The UK local elections have descended into a ugly slug fest spewing up base prejudices currently simmering beneath the surface of British politics and society. The Prime Minister waded into bitter London mayoral elections with an outburst on 19 April in which he attempted to brand the Muslim Labour candidate Sadiq Khan as somehow sympathetic to Daesh (IS) due to his vague acquaintance with a certain other Muslim. The effort was strained to begin with hinged upon the MP having stood beside a certain Sheikh at public events.

The PM’s advisors were throwing mud at a wall to see if it could stick- neither a rare nor the worst tactic in politics especially when your party may be on the brink of a thrashing. In the current atmosphere of Islamophobia it was a fair political bet that it would succeed.

Many of us who are public figures in the Muslim community have been similarly branded extremists by dint of perfectly legal ethical and political views. Equally we have been maligned by the media because we once stood near someone who may have talked with someone who once ordered a kebab next to someone whose brother once sat in the same traffic jam next to a car driven by a man who may have once said the word ‘Hamas’ without following it with the word ‘terrorist’.

Writing off someone’s entire political career and moral belief system like this is as logical as saying that David Cameron is secretly dating Vladimir Putin and that they are having a love child together because (after all) they have spent so much time alone. It is that petty. It is that childish. It is that spurious. Moreover it is objectionable and more potentially dangerous.

I have stood on fundraising platforms for orphans and impoverished families alongside Mr Ghani on several occasions. He holds an MA in Islamic Studies from the University of London (SOAS). He is an Imam a well-loved TV Presenter and Teacher. His words are moving and educate away from hatred and towards cohesion care and inter community calm.

So why has his name been thrown about the gutter of this election campaign to be devoured by the media and security agencies like so much fly blown meat? Who is advising Goldsmith and Cameron? How do names like Ghani’s come to be so dangerously put forward for the delectation of international groups who actually propagate hate not to mention the global security agencies?

It is time to consider the following; do our top political figures feel the Muslim community has such a low social standing that it is now safe to simply select some random Muslim-sounding name throw it down to be trampled upon on the presumption that no one will know of the named person nor care enough to react? Did the Cameron and Goldsmith camp bank on Muslim self-censorship to protect them from political blow back if Mr Ghani was wrongly implicated as an IS supporter? Self-censorship occurs when a community under pressure from all sides like ours reads that a known Muslim figure has been linked to non-violent extremism. In fear of being peripherally likewise branded the community has in the past distanced itself from that person organisation or group (see ‘kebab’ comment above).

But a tipping point of forced self-shaming has been reached. Mr Sulaiman Ghani is a hugely popular well liked and educated speaker who has actively campaigned against Daesh (IS). His Facebook page currently features his comments on the pain he felt when conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith called him ‘one of the most repellent figures in this country’. Mr Ghani writes “I am appalled by his preposterous statement. Politics is a dirty game. Get me out of here.”

By the way Conservative poster boy Zak Goldsmith has appeared in photographs with Mr Ghani in the past. Which by the government’s own logic makes them bff’s who share identical ideologies. Goldsmith is also pally with his former brother in law Imran Khan- a Pakistani former cricketer and politician who has in his work as opposition leader negotiated with the Taliban many times. This then makes Zak Goldsmith surely a graver threat (by proxy) to UK security than MP Sadiq Khan.It is a game of six degrees to Kevin Haram Bacon. I could go on. I won’t.

At the end of the day the government’s toxic attempt at mud-slinging has back fired. Aware of the risks of Islamifying his campaign Sadiq Khan has been at pains to play down his faith on the campaign trail whatever his critics may say. As a Muslim former government minister and human rights lawyer he has sought to express solidarity with other faith groups even whilst feeling the need to politically play down his own.

He has tried to appease the influential Jewish vote in North London saying “As a Muslim Londoner I want to be the best Mayor that Jewish Londoners have ever had” pledging to fight anti-semitism wherever it arises. To be unable to express pride in your own faith and community in public in order to win the votes of other electors does not bode well for London or UK social cohesion. It says a lot about the state of our government at this time.

No favourite of many in the Muslim community for his lack of support for the widely liked new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (a strong voice for Palestinian justice) Khan’s fortunes may have turned around in the Muslim community as a result of the current ugly debacle.

The Tories are haemorrhaging Muslim support.

Meanwhile Mr Ghani says he has feels ‘betrayed’ and ‘disheartened.’ He had been considering voting for Goldsmith and the conservative party. He had by invitation attended a Conservative Muslim Forum event which sought to encourage more Muslims to become party councillors.

It is time for all voters of good conscience to call out the UK Government on its willingness to delve into some top hat of Muslims names drawing them out one and a time and putting their welfare at risk in order to win votes. Downing Street has sown the seeds of suspicion in our community which well into the political future will yield distrust and dislike for their Conservative councillors and MP’s.

The Prime Minister must retract his comments about Mr Ghani immediately. As he slurred him in full international view he must now apologise as publicly. MP Sadiq Khan has already issued a furious response saying: “The Tories are running a nasty dog-whistling campaign that is designed to divide London’s communities.”I’m disappointed that the Prime Minister has today joined in.”Disappointed maybe. Surprised? Few of us are.

Previously published in the Huffington Post

The writer is a journalist broadcaster and media consultant: www.laurenbooth.org Twitter:LaurenBoothUK