The United Kingdom upholds a footprint of global influence in scientific discoveries, exemplary welfare systems, leading expertise in global health, prestigious universities, highly cited research, and cultural and diplomatic leverage in world affairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite notable triumphs in science, education, and industry, the UK is changing fast. Now, \u201cThe UK\u2019s higher education sector in turmoil<\/a>\u201d; its universities are in serious \u201ccrisis<\/a>\u201d and \u201cfailing<\/a>\u201d and facing a notable \u201cfall in international students<\/a>,\u201d which \u201chits the UK economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a Channel 4 News<\/a> report, \u201cMore than one million young people are not in work or in education in the UK.\u201d Unfortunately, today, the \u201cUK is losing the industry that makes everything<\/a>,\u201d young people are \u201cleaving to work abroad<\/a>\u201d because the UK is becoming an \u201cungovernable country<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n This situation could be upturned. The real challenge is the fraying of the social fabric of British society. The society once took pride in its values; democracy, freedom of expression, liberty and tolerance have evidently become intolerant of Muslims and immigrants and are leaning toward the far right. Recent far-right mobs triggered riots across Britain, which raised \u201cthe spectre of racism and evoke haunting memories<\/a>,\u201d and reminded ethnic minorities, especially Muslims and immigrants, that Britain is becoming an unsafe place for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The far-right muggers forgot that an estimated \u201c1.5 million Indian troops fought to defend Britain. Of those, 400,000 were Muslim soldiers<\/a>.\u201d Today, generations of Muslim soldiers who fought for the glory of Great Britain are worried about their future in the UK. The record rise in \u201canti-Muslim hatred<\/a>,\u201d past and recent \u201criots<\/a>,\u201d growing attacks on \u201cmosques<\/a>,\u201d racist abuse of \u201cveiled women<\/a>,\u201d and bearded men, and unchecked \u201cIslamophobia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The British Media\u2019s Framing of Muslims and M<\/strong>osques: A constant challenge<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s state of affairs resembles Stanley Cohen\u2019s concept of \u201cFolk Devils and Moral Panics\u201d (1972), which revealed how segments of British society, including the five Ps, namely the press, police, politicians, public bodies, and pressure groups, work closely to exaggerate and distort certain events to identify and finally declare a certain group as a threat to society. Cohen’s book was based on \u201cmods and rockers\u201d in Brighton (1964) who were identified, vilified, and portrayed as \u201cmindlessly violent youth\u201d in the tabloid press. Correspondingly, politicians, police, public bodies, and pressure groups launched coordinated campaigns to pressure the government to toughen laws to deal with them. In the end, they moved to India. Decades later, on 4 April 2004, The Independent\u2019s investigative reporter, Robin Stummer<\/a>, found it was \u201cstaged by the press\u201d that \u201cpaid the lads a few shillings\u201d for the photographs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Decades on, Cohen’s influential work still fits in the current presentation of the British Muslims. Today, British Muslims are \u201cnew folk devils<\/a>,\u201d and surprisingly, the press, politicians, police, public bodies, and pressure groups are aligned together in identifying, symbolising, and portraying British Muslims as an \u201cexistential threat\u201d to secular British society. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a media expert, since 2005, I have been studying the British media and its reporting of Islam and Muslims. I would include two events: the 7\/7<\/a> and the Manchester Arena bombings. In the days and months after the attacks, I observed the British press reaction, which was loaded with front-page headlines such as the Daily Mail’s \u201cSoldiers in the Streets,\u201d \u201cBritain on lockdown<\/a>,\u201d and \u201csickening act of betrayal,\u201d and phrases like \u201cterror,\u201d \u201cmassacre,\u201d \u201csavage,\u201d and \u201cpure evil.\u201d In brief, right-wing politicians pushed the government for \u201cdraconian measures<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Evidently, the press reporting of the 7\/7 and Manchester Arena bombings facilitated panic rather than helping communities to be united against a common enemy. Normally, when decades pass, the expectations of the British media are a change in its approach, mindset, and pattern in reporting Muslims. Sadly, nothing has changed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How come a mega terror plot involving 12 right-wing potential \u201cterrorists\u201d aiming to kill 15000 Muslims went underreported, with no calls for tougher laws, a Cobra meeting, soldiers in the streets, and media campaigns? The BBC headline, \u201cPolice given more time to question men over Islamic event threat<\/a>,\u201d sums up the British media\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Double standards and Muslims are unworthy victims. The noun \u201cmen\u201d is used generically to hide the actual identities of those involved in a terror plot. Besides, \u201cIslamic event threat\u201d also camouflages right-wing thugs and their intentions. This British media pattern is well-documented and visible in every violent occurrence, including \u201criots,\u201d \u201cattacks on mosques,\u201d and \u201cracial abuse.