Is J.D. Vance right that the United Kingdom is now ‘an Islamist country’?

Donald Trump’s pick for Vice President, J.D. Vance once described his new boss as “America’s Hitler”. You have to wonder what that would make Vance? America’s Himmler? Anyway, the potential (and, sadly, very likely if Biden sticks around) next Vice President wasted no time saying something unbelievably dumb.

Speaking at the National Conservatism conference last Thursday, Vance discussed “Islamist” countries gaining access to nuclear weapons:

“I was talking about, you know, what is the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon, and we were like, maybe it’s Iran, you know, maybe Pakistan already kind of counts, and then we sort of finally decided maybe it’s actually the UK, since Labour just took over.”

So, is the United Kingdom an “Islamist” country?

Is the United Kingdom Islamist?

No. Duh. For almost 500 years the United Kingdom has had the Christian Church of England as its established religion. The King is its representative and senior bishops – The Lords Spiritual – sit in the House of Lords and debate and approve government policy. Of course, this doesn’t dictate the religion of elected politicians, and the country has multiple Christian leaders, a Jewish Prime Minister and, most recently, a Hindu Prime Minister in Rishi Sunak.

The U.K.’s new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer openly identifies as an atheist, and explained:

“This is going to sound odd, but I do believe in faith. I’ve a lot of time and respect for faith I am not of faith, I don’t believe in god, but I can see the power of faith and the way it brings people together.”

Starmer’s government contains just one practicing Muslim member, the Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood. So, if the United Kingdom has an established Christian religion, bishops deciding policy, just one practicing Muslim in the cabinet, and just 6% of its population identify as Muslim, why would Vance call it an “Islamist” country?

The racist conspiracy theories

Depressingly but predictably Vance is leaning into far-right, racist conspiracy theories that even a moment’s thought would disprove. These contend that the United Kingdom is secretly in the grip of mysterious and sinister Muslims, to the point of arguing that major cities are governed by Sharia law and non-Muslims are not allowed to enter them.

None of that is true (obviously), but it feeds into the far-right “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory that Muslims are engaged in a nefarious plot to destroy the white race. This idea has fuelled multiple mass shootings around the world, with the perpetrator of the Christchurch massacre even titling his manifesto “The Great Replacement”.

So, no the United Kingdom is not an Islamist country. Frankly, I don’t think Vance believes it is either, but the fact he’s willing to joke about actual straight-up Nazi conspiracy theories being true does not bode well. But then again, what does bode well these days? Either way, if Trump returns to power, expect the famed “special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. to be tested like never before.