If Trevor Philips had spoken about another religion like this would we be debating if the Labour Party was right to suspend him?

I think we already know the answer to that.

Trevor Philips who previously chaired the Equality and Human Rights Commission, faces an investigation and could be expelled from the party for Islamophobia.

Among the comments he is being investigated for including remarks about Pakistani Muslim men sexually abusing children in northern British towns.

And that the Muslim community was becoming ‘a nation within a nation.'

Here is something glaringly obvious to most Muslims in this country.

If for instance, Mr Philips in recent years had spoken in this way about Jews, Hindus or Sikhs would we even need any debate over his suspension?

I have on these very pages spoken out against anti-Semitism within the Muslim community so I would expect the same standards to be set when people are anti-Muslim.

It is the same argument used when a Muslim is prejudiced against someone from another religion. You can’t expect to have one rule for one set of people and one another.

The issue is quite simple. Criticism of Muslims and Islam is endemic within parts of British culture, especially in the arena of politics and the media. This is so ingrained within society so people who state racist or anti-Muslim rhetoric are applauded for their efforts.

Mr Philips has been one those whose comments over the years have filled the pages of newspapers and he has been invited to make ‘ground-breaking’ documentaries. But would he really have got this opportunity if he had spoken in this way about any other religion?

Labelling a group of Muslims as one homogeneous body and hiding behind that idea that we are stifling debate is all very well. But why not then use the very same argument when criticising other religions?

The fact is that we can criticise Islam and we may not agree with some of the cultural baggage that it brings with it but in recent years media personalities have been able to normalise outright racist views because it is easy to do.

Until we address this then expect any constructive discussion on anti-Muslim views to be a muted one.