US Representative Nancy Mace recently declared that "every single Muslim holding public office in America is a Trojan horse, and a threat to both national security and our republic."

Glenn Greenwald responded with the obvious question: replace "Muslim" with "Jew". What would happen if a member of Congress declared every Jewish officeholder a Trojan horse and national-security threat? We know the answer. It would rightly be condemned as blatant antisemitism, with demands for serious consequences.

The point is not that antisemitism is taken too seriously. It should be taken seriously, particularly given its horrific history. The question is why comparable statements about Muslims remain within the bounds of respectable political discourse. Mace was not criticising Hamas, Islamism, terrorism or a particular politician. She said every Muslim holding public office is a threat. Muslim identity itself becomes evidence of questionable loyalty.

There is nothing particularly new about this. Since 9/11, mosques and charities have been surveilled, Muslim organisations scrutinised and Muslim political activity routinely viewed through a national-security lens. Muslims are expected to condemn crimes committed by strangers thousands of miles away simply because the perpetrators claim the same religion. Views on Palestine or Western foreign policy can quickly become another loyalty test.

After I shared Greenwald's post,........

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