Maria Akbar argues that the loud Western outrage over Iran is not driven by concern for justice, but by political convenience and long-standing hostility towards Muslims.
The recent political unrest in Iran has triggered protests across multiple cities, involving both pro- and anti-government demonstrators. While the motivations of those involved differ, the unrest has drawn intense international attention.
Predictably, it has also provided an opportunity for a familiar cast of right-wing Zionist figures to seize the moment, posture morally, and rebrand themselves as unlikely champions of justice and human rights.
Protests in London outside the Iranian embassy offered a particularly surreal spectacle. Nigel Farage appeared eager to position himself on the right side of history, referring to Iranian protesters as “freedom fighters” and “brave people fighting for their liberties”. For a man whose political career has been defined by hostility towards migrants, Muslims and minorities, the sudden concern for Iranian lives was striking, if entirely unconvincing.
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Tommy Robinson also emerged to lend his support to the anti-government protests. In a CNN interview, he described Iranian women protesters as icons of feminism. Coming from someone whose public activism has consistently targeted Muslim communities in Britain, the performance was difficult to take seriously.
Not to be outdone, J.K. Rowling took to X to express solidarity with protesters in Iran, praising their courage and framing them as a light in a dark world. Having spent recent years selectively engaging with human rights discourse, her intervention followed the same pattern: vocal where it is safe, silent where it is costly.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, was quick to insert himself into the situation, urging anti-government protesters to continue demonstrating while claiming that “help is on the way”. It was yet another theatrical display of moral concern, entirely detached from substance or responsibility.
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Hypocrisy and inconsistency
None of these figures are motivated by genuine concern for the Iranian people. Their engagement is opportunistic, self-serving and entirely political. Iran is useful to them as a stage on which to perform virtue, not a cause that demands consistency or sacrifice.
This selective outrage becomes impossible to ignore when set against their silence on Palestine. As Gaza has endured genocide, with entire neighbourhoods flattened, families wiped out, infrastructure destroyed and children freezing to death in tents, these same voices have either said nothing or actively justified Israel’s actions. Aid is restricted, civilians are killed daily, and yet their supposed commitment to human rights evaporates.
Where is their outrage then? It is nowhere to be found. If any situation demanded moral clarity, it is Gaza.
Equally revealing is their silence on the persecution of Uyghur Muslims, the oppression faced by Muslims in Rohingya and Kashmir, or the humanitarian catastrophes unfolding in places like Somalia and Ethiopia. These crises do not serve their political narratives, so they are ignored.
The Quran describes this mindset clearly: “Have you seen the one who takes his own desires as his god?” (Surah al-Furqan 25:43). It refers to those who follow their whims, deploying morality when it suits them and abandoning it when it does not. Farage, Robinson, Rowling and Trump fit this description perfectly. Their concern is not principled; it is ego-driven and transactional.
Islamic standard
Personally, I have no interest in this brand of opportunistic righteousness. At this point, it is not only hollow but painfully cringeworthy.
For Muslims, the standard is different. Our compassion is not selective and our empathy is not performative. We are commanded to stand with the oppressed regardless of who they are, where they live, or whether doing so is politically convenient.
This is not optional. Allah commands in the Quran: “And what is the matter with you that you do not strive in the cause of Allah and for those oppressed among men, women and children…” (Surah an-Nisa 4:75). Supporting the oppressed is a duty rooted in faith, not a branding exercise.
That is the difference. Muslims are called to consistency, while these figures operate on impulse and self-interest. Our conduct is guided by divine instruction. Theirs is driven by nafs, ego and expediency.
