Introduction

By Nick Lowles

Welcome to HOPE not hate’s report into the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement.

 On this website, and in an accompanying printed publication, you will find the largest and most comprehensive survey of groups and individuals who comprise the ‘Counter-jihad’ movement to date.

The report covers the right wing political parties, who are increasingly using anti-Muslim rhetoric to garner votes. It also explores the websites and bloggers who propagate scare stories about Islam. It covers the street gangs, like the English Defence League, and the likeminded groups they inspire around Europe. It also investigates the funders and the foundations which bankroll the network.

Perhaps most interestingly, it reveals the inter-connections between the different strands.

The ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement is a loose alliance of groups and individuals who actively campaign against Islam. We define it by those groups and individuals who go well beyond just a concern over radical Islam and Islamist extremist groups and generally target Islam as a faith and Muslims as a people. 

The 'Counter-Jihad' scene comprises of neo-Conservatives, Christian evangelicals, hardline racists, football hooligans, nationalists, right wing populists and some former leftists.

The ‘counter-Jihad’ movement comes in all shapes and sizes and some are more hardline than others.

The 'Counter-Jihad' movement represents a wide spectrum of people and ideas, some they will all share, some they will not. But at its core is a general fear of Islam.

In many ways the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement represents the new face of the political right in Europe and North America. Replacing the old racial nationalist politics of neo-Nazi and traditional far right parties, with the language of cultural and identity wars, it presents itself as more mainstream and respectable. And as we have seen in countries such as Switzerland, Netherlands and Denmark these new right-wing populist parties, with an anti-Muslim and anti-immigration message, can garner support from far broader swathes of the population than the old-style racist parties.

But the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement is more than just right wing populist political parties. As this report shows, the bloggers, radio hosts and journalists are increasingly shaping and poisoning the wider political and media discourse.

 Over the next few years, as economic hardship bites and insecurity breeds fear, the strength and impact of the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement will only grow. More work needs to be done in this field and as a result HOPE not hate is establishing a permanent ‘Counter-Jihad’ Monitoring Unit. We will follow these organisations and individuals, produce further reports into their activities and develop the tools we need to defeat them politically.

The ideas of the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement are largely based around the belief that Islam poses a serious threat to Western civilisation. Many of its adherents also fail to distinguish between the hardline radical Islamists, such as Al-Muhajiroun, and the overwhelming majority of Muslims who reject these extremist views and just want to live quietly and in peace. 

Immigration and multiculturalism are seen by many as the Trojan Horses through which Islam is gaining a foothold in the West.

Their numbers are numerically small but their influence is much bigger. Their anti-Muslim rhetoric poisons the political discourse, sometimes with deadly effect.

Norwegian killer Anders Behring Breivik was inspired by many of the ‘counter-jihadists’ we profile in this report. Perhaps he would have gone on a killing spree without reading their work but it is clear their writings had an important impact on the creation of his political mindset. In his choice of targets it is obvious that he had accepted much of their hatred.

He too believed that Islam was a threat to Western Europe. He too believed that the immigration and multiculturalist policies of many Western Governments were allowing Islam to go unchallenged and to prosper. He believed all this because he read what they wrote. He read it and he digested it. In his Manifesto he regurgitated it – sometimes word for word. 

Almost a quarter of his 1,500 page Manifesto comprise of quotes from other people - the overwhelming majority from people featured in this report. Half of these 375 pages of quotes came from just one man, the ‘counter-jihadist’ blogger Fjordman.

Yes, Breivik feared and hated Islam, but it was the Norwegian establishment who were his real enemy. More specifically it was social democracy that he and the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement blamed for encouraging and promoting immigration and multiculturalism. He bombed Government buildings and he shot young members of the ruling Labour Party.

The ‘Counter-Jihadists’ were so desperate to distance themselves from his actions. Many did so because they were genuinely appalled by what he did. Others were worried about how it would impact on them. 

As our report highlights the ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement as a loose network of foundations, bloggers, political activists and street gangs. Sometimes they act alone, sometimes they join together. The individuals sit on each other's boards and the organisations share platforms and co-host events. 

Many of the key players and organisations have never actually met. Some operate under pseudonyms and others do not exist beyond the internet or a blog site.

The ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement is the new face of the political right in Europe. 

 The old racial nationalism of fascists and racists are receding but in its place are right wing populist parties and movements which make Islam the issue and Muslims the target. 

It manifests itself in different ways, in different countries, but its underlying message is the same. Sometimes it is focused around the single issue of Islam, but in other situations it becomes interwoven with wider politics of immigration, culture, loss and identity.

In the United States, three states have already banned Sharia law from being practised. It is being debated by another twenty. In Switzerland, people voted for a ban on Minarets despite the fact that there were only four in the country.

 In France, politicians of the centre and right are trying to outbid each other in the Presidential elections to prove how hardline they are on Muslim practices and extremism. 

The fear of Islam is playing an increasingly important role in the political discourse in many countries.

The ‘Counter-Jihad’ movement is one that we cannot afford to ignore. For this reason we have produced the ‘Counter-Jihad’ report and are establishing the ‘Counter-Jihad’ Monitoring Unit.

Nick Lowles
Chief Executive
HOPE not hate
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