Abuse of fear of Islamism leads to paranoid and undemocratic behaviors
Abuse of the fear of Islamism leads to authoritarian and destructive social development. In Sweden, as elsewhere in Europe, there is justified fear of and criticism directed at Islamist politicians and organizations. Islamism is about, among other things, the idea that Islam should be the only or privileged religion in a society. At the same time, there is a worrying development, as in the UK, where reactions against Islamism and Islamists are being misused to promote undemocratic development. This is being done by right-wing populist politicians and organizations whose behaviors and values ironically resemble those of the Islamists.
In recent weeks, the British political landscape has again become controversial due to the dangerous, paranoid and undemocratic rhetoric that permeates discourse at the highest levels of government. Several conservative politicians have exploited fears of Islamism to justify discriminatory behaviors and to distract from their political failures. This development misrepresents the real issues and undermines the foundation of British democratic and multicultural society.
Several conservative parliament members made sweeping generalizations and arbitrary accusations in the style that Islamists rule Britain. They claimed that "Islamist elements" influence London's mayor and Muslim, Sadiq Khan, and labeled entire urban areas as Islamist and "no-go zones" because of Muslim residents. Such statements are not only factually incorrect – they are dangerously misleading and promote racism, social phobias, and nationalism.
This right-wing populist tactic is about more than addressing the real needs or security issues of the population; it is about diverting attention from more pressing governmental failures. Claims that Britain's problems are due to multicultural development are greatly exaggerated and often unfounded. Instead, analyses and research show that real problems are due, among other things, to institutional inefficiencies and lack of competent governance.
Across the UK, the public's confidence in the police and the justice system's ability to handle crime effectively is decreasing—not because of the ethnic or cultural composition of communities but because of a perceived failure to act decisively and impartially. Fundamental failures in the system to enforce laws and protect citizens, regardless of their cultural or religious identities, are causing this.
This leads to real consequences and creates divisions within communities and between the state and its residents. When political leaders use their platforms to spread fear instead of promoting understanding and cooperation, they feed into the narratives that extremist groups use to recruit and radicalize.
The exploitation of Islamist fears is a tactic that has been used not only for misleading purposes but also to motivate arbitrary and discriminatory policies. It shifts the blame from politics to people, from institutional reform to cultural assimilation, which is neither a fair nor effective solution. By painting a picture of a nation besieged from within, certain factions within the Conservative party have found reasons to push for stricter laws that ostensibly target Muslims but, in practice, erode civil liberties and human rights.
The problem is not the multicultural British society but how the state responds to and manages its diverse population. Effective governance, clear policy decisions, and competent institutional responses are needed to address Britain's challenges rather than resorting to divisive rhetoric that only serves short-term political purposes. Britain could instead promote a genuinely inclusive and secure society, but this also requires more people to stand up against racism, fear, and reactionary behaviors.
