Muslims and the Populist Far-Right: Shifting Sensibilities

This paper draws upon my broader research that studies the evolving connections between political right-wing communities and Muslim populations within European liberal democracies. This exploration highlights various facets that have gained prominence in the last two decades. It includes collaborations between Christians and Muslims advocating conservative objectives on global platforms, referred to as the "Baptist-Burqa networks" (Bob, 2012), as well as fringe alliances such as neo-Nazi and jihadist affiliations (Gartenstein-Ross & Blackman, 2019). Additionally, it examines the deployment of Islamic symbolism and anti-colonial rhetoric by right-wing groups to advance illiberal agendas. Specifically focused on the Netherlands, this paper scrutinizes the ongoing evolution in the rhetoric of populist and far-right parties concerning Muslim voters, a trend also observable in other Western European countries. This shift emerges from several intersecting factors. Firstly, while migration from Muslim-majority nations retains significance, concerns about the welfare state and economic stagnation have gained priority in election campaigns. Furthermore, despite periodic spikes in support, populist far-right parties have—by and large—remained in opposition for the last three decades, prompting strategic recalibrations to appeal to a broader conservative voter base. Additionally, the emergence of Muslim voters whose parents were born in Europe has redirected attention towards cultural and identity-related issues over migration. Notably, parties like the Dutch Forum for Democracy (FvD) among other right-wing parties have distinctively pivoted, transitioning from anti-Muslim stances to targeting young Muslim voters. In addressing this demographic, the FvD's critique of leftist emancipatory agendas draws on mediated portrayals of Islam as endorsing hypermasculinity, traditional gender roles, and sexualities. Equally, their critique of the elite failure to represent the diverse population resonates within marginalized and racialized Muslim youth communities. This interplay between far-right populism and Islam in the Netherlands, while seemingly paradoxical, has precedents. Instances such as the conversions to Islam of populist and far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) members, like Joram van Klaveren, underscore the reinterpretation of Islamic symbolism within European conservative culture and among digitally savvy young voters (Sibgatullina & Abbas, 2021). Additionally, the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict intertwines Muslims’ anti-Israel sentiments with right-wing antisemitism, currently on the fringe but potentially susceptible to co-option by center-right parties. The broader effects of such interplay between far-right and Muslim communities suggest the re-emergence of a religious conservative voters’ base in Western Europe, though not Christian but Muslim, which, however, does not mean a reversal of existing power hierarchies between various religious groups. Bob, C. (2012). The Global Right Wing and the Clash of World Politics. Cambridge University Press. Gartenstein-Ross, D., & Blackman, M. (2022). Fluidity of the Fringes: Prior Extremist Involvement as a Radicalization Pathway. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 45(7), 555-578. Sibgatullina, G., & Abbas, T. (2021). Political Conversion to Islam Among the European Right. Journal of Illiberalism Studies, 1(2), 1–17.