What Happens When We Accuse Muslims In Politics Of Having Extremist Ties

Earlier this week, news headlines began popping up regarding Hillary Clinton’s top campaign aide Huma Abedin. This time they weren’t about her marriage to former representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) who resigned after a Twitter sexting scandal. The headlines were concerning whether Abedin had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood  and “worked at a radical Muslim journal for dozens of years .” While sources fact-checked these statements and determined their falsity , politicians who support Donald Trump have used this “extremist connection” rhetoric against Abedin. Sean Duffy (R-WI) during a CNN interview  on Thursday insisted that Human Abedin had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Trump supporters have used these statements as a way to undermine Clinton’s campaign by slandering one of her top advisors. 

Similarly, when London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan was running for office, his opponent Zac Goldsmith accused Khan of having ties with extremists in Britain. While this did not cost Khan the election, it did tap into anti-Muslim feelings amongst voters and further exacerbated Islamophobic opinions

This growing practice of politicians accusing Muslim political figures of having links to extremist groups begs the question: What are the consequences of falsely accusing our top Muslims in politics of having connections to extremist organizations?

Rhetoric claiming a Muslim’s link to extremism exacerbates Islamophobia. Whether it’s in news headlines or coming directly from politicians, discussions of a Muslim political figures’ connection to extremists—true or not—has an impact on how the public views Muslims. And given the heightened tensions in the West regarding terrorist attacks from the Islamic State on their soil, the public is eager to believe another reason why they cannot trust Muslims, especially those that are involved in politics. 

With Muslims in politics facing defamation, there is a clear disincentive for more Muslims to seek opportunities in government. Muslims are severely underrepresented in political positions in the Western world. Currently, in Congress Muslims account for 0.4% of total members. And with Islamophobia already relatively high, it is an uphill battle for a Muslim to hold a prominent political position without controversy. These instances of alleging that a Muslim in politics has connections to extremists makes it more difficult for Muslims to be successful in government; therefore, discouraging more Muslim representation.

In order to build trust and cooperation between the Muslim community and the government, we need to stop alienating Muslims by slandering politicians and government officials who represent them. Muslim communities need both allies and individuals of their faith to advocate for them in government. Yet, when these individuals are labeled as extremist sympathizers they lose their ability to represent and work for Muslims communities. 

Recently, more efforts have been made to positively showcase Muslims in government. In February, the White House featured stories of Muslim public servants highlighting that despite their experiences with discrimination they are dedicated to working for the American people. Although this is a step in the right direction, it does not counter the mudslinging against Muslims running for public office or those who work for politicians running for office.

If the West expects to tackle Islamophobia it cannot do so without having Muslims in public office and top government roles. But the West also cannot expect to see Muslims in these roles if they regularly face smearing from opponents that claim they are linked to extremist groups. Sadiq Khan may have still won London’s mayoral election; however, there is little hope for the success of Muslims, such as Huma Abedin, in politics if we continue down this path of false accusations and ridiculous conspiracies.

Follow Feyaad Allie on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/feyaadallie