‘What will we do about The Muslim Problem then?’ asks the Sun’s Trevor Kavanagh in the Sun. A board member of a Press Regulation body who is tasked with dealing with complaints and raise standards in the press. You couldn’t make this up. 

The article, supposedly about Brexit, takes an abrasive turn without substantiating those three scathing words, “The Muslim Problem.”

Kavanagh, in his article writes, “People are not stupid. They know the irresponsible scare stories peddled by Osborne and discredited Bank of England governor Mark Carney were false.”
Yet, Trevor Kavanagh is a Board member of the press regulator IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation).

It is the same man who apologised to the IPSO board for an article which criticised Fatima Manji last year wearing the head scarf when reporting the terrorist attack in Nice.

Kavanagh said “nobody seeing (Ms Manji) in full Muslim headdress could doubt it was provocative of Channel 4” and he added that Manji had “singled herself out by dressing as she did.”

The apology was delivered.

Understandably many were keen to ask how someone in 2017 was able to use the latest choice of words.




But the real problem with British journalism’s fascination with all things anti-Muslim is that we have an organisation whos job it is to keep the press in check is itself way past its sell-by date.

The higher echelons of the press establishment in general have always been accused of being a private members club as such. Where ‘respected’ journalists keep a check on other ‘respected’ journalists. A closed shop as it was.

Then you scroll through the list of board members at IPSO and you will find it is seriously lacking in diversity.

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Barring one member the list is not representative of the issues affecting the population it may well deal with on an almost daily basis.

The problem is we now have respected news publications continuing to peddle overtly racist material under the guise of ‘free speech’.  One is able to write an opinion on such matters because the fine line between outright racism and open debate has been blurred.

I am able to write anti-Muslim and anti-migrant articles without a consideration about the consequences. It has become the norm. In fact I will be applauded for it.

So when the organisation tasked with keeping such views in check has itself a board member in the form of the Sun’s Trevor Kavanagh then don’t expect things to change too soon.