England: a Reform UK municipal candidate broadcasts an image of a bomb on Mecca on social networks
A candidate from the British Reform UK party, Ben Rowe, running for local elections in Plymouth (southwest of England) on May 7, is accused of “extremism” after sharing on social networks an image showing a bomb dropped on Mecca. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an organization which represents some Muslims in the United Kingdom, denounces content which dehumanizes Muslims and could legitimize violence. The party says it is looking into the matter and highlights its verification procedures, while the offending publications have been removed. Ben Rowe declined to comment. Despite the outcry, he remains a candidate, the deadline to withdraw his nomination having passed.
Reform UK is a right-wing British political party, often classified as populist and anti-immigration. Founded by Nigel Farage under the name Brexit Party, it notably defends national sovereignty, lower taxes and a critical line towards certain climate policies. The words and images attributed to Ben Rowe provoked strong reactions. Dr Naomi Green, of the MCB, believes that they constitute extremist discourse in that they present Muslims as a legitimate target of violence, contributing, according to her, to trivializing hatred.
The MCB recalls that it acts to defend the rights of Muslims and fight against discrimination. The organization emphasizes that this type of rhetoric can have real consequences, by reinforcing stereotypes and legitimizing violence against communities. Reform UK indicates for its part that the candidate is the subject of an internal investigation, without giving further details at this stage. This affair highlights a worrying trivialization of speeches directly targeting Muslims, including in the political field. The dissemination of violent or dehumanizing images goes beyond the scope of provocation and is part of a rhetoric that legitimizes hatred and violence.
It also questions the responsibility of political parties in the selection and control of their candidates. The late removal of the incriminated content raises questions about the effectiveness of verification procedures and the tolerance of certain speech. Finally, this affair fits into a broader context of stigmatization of Muslims in Europe. For several organizations, including the MCB, these abuses contribute to normalizing dangerous representations and weakening social cohesion.
