An open letter to Tony Gallagher from concerned writers and editors
16 August 2017
Dear Mr Gallagher
We, the undersigned, condemn the hateful Islamophobia of Trevor Kavanagh’s article in the 13 August 2017 edition of the Sun. For Mr Kavanagh to refer to “The Muslim Problem” is abhorrent, especially in a time of increased hostility towards Muslims in both the United Kingdom and throughout the Western world.
As an open letter authored by Naz Shah MP (and signed by over a hundred parliamentarians from across the political spectrum) rightly stated, the term “The Muslim Problem” is clearly meant to draw parallels between today and the “Jewish Problem” of Nazi Germany, which led to the execution of six million Jews.
As journalists and editors, we recognise the value of a free and open press. We cherish the freedom to write and criticise as we see fit without fear of government coercion or interference. Contesting ideas in the public sphere is a democratic value, one we all cherish and believe should be protected.
Yet our platforms come with a duty of care. There is a decency required of anyone writing in a national newspaper — a decency that is wholly missing from Mr Kavanagh’s incendiary, bigoted piece. Instead of contributing to the civil, if sometimes heated, public discourse, Mr Kavanagh — and the Sun — have stoked the flames of bigotry and hate.
This, as neo-Nazis literally march through the streets of an American city. We needn’t look across the Atlantic to see a rise in far-right violence, though. Earlier this summer a mosque in Finsbury Park was attacked by a white nationalist. Jo Cox MP was brutally murdered last year by a far right nationalist. Hate crimes against Muslims are increasing at an alarming rate.
It is incumbent upon those of us writing and editing for national publications — or any publication, for that matter — to ensure our platforms are not being used to peddle hatred and push an extremist agenda. Ferocious debate is to be expected and encouraged in a democracy, but when it spills into Islamophobia or bigotry it has crossed a moral line. It is indefensible.
Please consider this the next time you think of publishing something so insidious. A free and open press is invaluable to a functioning democracy. When it is used to peddle bigotry and hate, though, it becomes the very thing it is meant to combat: a tool of oppression and violence.
Sincerely yours,
Richard Angell
Jade Azim
Skylar Baker-Jordan
Ryan John Gray
James Cracknell
Andy Gorman
Jon Holmes
Caroline Farrow
Owen Jones
Shehab Khan
Roz Kaveney
Harriet Marsden
Kirsty Major
Sarah Marshall
Professor Patrick McGhee
Matt Murphy
Sue Nelson
Laurie Richards
Cathal Sheerin
Chardine Taylor-Stone
Megan Townsend
Ava Vidal
Joshua Zitser
