Many people ask us on social media how sympathisers of the English Defence League may be associated with threats and violence towards Muslims. On many occasions, we provide evidence of this through social media responses, actual cases where violence has occurred and through news reports clearly linking statements made by EDL sympathisers towards Muslims and threats against them, (which are influenced by the beliefs of the perpetrator.)
Here is a good example of such a link.
Once again the anti-Muslim prejudiced term ‘muzzrats‘ is used which is comparable to the way that the Nazis used to stigmatise their own citizens who happened to be Jewish and this targeted association of groups of people with vermin is well documented in the propaganda of the Nazis towards their own citizens of Jewish heritage.
One of the other interesting factors to note, is the belief within Far Right supporters of the English Defence League, that mosques have been attacked by Muslims themselves. We within TELL MAMA have listed the range of mosque incidents and attacks since Woolwich and they are mapped here.
Here for example is a tweet supporting this twisted view:
This view that Muslims themselves have been involved in conducting arson against their own mosques is not only twisted and perverse, it suggests that the victims are at fault themselves, that they are naturally guilty by virtue of their faith and their identities. Time and time again we come across these viewpoints by those who support groups like the English Defence League and the British National Party and these views have been doing the rounds since the Muswell Hill mosque attack that took place a few weeks after the murder of drummer Lee Rigby.
Solutions
We believe that such views have an impact in the offline and street context though we must be clear. There is much more work that needs to be done in this area and that we will pushing ahead on this area in the future. However, it is imperative that all good people who see hate and prejudice as unacceptable, counter such corrosive views and report in such statements. This can be done through social media providers like Twitter and Facebook, through TELL MAMA, or through the police if there are threats to life, liberty and safety being made. Together, we can make our country an even safer, stronger and a more united place.