suspension pending investigation for racism is the exact process people were demanding Labour adopt regarding antisemitism.
You can't have one process for one minority, and not for the others.
— Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) March 9, 2020
There are two different areas that govern free speech: the law and the noise of the mass media. The second has decided that the Trevor Phillips case is a breach of free speech and implementing the IHRA code and the 'Ten Pledges' is not a breach of free speech.
— Michael Rosen (@MichaelRosenYes) March 9, 2020
So why are they giving Phillips ample airspace to defend his views, while criticising his suspension?
Wow, just wow! The BBC on #r4today let Trevor Phillips explain why islamophobia is justified and isn’t a form of bigotry. Just imagine if they ever let someone justify anti Semitism in the same way?
No public institution is enabling hard right racism and islamophobia than the BBC— Devutopia (@D_Raval) March 9, 2020
There are a number of reasons. Firstly, as already mentioned, racism isn’t hard to find in the British press. Islamophobia in particular is a regular feature in content. Indeed, it’s very prevalent in politics too, particularly in the Conservative Party. So it’s unsurprising that figures in Britain’s largely Tory-supporting press are keen to brand Phillips’s views as unproblematic. Conceding they are would be like holding up a mirror to their own faces.
Furthermore, Phillips has publicly criticised Jeremy Corbyn over alleged antisemitism in the party. He was a signatory to a letter that accused the Labour leader of being “steeped in association” with the prejudice. So condemning Phillips won’t reflect badly on Corbyn; it can’t be used as a stick to beat the Labour leader with. Although one Daily Mail columnist did try to turn the suspension into an argument against Corbyn’s leadership:
What the Phillips suspension has exposed is the utter bankruptcy of the "unity" mantra coming from the moderate Labour leadership and deputy leadership candidates. It's a fantasy. If you unite with people like this they will simply bide their time, then destroy you.
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) March 9, 2020
Shysters
In short, Phillips’s suspension has exposed Britain’s media for the shyster it is. Not all prejudices are equal in its world. And the ones which get short-shrift are the ones the media can’t use to attack political foes.
Featured image via Good Morning Britain/YouTube
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Were we to replace the word ‘Muslim’ with the word ‘Jew’ in his writings and opinions then it would undoubtedly meet ANY test on the definition of anti-Semitism.
The problem is that whilst it IS socially unacceptable to be anti-Semitic the same doesn’t follow for the abuse heaped on the Muslim population of this, and other, countries. Many of the things said about Muslims were said about Jewish people in 1930s Germany, and this is NOT hyperbole. Whilst, thankfully, there have been many voices defending the rights of Jewish people everywhere I think those who listened only heard half the story. The ‘warnings from history’ that are part of Jewish history are not solely confined to that religion. The warnings the survivors gave us was not to give special treatment to Jewish people, rather it was to treat them only as equal and to heed the REAL message which is to never divide on the issue of religion (among other things)
In that respect the Muslim population of Britain is becoming as the Jewish population in 1930s Germany. They are ever more afraid of what will come next. We have a PM and an Equalities leader (of all things) who are actively PROMOTING religious hatred. Thus emboldened is it hardly surprising that right wing thugs regularly target innocent Muslim people in our country for discrimination, abuse and violence.
I am thoroughly ashamed of where this country is now, our grandparents went through a war, suffered losses and hardships to fight against an evil regime which had ideals that stemmed from the kind of atmosphere we are living through now. Now that this passes from living memory we seem, almost instantly, to forget..
Isn`t the fact that he encouraged others to vote for other political parties sufficient on it`s own to expel him .It is against the rules. This is without describing the labour party as”not safe for Jews”which is not true
It’s all about an understanding and, often, the taking out of context ‘nuance’ of or about particular discourse. We know oh so well of the professionalism of grubby delving trollsters who are ‘out to get you’ assiduously researching long into dour dark nights digging out meticulously as with an archaeologist’s zeal throughout a lifetime poking and prodding about in the mud for the prize-of-all-prizes. Until at last after much whittling and sieving amongst smidgens of grime bright shining golden-guilt evidence is unearthed – firmly grasped and held aloft in shaking ordure dripping gnarled hands. We have seen ‘trollstering archaeologist’s’ past triumphs with so many high profile former Labour Party members. Haven’t we?
I used to thing that all “antisemitism” claims were to just silence criticisms of Israel, but now it seems that it is also to cover up Islamophobia.
Islamophobia and anti semitism are two very different things. There are portions of the Islamic community that have demonstrably posed significant risk to society be it through extremist Jihad or grooming gangs. The Jewish community have not had similar issues in their ranks.
That Khalid Mahmood, a Pakistani born Muslim and the UK’s longest serving Muslim MP has come out strongly in support of Phillips speaks volumes. He has described the charges as ‘outlandish’ and that they add to the sense that the Labour party has ‘lost it’s way.’
Jennie Formby has defended many of the vile anti semitic bigots in the Labour party for years, so it’s very odd to kick Philips out, as Mahmood has reiterated.
Trevor Phillips has correctly said that Muslims are not a race. One has to wonder though why he described them as a nation. They may not be a race but I believe that it is unlawful in this country to unfairly discriminate against someone on the grounds of their rreligious beliefs….so it is legitimate to challenge someone about their comments on Islam. I think that Trveor Phillips does seem to be unfair. Why did he make the comments about the religion of the paedophiles when he was commenting on the grooming gangs? If you want to attack paedophilia, then attack paedophilia. I don’t think it was right for him to highlight their religion. What was the relevance? Does he seriously think that all Muslims are paedophiles? I doubt it.