Every racist movement has its Ilhan Omar. That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised by the chanting at Trump’s latest rally

In light of Donald Trump’s hate-filled rally yesterday, a Zimbabwean proverb – “if you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance” may have to be updated to include: “If you can openly chant white supremacist slogans at a presidential rally, you can openly practice white supremacy.”

The footage was eerily reminiscent of a Klan rally. The near universally white crowd, goaded and exploited by a demagogue posing as a leader or father figure, chanted, “Send her back! Send her back!” as Donald Trump, president of the United States of America, poured scorn over US congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

This is not an isolated occurrence. There is precious little racist movements (both “mild” and extreme, as well as implicit and explicit) find more infuriating than outspoken, intelligent and powerful women of colour. The Trump movement is no different in this regard. And Ilhan Omar is not alone.

In many nations where white supremacy (sometimes politely referred to as “populism”) is on the rise, there tends to be one constant: an Ilhan Omar. A woman of colour the nation can rally around to vilify, mock, pour scorn on and, horrifyingly, sometimes even worse.

In Italy, it is Cécile Kyenge. In Britain, it is Diane Abbott (and in a strange way: Meghan Markle). In France, it is Christiane Taubira. In Brazil, it would have been Marielle Franco – but she was killed while giving a speech last year. Two former policemen have since been charged with her murder.

These are clearly not isolated occurrences. They are key indicators of rising fascism. This extreme public “othering” of people, especially minority ethnic women, is a persistent hallmark of modern white supremacist movements.

Though slightly more polite than “N***** go home”, the chant “Send her back” serves the exact same purpose. Such chants make it abundantly clear that you – ungrateful ethnic that you are – should humble yourself and be a little more thankful for being here.

It should be noted that the mother of “Send her back”, the cesspool from which it emerged, is decades of alarmingly racist and anti-immigrant normalised narratives and media coverage.

Non-white people – myself included – are all very familiar with the slogans, chants and nationalist catchphrases Omar is being subjected to: “Go home”, “If you don’t like it here, leave”, “You should be grateful to live here”, “F*** off back to bongo-bongo land”. They all make one thing abundantly clear: fascism is coming out of the closet. Again.

As we say in the black community: I don’t know who needs to hear this, but here goes. The post-First World War fascist movements history mostly warns of were defined by populist leaders who presented themselves as victims and used false news, demagoguery, nationalism, patriotism – including slogans and chants – to promote their cause. Chillingly, the fact that Donald Trump is such a mega fan of rallies should come as no surprise.

The fact that the British foreign secretary and potential next leader of the nation could not call out Donald Trump’s racism – which he demurely labelled “the R-word” – the fact that he could not call out the normalising of explicit white supremacy shows how ill-equipped we are to fight such ideas today.

The days when it was shameful to be a racist or a white supremacist are fading away very swiftly. And the days where racism or white supremacy was politely labelled “populism” must also fade away as a result. If racists are to be proud to wear the badge of racism, as Steve Bannon advised the Front National, then they should be made to wear it.

Rhetoric leads to racial hatred. Racial hatred leads to violence. Violence leads to greater violence.

And the lessons of the past show us that what ends in almost unimaginable barbarity can begin with simple single-syllable words: “Send her back.”

Fascist lunacy easily spirals out of control. Hence we must all remember that it is fantastically easier and preferable to confront and curtail rhetoric than it is to confront and curtail violence.

Nels Abbey is a writer based in London. His first book, Think Like a White Man, is out now