Religious identity has displaced race as the primary target of British bigotry.

Evidence

Prior to 9/11 and 7/7, the racism I received was because I was brown. Now people accept black and brown people but not Muslims. The EDL have a Sikh division, they will accept everyone except for Muslims. Racism does exist but I don’t suffer much abuse for being Pakistani, I suffer abuse for being Muslim.’ (Hamza) ‘I suffered racism as a child growing up in this country. — Irene Zempi and Imran Awan, Islamophobia, 152

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: A precise inversion: racial inclusion advanced while religious exclusion hardened, with the EDL’s Sikh division as the tell.
• XREF: Connects to the reader’s standing archive on how ‘racial difference had to be manufactured’ before Europeans seemed alien (Strangers in the Land).