by MADHURI SATHISH
British Prime Minister David Cameron is facing backlash after singling out Muslim women earlier this month for needing special help in English literacy, for being “traditionally submissive” and for being more likely to be targeted by extremist groups.
“Whenever you single out any religious or ethnic minority for that kind of special treatment, you end up stigmatizing and marginalizing the entire community,” Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a phone interview. “It’s actually counterproductive to [Cameron’s] stated goals. I think it will subject Muslim women in Britain to more bias and stereotyping and it does nothing to deal with the actual problems of extremism.”
On Jan. 18 Cameron said British Muslim women who did not learn English were at risk of deportation. Cameron argued that insufficient English skills left people susceptible to ISIS’ message. However, other British political leaders were quick to criticize him.
Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, responded by saying that Cameron risked “doing more harm than good” with this announcement, and worried that such an initiative might actually encourage more extremism.
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, said that singling out Muslim women “only serves to isolate” those Cameron says he wants to help.
Cameron’s announcement took place on the same day that Parliament debated a petition calling for a U.K. ban on U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump–who is notoriously arguing for a U.S. travel ban on all Muslims–on the basis of hate speech.
Opponents called the petition an embarrassment, but Paul Flynn, the Labour member who began the three-hour debate, argued that those watching the debate had “seen Parliament at its very best.”
While any future decision-making on the subject is unlikely, Cameron came out last month in opposition to the proposed ban, saying that if Trump were to visit the U.K. he would unite everyone against him.
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