STATEMENT
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) strongly condemns the recent incident in Northern Ireland in which a Nazi flag was raised outside a Mosque in Belfast, an alarming attack on a place of worship and the wider Muslim community.
This horrifying incident is not isolated; Muslim communities in Northern Ireland have faced multiple challenges in recent history, including arson attacks on a Mosque and Muslim-owned business and preceding acts of intimidation in other parts of Belfast. It is deeply concerning, in turn, that such incidents of virulent Islamophobic hate and violence continue to occur, unhindered.
There remains a lack of effective legislation on hate crime in Northern Ireland, and the absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly has greatly impeded upon any progress in the passing of such legislation. This has left Mosques and Muslim and ethnic minority communities especially vulnerable to the threat of far-right extremism. The MCB urges the UK government to take immediate action to protect minority communities and their places of worship, ensuring their safety and security.
Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Zara Mohammed said:
“We implore the UK government to work towards establishing legislation that would lead to prosecutions against those responsible for hate crimes against Muslims and other minority faith and ethnic communities.
“It is essential that the government tackles far-right, Islamophobic hate and demonstrates its commitment to inclusivity, tolerance, and the safety of all its citizens.”
[ENDS]
Notes to Editors
- For any media enquiries, please contact: media@mcb.org.uk
- The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is the UK’s largest and most diverse Muslim umbrella organisation with membership spanning national, regional local organisations, mosques, charities and professional networks. It is independent, cross-sectarian and democratic with the leadership team accountable to the membership.