In recent decades, parts of the political left have aligned themselves with Islamist movements—a surprising development given that leftist ideology has historically promoted secularism, gender equality, and LGB(T) rights. These values directly clash with the core beliefs of Islamism, which advocates religious authoritarianism, patriarchal norms, and often the persecution of sexual minorities. Despite this stark ideological opposition, many left-wing activists and intellectuals now find themselves defending or excusing Islamist groups—frequently at the expense of the very principles they claim to uphold.
This contradictory alliance stems from a mix of postcolonial guilt, identity politics, anti-Western sentiment, and an increasingly disturbing pattern of double standards on free speech and human rights. A key reason for this alliance lies in how many leftists perceive the West—especially former colonial powers like Britain, France, and the United States—as the root of global injustice. Within this worldview, Islamist movements are not recognized for their fundamentalism or misogyny, but are rebranded as resistance groups standing up to imperialism.
For example, when the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan in 2021, certain segments of the left portrayed their return to power not as a catastrophe for women and minorities, but as a rightful backlash against Western military occupation. This framing ignores a critical truth: Islamist ideologies long predate colonialism and have consistently oppressed women, LGB(T) people, religious minorities, and even other Muslims. Nonetheless, because Islamists present themselves as anti-Western, they often receive sympathy or even support from progressive circles.
Consider the disparity in how left-wing movements respond to U.S. military action compared to Islamist violence. When the U.S. intervened in Iraq or Afghanistan, mass protests erupted around the globe. In contrast, the left’s reaction to ISIS atrocities—such as the mass executions, enslavement of Yazidi women, and persecution of LGB(T) people—was far more muted. Similarly, after Hamas launched attacks against Israeli civilians, many on the left justified or minimized the violence instead of condemning it outright.
This selective outrage reveals a troubling prioritization: for many on the political left, opposition to Western influence often overshadows a consistent defense of human rights. This double standard extends to groups like Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood—organizations that openly suppress women’s freedoms and promote religious extremism. Rather than condemning these ideologies, leftist politicians and activists often describe such groups as “resistance movements,” effectively whitewashing their authoritarianism.
The result is a normalization of extremist views under the banner of multiculturalism. In Europe, leftist parties have hosted Islamist preachers known for their hate speech against Jews, apostates, and homosexuals. The left’s commitment to progressive values evaporates when confronted with the perceived need to shield these figures from criticism.
Another driving force behind the left’s unwillingness to criticize Islamism is a subtle but pervasive form of unconscious racism. Many white, middle-class progressives view Muslims through a paternalistic lens—seeing them as poor, powerless, and in need of protection rather than as equals. This mindset infantilizes Islamist actors, treating their violence as a reaction to Western oppression rather than holding them morally accountable.
This approach leads to glaring contradictions. Leftists who vocally campaign against Christian fundamentalism in the West often remain silent about far harsher practices under Islamic law. They denounce evangelicals for opposing abortion or same-sex marriage, yet ignore regimes like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Qatar—wealthy, powerful nations that criminalize homosexuality, restrict women’s freedom, and fund Islamist extremism.
Take Qatar, for instance. Despite being one of the richest countries on Earth and hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it maintains a near-slave labor system. Thousands of South Asian migrant workers died constructing stadiums in brutal conditions, yet this humanitarian disaster sparked little reaction from Western human rights activists who are otherwise vocal on labor issues. When it comes to capitalist abuses, the left is quick to criticize corporations in the West—but largely ignores Islamist-led economies engaging in exploitation and human rights violations.
The left’s inconsistency becomes even clearer when examining its stance on LGB(T) rights and feminism. Western feminists who condemn the Catholic Church for restricting contraception often fail to speak out against Islamic regimes that impose mandatory veiling or arrest women for removing headscarves. The same activists who protested Trump’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights rarely extend the same scrutiny to governments that execute gay men or criminalize homosexuality with severe punishments.
