Published Wednesday 24 July, 2019
Donald Trump’s racist attack on four black congresswomen highlighted a central plank of “Trumpism”—to normalise a level of racism previously deemed unacceptable.
It seems ludicrous that Trump claimed, “I don’t have a racist bone in my body”. However this is a conscious part of the agenda—to then deny such outbursts are even racist. We stand firmly with the four congresswomen.
Similarly, it is a sign of the levels of racism—particularly Islamophobia—being legitimised here that Boris Johnson felt able to state that Islam has left Muslim countries & “literally centuries behind” the West.
This is a taster of the style of leadership Johnson is preparing to imbue. With the recent growth of violent far right movements, it’s dangerous that mainstream politicians are fanning the flames of divisive scapegoating.
We face increasingly normalised racism being spewed from the top of the establishment. Like Trump in the White House, now we have
a Prime Minister who will give airtime to racist views.
It is imperative that whether we voted leave or remain, we come together as an anti-racist movement that seeks to unite people against the rise of racism and poses a serious challenge to Johnson’s agenda of importing Trumpism.
We stand in solidarity with all those who find themselves targets of Trump and Johnson’s racism, and stress the need for every instance of racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism to be challenged.
Signed
Diane Abbott, shadow home secretary
Mike Rosen, author
Cat Smith MP & shadow cabinet
Sabby Dhalu & Weyman Bennett Stand Up To Racism co convenors
Talha Ahmad, Muslim Council of Britain
Rabbi Lee Wax
Kevin Courtney, NEU union general secretary
Marsha De Cordova Labour MP
Ian Blackford SNP MP & parliamentary leader
Mark Serwotka, PCS union general secretary
Matt Wrack, FBU union general secretary
Dave Ward, CWU general secretary
Mick Cash RMT union general secretary
Chris Stephens SNP MP
Claude Moraes, MEP
Julie Ward MEP
Lord Hain
Manuel Cortez, TSSA general secretary
Mick Wheelan ASLEF union general secretary
Tony Kearns, CWU assistant general secretary
Ian Hodson, BFAWU union national president
Jane Loftus CWU vice president
Shahrar Ali, Green Party Home Affairs spokesperson
Unmesh Desai, Member of Greater London Assembly
Mohammed Kozbar Finsbury Park Mosque chairman
Aman Ali Muslim Engagement & Development
David Rosenberg, Jewish Socialist Group
Salma Yaqoob
Louise Raw author