By Zuri Omer
Recent weeks have seen a concerted effort by establishment figures and far-right opportunists to stoke Islamophobia under the guise of tackling so-called “Muslim grooming gangs.” Figures like Elon Musk, Tommy Robinson, Nigel Farage, and senior Tory politicians, including Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick, have been fuelling these divisive narratives. Even Labour leader Keir Starmer has failed to challenge these dangerous tropes, choosing instead to mirror the Tories’ rhetoric.
This calculated focus on racialising child sexual exploitation (CSE) isn’t new. It’s an old tactic designed to scapegoat marginalised communities while deflecting attention from systemic failures. Framing crimes like CSE around ethnicity obscures the real situation. Meanwhile, the Home Office’s own data debunks the myth that these crimes are primarily committed by Asian or Muslim men. The majority of offenders in group-based CSE cases are white.
So why do they keep peddling this racist narrative? Because it’s politically convenient. Figures like Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage thrive on whipping up fear and division. Musk’s tweets amplifying false claims about “Muslim grooming gangs” give these extremists a global platform. Meanwhile, Farage gets airtime on the BBC, treated as a legitimate voice rather than the far-right agitator he is. It’s all part of a broader strategy to intensify racism and redirect public anger away from the real culprits of societal breakdown: the politicians and billionaires gutting public services and destroying communities.
Instead of standing firm against this hate, Labour’s leadership has capitulated. Starmer talks tough on grooming gangs but says nothing about the systemic safeguarding failures that allow abuse to continue. By parroting the Tories’ rhetoric, he’s giving cover to the far right and betraying the very communities Labour claims to represent.
This rhetoric has real consequences as we saw with the racist riots last summer. Islamophobic hate crimes rise whenever politicians or media figures link Muslims to criminality. Groups like Tell MAMA document these spikes after inflammatory comments. It’s not just words; it’s attacks on people’s lives, their safety, and their dignity.
The far right’s strategy is clear. By racialising crime and blaming immigrants, they deflect attention from their own failures and those of their allies in power. Elon Musk, for example, has spent millions funding right-wing causes and spreading anti-immigrant propaganda. These efforts are not about protecting children or communities; they’re about dividing us.
This scapegoating fits into a broader narrative that portrays Muslims as a threat to Western values. It’s the same logic that underpins policies like hijab bans, harsher immigration controls, and relentless attacks on asylum seekers. These aren’t isolated incidents—they’re part of a systemic effort to marginalise Black and Brown communities.
We cannot afford to let this go unchallenged. The far right and their enablers in mainstream politics are emboldened when we stay silent. That’s why it’s crucial to resist.
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Fascist Tommy Robinson has announced a demo in London on 1 February, calling on his racist supporters to demand his release. Join the Stand Up to Racism counter-demonstration on 1 February. For further details visit the website of Stand Up To Racism.
