"Islamophobia and anti-racism: Ongoing lessons for the ‘British left’"
An invited talk followed by discussion, open to all.
Socialist Theory and Movements Research Network (School of Critical Studies)
Date: Friday 13 March 2026
Time: 11:00 - 13:00
Venue: Rm 416, Geographcal and Earth Sciences, East Quadrangle, University of Glasgow
Category: Academic events, Staff workshops and seminars
Speaker: Dr Scarlet Harris
Islamophobia is one of the most misunderstood and pernicious forms of racism in Britain. But how do those committed to challenging Islamophobia understand it? And what does this mean for their (and our) practices 'on the ground'? Dr Harris's book, Islamophobia, anti-racism and the British left (2025) combines first-hand accounts from activists and community workers across two British cities with sociological theory, critically interrogating Islamophobia's relationship to 'race', racial capitalism and other modalities of racism. Setting this discussion against some of the most pertinent political shifts in Britain in recent years, the book assesses the limits of recent attempts to think about and tackle Islamophobia, and considers the possibilities of an alternative approach from and for the anti-racist left. This talk will focus on two key arguments from the book and consider their ongoing relevance for those involved in anti-racist and left politics: firstly, how we should think about Islamophobia in the context of a re-energised far-right, and secondly, the utility of an abolitionist approach to Islamophobia in responding to the challenges of the current moment.
Scarlet Harris is a lecturer in the department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool. She has previously researched, written and taught on topics including: Islamophobia, racialisation and anti-racism; experiences of police racism during the pandemic; and the politics of police/prison abolition in Britain. Her first book Islamophobia, Anti-racism and the British Left (Manchester UP, 2025) is partly based on doctoral research which she completed in the department of Sociology at the University of Glasgow. Scarlet’s ongoing research focuses on cultivating a dialogue between theories of abolition and racial capitalism, and she is seeking funding to conduct ethnographic research on anti-racist, abolitionist activism in a British context.