In the wake of the Christchurch mosque massacre, there has been a collective reckoning of the serious Islamophobia problem we have in the west. Since 9/11 , anti-Muslim rhetoric has become a norm within popular discourse, something we’ve grown so accustomed to that at times we don’t even notice it. But for the far-right, it’s much more than just prejudice – it’s the entire basis of their ideology.

Over the past few years the far-right have packaged Islamophobia in a particularly insidious manner. Ignoring fascism’s own history of intolerance and profound hatred of liberalism, certain segments of European far-right parties have decided to fashion themselves as the true champions of progressive ideals – while rendering Muslims the menace to us all.

In several northern and western European countries, right-wing populists have been attempting to sway LGBT+ and women voters by declaring their commitment to “defending” such groups from the “danger” posed by Islamic and Middle Eastern communities. Geert Wilders, the Dutch leader of the Party for Freedoms, proclaimed that: “We believe that like Christians and Jews and women and journalists, gay people are also one of the first to pay the price of […] Islamisation.”

France’s Marine Le Pen has notably decided to portray herself as a symbol of feminist emancipation – but largely on issues involving Islam. In 2015, the far-right nationalist Sweden Democrats planned a gay pride event in Stockholm’s Muslim-majority neighbourhoods.

Nevertheless, once you look behind the façade, you realise that the sham which lies behind the far-right’s liberal honeymoon is nothing but a trap meant to ensnare us in their hate campaign against Muslims and non-European immigrants.

The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Show all 7 1 /7 The far-right politicians winning power across Europe The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Viktor Orban – Hungary, Fidesz The Prime Minister of Hungary has threatened to shut down NGOs that help refugees; run a state backed hate campaign against George Soros and removed constitutional checks and balances. He said: 'We have replaced a shipwrecked liberal democracy with a 21st century Christian democracy' Reuters The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Matteo Salvini – Italy, Lega The leader of Italy’s junior governing party has pledged to deport 500,000 irregular migrants; stated joining the euro was a mistake and wants to end sanctions against Russia. He said: 'The only antidote to racism is to control, regulate and limit immigration' AFP/Getty The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Heinz-Christian Strache – Austria, FPO The deputy prime minister of Austria wants to drive Islam out of public life in Austria; has threatening mosque closures and wants to end sanctions against Russia. He said: 'Let us put an end to this policy of Islamisation as soon as possible' AFP/Getty The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Marine Le Pen – France, Front National The runner-up in the French presidential election wants policies to favour ‘native’ French; has stated she would hold an EU referendum and wants to deport irregular migrants. She said: 'I’m not offended when I hear President Donald Trump say "America first". In fact, I want America first for the American people, I want Britain first for the British people and I want France first for the French people' AP The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Janez Jansa – Slovenia, Slovenian Democratic Party The leader of Slovenia’s largest party says the country is run by a secretive former communist cabal; has appointed political allies to press agencies and was sent to prison for alleged corruption which was later overturned by the Constitutional Court. He said: 'Our party puts Slovenia, Slovenians first' Reuters The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Alexander Gauland – Germany, AfD The leader of the first far-right party in the Bundestag in decades says Islam is not a part of Germany; wants a ban on public Islamic symbols and wants to leave the euro. He said: 'A German or English football team hasn’t been German or English in the classical sense for a long time' Alamy The far-right politicians winning power across Europe Jarosław Kaczynski – Poland, Law and Justice The chairman of Poland’s governing party says migrants spread infectious diseases; wants to ban gay people from being teachers and has sought to implement constitutional changes to give government more power over courts. He said: 'It is absolutely clear a homosexual should not be a teacher' Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Right-wing parties have been far more instrumental in hindering the advancement of LGBT+ and women’s rights in Europe than Muslim communities have, yet whenever stories of intolerance prop up with Muslims at the centre – such as the Parkfield school controversy over an LGBT-inclusive curriculum – far-right pundits and politicians launch their offensive, pointing out the Islamic “threat” to Western liberal values.

Another classic ruse of the far-right is to claim Islam’s supposed “inherent oppressiveness” by comparing Christian European democracies with Middle Eastern theocracies and regimes. But the west is not “liberal” because of its Christian heritage; rather, it’s liberal because of the post-Enlightenment separation of church and state. While the far-right will play on Saudi Arabia and Iran as examples of Muslim illiberalism, they conveniently ignore Christian-majority countries such as Uganda or Jamaica whose oppressive anti-homosexuality laws are a remnant of the British Empire.

It’s rather telling that, when it comes to critiquing certain Muslims’ positions on social issues, the far-right is conspicuously silent in making any kind of similar arguments towards some of their own homophobic or misogynist Christian compatriots. All Abrahamic faiths have a complicated, multifaceted relationship with sexual morality and gender, with alternating historical periods of acceptance and oppression, and a variety of scholarly views.

The truth is, the far-right is not concerned with engaging in genuine religious debates on social ethics, nor in defending progressive values for their sake. Their innate modus operandi is creating a “public enemy”, and subsequently propping up fear by constructing an “us vs them” narrative. That so-called “enemy” is an impending “threat” which poisons our values, steals our jobs, overruns our society. In 1939, it was the “Aryan” Germans versus the Jews. In 2019, it’s the west versus Islam. In countries where liberal values have become normalised, these suddenly become the new pawns in the far-right’s ideological battleground.

As members of the liberal left, it is vital that we do not fall prey to the far-right’s phoney, newfound profession of “tolerance”. It’s nothing more than a typical trick in their political game. Rather, it is time that we realise that the attitudes they propagate against Muslims are the same which they once (and often still) use to target other minorities.

As liberals we must stand against attacks to progressive values from whatever side they come. Similarly, we also need to acknowledge that each religion has a minority of extremists who can corrupt some of the beauty of the inner message. It is a the fundamental right for people to express their faith in a peaceful manner.