Iran presents a disturbing case. Rather than executing gay men directly, the Iranian government forces them to undergo sex reassignment surgery to “correct” their sexuality. While this policy is celebrated by some as a sign of progressive trans rights, in reality, it represents a coercive attempt to erase homosexuality. Iran now performs one of the highest rates of state-funded sex reassignment surgeries—not to affirm gender identity, but to eliminate same-sex attraction. Yet many leftist trans activists praise this policy, ignoring the fact that lesbians and gay men are being coerced into medical transition as a form of erasure.
This forced medicalization should be internationally recognized as a human rights abuse, but instead, it is often framed as social progress. Such silence reflects an unwillingness to confront the deeper realities of Islamism’s impact on sexual minorities.
The political left once fiercely defended free speech, but that legacy is crumbling when it comes to Islam. In the UK, a teacher at Batley Grammar School was forced into hiding in 2021 after showing a cartoon of Muhammad during a lesson on free speech. The left largely ignored the incident or sided with protesters calling for his dismissal. In Scotland, the SNP passed a Hate Crime Bill that criminalizes private criticism of religion—especially Islam—undermining core secularist values.
Labour’s proposals to reintroduce blasphemy laws, cloaked in “hate speech” protections, reinforce this trend. These laws effectively shield Islamic doctrine from critique, even as leftist movements continue to mock and challenge Christianity. The double standard was painfully clear after the Charlie Hebdo massacre in 2015, when Islamist gunmen murdered 12 people at a French magazine for publishing Muhammad cartoons. Instead of defending the victims’ right to free expression, prominent leftists like Noam Chomsky and publications like The Guardian implied the satire was reckless and partially to blame—effectively blaming the victims.
Perhaps most troubling is the way the left targets critics of Islamism, especially women of color who speak from lived experience. Instead of supporting these brave voices, many leftists label them as “Islamophobic,” racist, or even fascist—smearing them to avoid uncomfortable conversations about religious extremism.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born ex-Muslim and women’s rights activist who survived female genital mutilation and an arranged marriage, has faced relentless attacks from leftist circles. Despite her tireless work to defend women’s rights in Muslim communities, groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center once included her on an extremist watchlist—only to retract it after legal pressure.
Yasmin Mohammed, a Canadian ex-Muslim activist, is another voice silenced for speaking against honor violence and forced veiling. Rather than engaging with her criticisms, many on the left dismiss her as “far-right,” further demonstrating the selectivity of their feminism.
This contrast is stark: white feminists criticizing Christianity are celebrated, while Muslim women critiquing Islam are ostracized. The same pattern exists in LGB(T) activism. Iranian secularist Maryam Namazie was de-platformed by feminist and LGBT student groups at Goldsmiths University after being disrupted by the Islamic Society—despite speaking out for exactly the values those groups claim to support.
The #ExMuslim movement, which offers refuge to people leaving Islam—often under threat of violence or death—has received little to no support from mainstream leftist organizations. Instead, the left often sides with the very Islamist entities trying to criminalize apostasy. This is not solidarity; it is complicity.
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 provides a chilling historical precedent. Leftist groups originally supported Ayatollah Khomeini in his opposition to the Shah and Western imperialism. Once in power, however, Khomeini imprisoned, tortured, and executed his former leftist allies. This brutal betrayal should serve as a warning: Islamist movements may accept leftist support when it suits them, but they do not share the left’s vision of justice.
The case of Wilfried Böse and Brigitte Kuhlmann, two German leftists who aided the 1976 PLO hijacking of an Air France plane, illustrates the ultimate cost of misguided alliances. In their zeal for anti-imperialism, they collaborated with a terrorist group and enabled the killing of Israeli hostages. Their story is a sobering reminder of how ideological blindness can lead to complicity in atrocity.
Unless today’s political left re-centers universal human rights, free speech, and secular values, it risks repeating history. If progressives continue to excuse, normalize, or align with Islamist movements, they may soon find that the forces they protected become their own oppressors.
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