\u201d Recall, in the July 2024 riots<\/a>, sections of the British media and right-wing politicians, including Nigel Farage, rushed to tag Muslims with the riots. Later, reality unfolded, and it was the Roma community protests. Same old media mindset: a Muslim rioter\u2019s havoc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most recent incident involved a \u201cfar-right terror plot targeting a major Muslim gathering<\/a>\u201d organised by Tablighi Jamaat, a peaceful organisation preaching Islamic values aiming to strengthen social cohesion and coexistence. I have attended Tablighi Jamaat gatherings on Thursdays in Dewsbury, and I never got radicalised. Notably, the counter-terrorism police officers described it as a \u201cpotential threat\u201d planned to kill nearly 15000 Muslims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the scale of the failed plot, it is utterly shocking to learn that the British press has largely ignored it. It\u2019s all about \u201cworthy victims\u201d and \u201cunworthy victims<\/a>.\u201d Evidently, Muslims are unwelcome in Europe. Think for a moment: if it were Jews or Christians gathering, how would the British and the global media have responded? Surely, front-page images, iconic headlines, urgent calls for a Cobra meeting, warnings, and tougher laws. Recall related events, including the stabbing of an elderly man. Of course, it’s condemnable, but the point is, why are human lives unequal? The next day, the BBC analysed the British media response to this event as: \u201c\u2018Terror on our streets\u2019 and \u2018UK antisemitism out of control<\/a>,\u2019\u201d which pushed the British government for tougher laws. Unfortunately, the British media does not show the same spirit in reporting Muslims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What could H<\/strong>appen <\/strong>Next and how to Avoid It?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I recollected my PhD memories. On a particular day in 2014, I approached my mentor, Shamim Miah<\/a>, and posed him a hard question: Will Britain expel Muslims? He smiled and said, No. Last week, I asked him again, and he replied, \u201cIt\u2019s a real phenomenon. Muslims are already a precarious minority. Things will doubtless get much worse before they get any better.\u201d I continued monitoring and analysing the Western media coverage of Islam and Muslims in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere. After Brexit, I wrote a piece in Daily Sabah, \u201cWill British Muslims face expulsion in post-Brexit Britain?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I have finalised the title for my forthcoming book, The Risk of Mass Expulsion in Europe: Muslims, Media, and the Future of European Democracy. Am I exaggerating the matter? I consulted Muslim academics: Tahir Abbas<\/a> and Tariq Modood<\/a> believe Muslim expulsion from Britain would be an \u201cexaggerated thought.\u201d Similarly, Razaq Raj<\/a> views it as a \u201cmyth and largely exaggerated fear,\u201d and Abdul-Bashid Shaikh<\/a> believes \u201cMuslims’ expulsion is not a realistic proposition.\u201d Given the rise of far-right movements, wars in the Middle East, and a subsequent surge in Islamophobia<\/a> across Europe, it\u2019s time for a serious debate and tough laws to protect Muslims, like the protection of Jews. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The United Kingdom upholds a footprint of global influence in scientific discoveries, exemplary welfare systems, leading expertise in global health, prestigious universities, highly cited research, and cultural and diplomatic leverage in world affairs. Despite notable triumphs in science, education, and industry, the UK is changing fast. Now, \u201cThe UK\u2019s higher education sector in turmoil\u201d; its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":275,"featured_media":17178,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[486],"tags":[652],"class_list":["post-17174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","tag-united-kingdom"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/275"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17174"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17177,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17174\/revisions\/17177"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalpanorama.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}