Georgia L Gilholy is a journalist.
In recent weeks, Sayeeda Warsi, the former Chair of the Conservative Party, has embarked upon a major media campaign after expressing her fears over ‘Islamophobia’. She has garnered mainstream attention for launching the “A Muslim & A Jew Go There” podcast, which she will co-host with David Bddiel, the comedian and author of Jews Don’t Count. The pair will broadcast a weekly episode in which they will mull over current events relating to British Muslims and Jews.
On Tuesday I attended the launch of The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life’s new report on British Muslims, which found that not only was the United Kingdom arguably the best European culture for Muslim citizens, but that a majority of our Muslim population were keen to enhance interfaith relations and contribute to the country.
Speakers also raised the issue of a spike in verbal and physical attacks towards Muslim people in Britain amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, which, according to “Tell Mama”, tripled between 7 October and 7 February. Although lower than the almost six-fold rise in antisemitic incidents across the same period, this is still a problem. It is not surprising that a high-profile Muslim woman would feel obliged to comment on it.
Yet Warsi does not necessarily seem, at least to me, to be the appropriate figurehead for expressing grievances regarding anti-Muslim hatred, nor someone whose foreign policy views entirely hold up to scrutiny.
Warsi ignited controversy on January 12th by appearing to declare a connection between Houthi rebels targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea and the perceived failure of the world to address what she labelled the “racist” Israeli government. The post came mere days after a Houthi attack on a British destroyer, an action the group claims represents an expression of “solidarity” with Hamas, which has been under attack in the Gaza Strip since it and other terror groups murdered, tortured, raped and kidnapped more than 1,500 Israelis on October 7, 2023.
It appeared that Warsi was implying that the world’s failure to halt the war in Gaza had prompted the Houthi response. Lord Wolfson, Warsi’s fellow peer, took umbrage at her suggestion that this issue might be blamed on Israel. After all, the Houthis have long chanted “death to America and death to Israel” and are known to be a proxy militia funded and trained by the Iranian regime, who despise Israel simply for being Israel, and namely, for being Jewish.
They attacked ships before October 7th and will continue to attack them after this war. They have also attacked ships that have much less friendly relations with the Israeli government than the UK. Anyone with any knowledge of the region can tell that the Houthis are not bravely attempting to defend Palestinians, but are instead taking advantage of the tense regional context to further their interests, which are directly opposed to those of the UK and the world economy.
An unnamed MP complained to The Daily Express that the former minister had given a “free pass to the Hamas terrorists.” It seems there are many Conservatives unhappy with Warsi’s conduct, but most appear unwilling to call her out on it. David Cameron, who made history in 2010 by making Warsi the first-ever Muslim woman in the Cabinet, has remained silent. Contrast this all with the furious cross-party reaction to Lee Anderson MP’s pig-eared remarks on Islamism.
This row is not Warsi’s first brush with controversy. In 2015 she faced serious allegations of facilitating the entry of individuals linked to Islamist groups into the heart of Whitehall during her tenure as a government minister. It was a surprise that Warsi did not put more effort into defending her record or working harder to make amends.
In 2006, years before her elevation to government, Warsi told BBC Radio 4, that she welcomed the election of Hamas in Gaza, suggesting it was an “opportunity” as “when groups that practise violence are suddenly propelled into power through a democratic process they get responsibility and responsibility can be a tremendously taming factor.” Lest we forget, Hamas’ official policy in 2006, was the genocide of all Jews, in and outside of Israel.
How was it that someone who made such casual remarks about this group was deemed worthy of promotion? Was she naive or ignorant about Hamas? Either case would deem someone a not wholly helpful spokesperson on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Yet we continue to entertain her as if she were a serious thinker.
The Enemy Within, her 2018 book on British Muslims, faced some reviewers alleging that it sanitised issues of Islamist extremism. Peter Oborne slammed some right-wing criticism of the book as “gross misstatements” of Warsi’s message.
However, there are some odd passages in the text, with one line suggesting that “Islamist ideology has created a new generation of Muslim democrats” such as the AKP in Turkey, despite that President Erdogan, who is accused of links with the Muslim Brotherhood, has arrested tens of thousands people on sham charges and attacked freedom of the press.
As highlighted by Maryam Namazie, Warsi’s book was also bizarrely middle-of-the-road about folk who ought to be considered persona-non-grata by any British politician. Zakir Naik, for example, an Islamist who backs the death penalty for ex-Muslims, is described as “considered sectarian by some, an intellectual by others, an inciter of hatred by some and an enlightened orator by others”.
Then there’s the working Islamophobia definition proposed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, of which Warsi is treasurer. Its recommendations have been slammed as a threat to freedom of expression on the level of a blasphemy law, due to how it could feasibly stifle legitimate criticism of Islam.
Its vague provisions categorise the following as anti-Muslim hate: “Using the symbols and images associated with classic Islamophobia (e.g. Muhammed being a paedophile, claims of Muslims spreading Islam by the sword or subjugating minority groups under their rule) to characterize Muslims as being ‘sex groomers’, inherently violent or incapable of living harmoniously in plural societies”.
Obviously, unfair generalisations with ill-intent are just that, unfair. Warsi is not only a former senior politician, but someone who has herself encountered extremism. In November 2009, she faced Islamist intimidation and was pelted with eggs during a visit to Luton. In 2007 she travelled to Sudan to push for the release of Gillian Gibbons, a British teacher, who had been behind bars on blasphemy charges for allowing her students to name a teddy-bear Muhammad.
But implying that the free discussion of the people revered in Islamic scriptures as the symptom of a pathological hatred seems to be equally wrong. As long as she remains a Conservative peer, the party continues to sanction her activities and opinions.