The offending piece attacks Asim in the wake of Cage’s exposure of the pressures put on so-called Jihadi John by the British security services. This, in the eyes of the Daily Mail (with a shocking disregard for punctuation), makes Asim an apologist for terror.

A close analysis of the article reveals that Asim is guilty of also: living in a house; going to (a good) school; being married; and belonging to the middle class. More great investigation from DM.

On a serious note, notwithstanding any differences on political issues I may have with Asim and Cage, both hold to universal principles of due process for people regardless of how heinous the crimes they are accused of, are. That used to be a good thing.

This poisonous rhetoric, has been employed by the likes of the Daily Mail, for a long time to imply that equality before the law is deemed obscene if applied to Muslims. We have also had the tropes in media and political discourse of undeserving Muslims, whether ‘extremists’, ‘criminals’ , ‘asylum seekers’ or just variously accused, as dole scroungers. Now however, even showing Thatcherite social mobility is a crime if committed by a Muslim. Mrs T. must be rolling in her grave.

All of this just shows, that the idea of Muslim as outlaw is complete. We have been here before many times in Europe and we all know what comes next.

Note: BTW Daily Mail, I also live in my own house, am married and went to a good school. I also went to a good university so I guess that makes me even worse in your view? Come find me.

[1] Watch the Islamophobia Awards 2015, live here www.ihrc.tv, from 19:45 GMT, today March 7.