# The Right Is Stirring Up Anti-Muslim Hate, And It's Getting Worse | Ash Sarkar Meets Myriam François Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVtgaIzPkes Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/FVtgaIzPkes Generated: 2025-09-28T16:00:52.183+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Myriam François and Ash Sarkar discuss the rise of anti-Muslim hate in the UK, the political significance versus the reality of Western recognition of Palestine amid ongoing Israeli actions, and the parallels between the language used against Palestinians and historical genocide rhetoric, such as in Bosnia. **Key Points:** - The recognition of Palestine by the UK and other Western nations is symbolically important for the PA but occurs simultaneously with the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the largest expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, potentially serving only to "salvage the idea of a two-state solution" that maintains an expanding apartheid state. - Human rights organizations, like Amnesty International, confirm that the legal system applied to Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza meets the legal definition of apartheid, characterized by a completely different legal system where the conviction rate in military courts reaches 99%. - François's politicization regarding Palestine is deeply rooted in her family history, noting parallels between the occupation in Ireland and Palestine, and was solidified when she lived in the West Bank during the Second Intifada and witnessed or experienced violence while wearing hijab. - The language used to demonize Muslims in Europe, such as labeling them as 'vermin' or 'scum' needing extermination, mirrors the propaganda used in the Bosnian genocide, which François documented, highlighting that many Europeans were unaware of the genocide of Bosnian Muslims because of their Muslimness. - François challenges the idea of the exceptionalism of the Holocaust, citing Mahmud Mamdani's interpretation of 'never again'—either for 'me and my people' or 'never again to anyone'—and argues that the lesson should apply to all marginalized groups, including political opponents. - François notes that the UK political class, including Labour, fails to match rhetoric with action regarding Palestine, continuing to provide arms and intelligence to Israel despite strong public opinion shifts against Israeli actions, reflecting a broader disconnect from democratic mechanisms. - François describes her journey to Islam at age 19 as a confirmation and expansion of existing monotheistic Abrahamic principles, rejecting the notion that converting from Christianity involved abandoning culture or rejecting prior messages. **Context:** This transcript captures an interview between Ash Sarkar and Myriam François, exploring themes of rising anti-Muslim sentiment, the political landscape surrounding Palestine, and François's personal journey. François, a journalist, discusses her background, being half French and half Irish, and her family's historical political activism related to occupation, which informed her eventual move to live in the West Bank during the Second Intifada, profoundly shaping her views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ## Detailed Analysis The discussion centers on the political facade surrounding the Palestinian state recognition, which François argues is undermined by ongoing Israeli expansionism and the reality of apartheid, citing the legal consensus from human rights groups. She emphasizes that life under occupation involves systemic violence affecting every facet, from healthcare access to child detention, noting that South Africans who experienced apartheid consider the current situation worse. François also draws strong parallels between the demonization rhetoric used against Palestinians today and the language employed before the Bosnian genocide, noting a cultural tendency in the West to selectively memorialize certain historical atrocities while ignoring others, particularly those targeting Muslims. Furthermore, the interview delves into the Islamophobia fueling much of the political narrative, exemplified by the claim that America is a "Judeo-Christian civilization," a concept François finds exclusionary and historically inaccurate when considering shared Abrahamic roots. François also reflects on navigating internal community issues like patriarchy without reinforcing external Islamophobia, stressing the need for dynamic interpretations of Islamic law (Sharia) that connect ideals to shifting realities. ### British Context & Identity - Initial statement posits that Britain accepts both a woman in a g-string at 3 AM and a woman in full nikab at 5 AM as part of its identity - François is half French, half Irish; her great-grandfather was an IRA member killed by the Black and Tan, linking her family history to resistance narratives. ### Palestine Recognition & Reality - Western recognition is 'symbolically important' but occurs amidst 'ongoing genocide' and massive settlement expansion, making the potential Palestinian state non-contiguous and militarily incapable, which François logically questions why Palestinians should accept. ### Apartheid and Legal Status - Consensus among human rights organizations is that Israel meets the legal definition of apartheid, involving a totally different legal system for Palestinians, evidenced by 99% conviction rates in military courts and the detention of children as young as 12. ### Politicization and Personal Journey - François became politicized around Palestine, starting before her trip but solidified by witnessing daily life under occupation; she learned on the ground about political pragmatism and the value of Jewish Israeli allies protesting the occupation. ### Genocide Parallels & Memorialization - François connects the language used against Palestinians to that used in Bosnia, where Bosnian Muslims were targeted as 'vermin'; she critiques the selective 'never again' narrative that often excludes contemporary Muslim suffering. ### Islam and Identity - François converted to Islam at 19, viewing it as a confirmation and expansion of prior Abrahamic messages, not a rejection of her French/Irish culture; she notes that while she is religiously Muslim, culturally she is shaped by the Christian context she grew up in. ### Political Critique & Islamophobia - The conversation critiques the Labour Party's weak response to Israeli actions and the broader political class's subservience to US interests; François addresses the common right-wing trope that the problem is Islam/Islamic expansionism, countering it with historical context regarding the Ottoman Empire and the selective funding of anti-Muslim think tanks.