Islamophobia and racism ignored in Leveson Inquiry

Today a distinguished group of academics, lawyers, campaigners and politicians have duly highlighted a monstrous flaw in the Leveson Inquiry - the Public Inquiry that is charged with looking at media abuse, including phone hacking.

The signatories including Bianca Jagger Imran Khan and Lord Dholakia have stated that the largest Public Inquiry ever seen in British history has systematically failed to highlight, ‘unfair media coverage as it relates to less prominent cases, including those relating to Muslims and Islam, focusing as it does on the impact of phone hacking on celebrities and other high-profile individuals’. They go on to talk about the role the media has had in regards to whipping up a climate of fear of Islam in the UK.

They call for an Alternative Leveson Inquiry to look precisely at the media’s role in demonising Muslims. They are right of course. Vast sections of the media have played a key role not only in whipping up Islamophobia but also implicitly supporting Far Right groups such as the English Defense League and the British National Party. BNP boss Nick Griffin stated in an article back in 2000 that 'they' the BNP ' must ride the wave of Islamophobia run by the UK media'.

My disappointment of those who initiated this very important letter is that they didn’t speak to Black groups or individuals who have faced similar obscene prejudice, phone hacking, computer data stealing and Black community demonisation. The long list of victims include: Diane Abbott MP, Baroness Patricia Scotland, Misha B, Doreen Lawrence, Pastor Nims Ubunge, Lee Jasper and the whole of the Black community during the summer civil disturbances.

In particular, what Lee Jasper endured over a six-month period driven by the then pernicious and vindictive editor of the Evening Standard Veronica Wadley brought great shame to Fleet Street.

Nobody has been held accountable for any of those deeds or been questioned by the Leveson Inquiry. An alternative Inquiry into the media dealing with Islamophobia and racism is surely needed.

Read the full letter here: http://m.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jan/23/inquiry-into-anti-islam-press?cat=media&type=article

Simon Woolley