Robert Jenrick’s controversial call for the immediate arrest of protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar” has ignited a firestorm of accusations and backlash from Muslim leaders and political figures alike. Here’s the full story.
Igniting a Political Firestorm
After days of far-right violence and rioting engulfed the UK, Robert Jenrick, a Tory leadership contender, has ignited a political firestorm by making a series of remarks which have been widely condemned as Islamophobic and racist.
Bizarre Comments
Jenrick, who had been frequently mentioned as one of the strongest candidates in the leadership race, made his bizarre comments in an interview with Sky News when, after days of mosques and immigration centres being attacked by far-right agitators and rioters, he suggested that anyone shouting the phrase “Allahu Akbar” should be immediately arrested.
Conspiracy Theory
However, Jenrick appeared to first flirt with the conspiracy theory of “two-tier” policing, the suggestion that police give preferential treatment to left-wing and ethnic minority protests over far-right rallies, stating, “I have been very critical of police in the past, particularly around the attitude of some police forces to the protests we saw since 7 October.”
Call Out Police
He added, “I thought it was quite wrong that somebody could shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested, project genocidal chants on to Big Ben and not be immediately arrested. That attitude is wrong and I’ll always call out the police for it.”
“God Is Great”
The phrase “Allahu Akbar” is an Arabic phrase that literally translates to “God is great” or “God is greatest.” It is similar to the Christian expression “Hallelujah,” which means “praise the Lord.”
Immediate Backlash
Jenricks comments drew an immediate backlash from Muslim community leaders and MPs. Labour MP Naz Shah, vice-chair of a cross-party group on British Muslims, stated, “This is complete ignorance and textbook Islamophobia from Robert Jenrick. It literally equates every Muslim in the world with extremism … It’s a basic Islamic saying that every Muslim in the world says in prayer.”
Ignorant or Deliberate
She added, “Imagine in this climate, either being that ignorant or deliberately trying to stigmatise all Muslims. He should apologise and speak to Muslim communities and learn more about our faith.”
Conservative Criticism
Other Conservatives were more pointed in their criticism, with Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi posting on X, formerly Twitter, “Every day before we start parliamentary business in the Commons and Lords we say a prayer and praise God – we say our parliamentary version of Allahu Akbars at the heart of democracy – a process Robert Jenrick is a part of. This language from Jenrick is more of his usual nasty divisive rhetoric – he is such a tool.”
Islamophobic Rhetoric
The Muslim Council of Britain spokeswoman decried Jenricks comments as “Islamophobic rhetoric, the lowest common denominator for demagogues.” She then accused him of attempting to justify the actions of “far-right thugs.”
Institutional Islamophobia
They added, “It only goes to show that institutional Islamophobia is alive and well in the Conservative Party,” a spokeswoman said. As a prospective leader, Mr Jenrick should be showing leadership, reassuring our communities when fear is palpable. He should apologise, fully retract his comments, and speak to ordinary Muslims to understand why his remarks are so outrageous.”
Standing by Comments
Incredibly, despite the avalanche of criticism that fell on Jenrick for his ill-timed and misguided remarks, he later stood by his comments in an appearance on Times Radio, attacking Warsi in the process.
Undoubted Problem
Jenrick stated, “If a politician like myself, a political leader who aspires to be leader of the opposition of our country, cannot speak out about the undoubted problem we have as a country with Islamist extremism for fear of being falsely labelled as a racist by an individual such as Sayeeda Warsi, then that is a very troubling situation.”
Intimidatory Chanting
Jenrick then went on to post a video on X, showing a march in Bolton where the phrase was chanted in a way he described as “aggressive,” stating, “‘Allahu Akbar’ is spoken peacefully and spiritually by millions of British Muslims in their daily lives. But the aggressive chanting below is intimidatory and threatening … Extremists routinely abuse common expressions for their own shameful ends.”
Conservative Crisis
The controversy could not come at a worse time for the Conservative Party, which is still reeling from its worst election result in history.
Leadership Race Trouble
With a bruising leadership race ahead, one of the party’s frontrunners for leadership has now found himself drawn into a political argument over Islamophobia at precisely the same time that far-right rioters are attacking mosques up and down the country.
From Centrist to Right
Jenrick, who had started as a centrist in the Conservatives but who moved further right, particularly on immigration issues, during his tenure as Immigration Minister, had been held up as proof that, despite the Conservative Party’s sordid history of using immigration as a political football, some in the party could speak to voters on this delicate issue.
Reputation in Tatters
With his reputation now seemingly in tatters and members of his party calling for him to apologise, it remains to be seen if Jenrick can continue his leadership contest without stigmatising or alienating an entire community once again.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Fred Duval.
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