Scotland’s only Muslim MP last night backed warnings from a Tory cabinet minister that Islamophobia has become more widespread and socially acceptable in Britain.
Baroness Warsi, minister without portfolio and Conservative Party chairman, said yesterday that feeling against the religion had now passed what she described as the “dinner table” test, suggesting it was now seen as ordinary family conversation.
She also warned depictions which divided followers into moderates and extremists were helping to foster intolerance.
Anas Sarwar, who represents Glasgow Central and is the son of Mohammad Sarwar, the first Muslim to be elected to the House of Commons in 1997, said that the peer’s comments were to be welcomed.
Asked about the “dinner table test”, the Labour MP said: “There is no doubt that there has been a rise in Islamophiobia in this country since 9/11, the war in Iraq and the 7/7 bombings.
“We have got to make sure that we are not complacent about this, just as we should not be complacent about any other kind of racism.”
Mr Sarwar agreed with her it was dangerous to divide Muslims into moderates and extremists.
“It is wrong to divide any community into two groups or any other number of groups”, he said.
But he said he thought there was still a place for the word “extremist”.
His comments came as Downing Street appeared to move to distance the Prime Minister David Cameron from her remarks.
It was reported that the keynote speech had not been passed by Number 10 before parts of it were leaked to the media.
The Prime Minister’s official spokeswoman declined to say that her remarks had Mr Cameron’s backing, saying only that he thought it raised an interesting debate.
She added the Tory leader was “on record warning against extremism” and did not suggest he would be changing his language in the light of Baroness Warsi’s comments.
They come just days after she was criticised by the right-wing in her party for accusing them of failing to campaign hard enough in last week’s Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.
The Muslim Council of Britain has also welcomed the intervention.
Secretary general Farooq Murad said: “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.
“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 biggest concern for the community.”
Baroness Waris was making the speech at the University of Leicester.
Leaked extracts included her saying: “In the factory, where they’ve just hired a Muslim worker, the boss says to his 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’.”
Civil liberties campaigners were celebrating last night after the Government announced controversial powers to detain terror suspects without charge for 28 days would not be renewed.
Home Secretary Theresa May will let the order allowing the detention period expire, meaning that from Tuesday the detention limit will revert to 14 days.