The Controversy Over Islamophobia and Grooming Gang Investigations

[Social Media]

 

A new report by the Policy Exchange think tank has reignited debate over the use of the term "Islamophobia" in the context of grooming gang investigations. The report argues that accusations of Islamophobia have been used to suppress exposure of criminal activities, particularly in cases like the Rotherham grooming scandal.  

 

The think tank warns that the push for a national definition of Islamophobia could act as a de facto blasphemy law, limiting discussions about criminal behavior involving individuals from Muslim backgrounds. The report claims that the term has been "directly used to attack those who sought to expose the Rotherham grooming scandal," citing the case of investigative journalist Andrew Norfolk. Norfolk, who played a key role in uncovering the scandal, was accused by left-wing academics of amplifying Islamophobia in a report published by the Media Reform Coalition.  

 

The report also highlights the backlash faced by Sarah Champion, the Labour MP who advocated for the victims, and Dame Louise Casey, who investigated Rotherham Council’s handling of the crisis. Both were named "Islamophobe of the Year" by the Islamic Human Rights Commission.  

 

Authors Andrew Gilligan and Paul Stott argue that accusations of Islamophobia have been strategically used to shield wrongdoers from scrutiny. They state, “As in Rotherham, the charge of Islamophobia is often used by wrongdoers who are Muslim, or their allies, to smear or deter those who seek to expose them.” They warn that an official definition of Islamophobia would "make this problem worse" and create "special protections for one faith."  

 

The Labour Party has already adopted the definition put forward by the all-party parliamentary group for British Muslims (APPG), which defines Islamophobia as "rooted in racism and a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness." This definition has been criticized for discouraging the use of terms like “grooming gangs” in connection with Muslim offenders, arguing that such associations reinforce harmful stereotypes.  

 

The Policy Exchange report also points to the involvement of Muhbeen Hussain, a Yorkshire activist, in shaping the debate over Islamophobia. Hussain led a boycott of South Yorkshire Police in 2015, protesting what he described as the force’s failure to protect Muslim communities from far-right violence. He dismissed claims that police hesitated to arrest grooming gang members due to fears of being labeled racist, calling this a "pernicious lie."  

 

Hussain’s group, British Muslim Youth, accused the police of using the grooming gang scandal as a way to deflect from their own failures, a stance the report’s authors claim amounted to an accusation of Islamophobia. Hussain also criticized Sarah Champion in a BBC *Newsnight* appearance, arguing that her claim that Britain had “a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls” fueled discrimination.  

 

At the same time, Hussain and his group had spoken out against the grooming scandal in 2014, demanding prosecutions and accountability. “The council, the social services, and the police authorities have totally failed us… We want the investigations to go back to 1997, cases reopened and prosecutions made,” he said at the time.  

 

The report also draws attention to Hussain’s uncle, Mahroof Hussain, a former Labour councillor who resigned in 2015 after the Casey Report found that council staff believed he had “suppressed discussion” of grooming gangs to avoid harming community relations. Mahroof Hussain later denied being in denial about the issue but admitted that the council had failed to act quickly enough.  

 

Responding to the Policy Exchange report, Muhbeen Hussain maintained that his boycott of the police was not related to the grooming scandal but was instead a reaction to rising hate crimes against Muslims in Rotherham. “I have always condemned the actions of the vile perpetrators, but at the same time, I have condemned the vile racist and Islamophobic surge we saw in Rotherham following the Jay Report,” he said. He argued that entire communities should not be demonized for the crimes of a few individuals.  

 

The Policy Exchange report raises questions about the balance between tackling hate crimes and ensuring that serious criminal investigations are not hindered by accusations of Islamophobia. The all-party parliamentary group for British Muslims and the Islamic Human Rights Commission have been contacted for comment on the findings.

 

Based on a report by The Telegraph  2025-02-28

 

Related Topics:

Angela Rayner’s Plan for Islamophobia Council Sparks Free Speech Concerns

Labour’s Approach to Islamophobia and Migration Demands Belief in the Impossible

 

 

[blaze master]

11 minutes ago, Social Media said:

The Labour Party has already adopted the definition put forward by the all-party parliamentary group for British Muslims (APPG), which defines Islamophobia as "rooted in racism and a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness." This definition has been criticized for discouraging the use of terms like “grooming gangs” in connection with Muslim offenders, arguing that such associations reinforce harmful stereotypes.  

 

All that matters is any scum that commits a sexual crime receives the proper judicial process and subsequent jail time. 

 

If in that process someone who follows a certain ideology is offended.

 

Too bad.