Anti-Muslim prejudice 'is now deemed acceptable in polite society'

PREJUDICE against Muslims has "passed the dinner table test" and become socially acceptable, Baroness Warsi, the co-chairman of the Conservative Party, has claimed.

In a script for a talk due to be delivered last night, Lady Warsi - the first Muslim woman to attend Cabinet - said faith was discussed in a "patronising, superficial" way, making Britain a less tolerant place for believers.

She said she believed prejudice against Muslims was now seen by many people as normal and uncontroversial, and that expressions of disdain for Britain's nearly two million-strong Muslim minority were becoming acceptable in polite society.

"You could even say that Islamophobia has now passed the dinner table test," she wrote.

But she was expected to warn against portraying Muslims as either "moderate" or "extreme".

"It's not a big leap of imagination to predict where this talk of 'moderate' Muslims leads," she wrote. "In the factory, where they've just hired a Muslim worker, the boss says to employees: 'Not to worry, he's only fairly Muslim'. In the school, the kids say: 'The family next door are Muslim but they're not too bad'.

"And in the road, as a woman walks past wearing a burka, the passers-by think: 'That woman's either oppressed or is making a political statement'."

The speech also reveals that she raised the issue of Islamophobia with Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Britain last year, urging him to "create a better understanding between Europe and its Muslim citizens".

Her decision to speak out suggests the government is willing to tackle sensitive issues of race and religion.

Muslims in Scotland backed Lady Warsi's views. "We particularly welcome Baroness Warsi's acknowledgement of the role the media plays in this process of normalising Islamophobia, as well as the counter-productiveness of categorisations such as 'moderate' and 'extremist' Muslims," said a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Scotland.

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Farooq Murad, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said British Muslims had been watching "with consternation" the "gradual build-up" of ant-Muslim incidents, ranging from references to the "Islamification" of Britain in the media, to violence and intimidation at mosques and cemeteries.

He added: "Islamophobia is the number one concern of all Muslims in this country, illustrated recently by an internal survey of issues conducted by the MCB of its affiliates who prioritised rising anti-Muslim hatred as the community's biggest concern.

"Responsibility also rests with our political leadership, because unfortunately the language often used with reference to Muslims is feeding into stigmatisation of one section of our society."Lady Warsi was expected to say terrorist offences committed by a small number of Muslims should not be used to condemn all who follow Islam. But she was also expected to urge Muslims to be clearer about rejecting those who resort to violence.

"Those who commit criminal acts of terrorism in our country need to be dealt with not just by the full force of the law," the speech said. "They also should face social rejection and alienation across society and their acts must not be used as an opportunity to tar all Muslims."