Islamophobia and antiracist social work

1
Islamophobia and anti-racist social work

• Dr Michael Lavalette
• Associate Professor of Social Work,
• Liverpool Hope University

2
IFSW definition of social work

• The social work profession promotes social
  change, problem solving in human relationships
  and the empowerment and liberation of people to
  enhance well-being.
• Social work grew out of humanitarian and
  democratic ideals, and its values are based on
  respect for the equality, worth, and dignity of
  all people.
• Social work addresses the barriers, inequities
  and injustices that exist in society.

3
What is racism?

• Based on assumption that race exists.
• Some form of negative action or practice towards
  people of an assumed race
• Individual prejudice, institutional racism and
  structural racism
• Historical development of racism Peter Fryers
  racism of slavery, racism of Empire and Racism
  of migration.

4
Cultural or xeno-racism

• Thatchers infamous swamping speech
• But by 1990s subtle shift in discourses around
  race about outsiders and aliens
  Fortress Europe
• Post-1989 focus on Roma peoples (in Slovenia,
  Germany, Ireland etc)
• Also alien cultures esp. Muslim communities
  (France 1990s PCF and Mosques hijab Britain
  and Rushdie affair)

5
Xeno-racism

• A term coined by A. Sivanandan from the Institute
  of Race Relations.
• A new racism that is directed against those
  who, displaced and dispossessed by neo-liberal
  globalisation, find themselves washed up on the
  shores of Europe.
• It is xeno in form because it is directed
  against foreigners regardless of their skin
  colour it is racism in substance in that it
  bears all the hallmarks of demonisation and
  exclusion of the old racism
• (Liz Fekete (2009) A Suitable Enemy p.43)

6
The rise of modern Islamophobia

• The war on terror
• - the security state moves in (definitions of
  terrorism, Babar Ahmed)
• - the politicians move in (Jim Fitzpatrick)
• - the media move in (Danish cartoons)
• - academics move in (Huntington/Amis)
• - suspect communities

7
Liberating Muslim Women?

• Afghanistan
• France
• Jack Straw
• Lord Cromer (British consol to Egypt 1883-1907)
• veiling and seclusion are fatal obstacles to
  the Egyptians attainment of that elevation of
  thought and character which should accompany the
  introduction of Western civilisation

8
Violence against Muslims

• 9/11
• 7/7
• Burnley/Oldham/Bradford - 2003
• EDL Luton/Birmingham/Harrow

9
Institutional Islamophobia

• Mubarek case
• PVE

10
Britains Muslim population

• Housing Muslim communities (esp Pakistani and
  Bengaladeshi) live in poorer quality housing. EG
  60 of these communities live in homes without
  central heating
• Unemployment - (Census 2001 unemployment for
  Muslims is almost 3 times greater than for the
  white community)
• Health Morbidity, mortality and child mortality
  rates all worse compared to white communities
• Education levels lower than for white
  communities
• Poverty - 70 of Pakistani and Bangadeshi
  children live in poverty (almost 3 times the rate
  of white children)
• Islam is overwhelmingly the religion of some of
  the poorest communities in the world and within
  Britain.
• (Tahir Abbas (2005) Muslim Britain)
• (R. Wilkinson (2005)The Impact of Inequality)

11
A social work tale

• Ayesha and Mohammed go for adoption.

12
Some conclusions

• The BASW Code of Ethics for Social Work
• Key Principles
• Human Dignity and Worth
• Respect for human dignity and for individual and
  cultural diversity
• Value for every human being, their beliefs,
  goals, preferences and needs
• Respect for human rights and self-determination
• Partnership and empowerment with users of
  services and with carers
• Ensuring protection for vulnerable people