Islam is not a race but singling out a community is racism – whether the right-wing say so or not
‘I can’t be racist, Islam is not a race,’ is a regular argument used by those who, whenever accused of making remarks that stereotype and demonise Muslims, feel smug about falling back on. Playing semantics and blurring definitions is a sure-fire way of undermining the fight against bigotry, racism and hatred. It’s an argument that I have heard made often, the most recent being by Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen, who, when appearing on Sky News to discuss Boris Johnson’s comments about the burka and people accusing him of playing into racial stereotypes, went on to say, ‘Well Islam isn’t a race, it’s a religion.’ This particular line of argument has been used by many, including Richard Dawkins, whenever there’s a debate about anti-Muslim prejudice. It’s also used by those on the far-right who explicitly use racialised tropes when promoting Islamophobia and hatred towards Muslim communities.
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