The Muslim Council of Britain has been actively working to tackle Islamophobia in the UK. To mark the inaugural UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia, we have united with global Muslim advocacy organisations to issue a joint statement.
Read our joint statement: ‘1st UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia: MCB issues joint statement with global Muslim advocacy groups’.
Write to Your MP
Islamophobia is pervasive throughout our society and is deep-seated at an institutional level. In addition to our joint statement, the MCB has encouraged affiliates across the UK to write to their MP to raise awareness of the challenges faced by British Muslims and make five key asks in support of British Muslim communities – see below.
Parliamentary Drop-In Session
The MCB is also hosting a session in UK parliament on Wednesday, 15th March to raise the issue of Islamophobia to decision-makers, re-iterating the international asks of governments included in our joint statement:
- Nations should recognize the UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia – We call on governments to recognize the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, condemn anti-Muslim racism, dismantle Islamophobic policies and laws, and ensure that all of their citizens receive fair treatment under the law.
- Muslim-majority nations should challenge Islamophobia internationally – We call on governments in Muslim-majority nations to support and defend Muslims who experience Islamophobia in other countries, even if that means challenging the actions of economic partners and so-called allies.
- Governments should protect places of worship from hate crimes – Places of worship are visible markers of religious identity and are therefore often subject to targeted attacks, harassment and abuse. Governments and authorities, at both the local and national levels, must ensure places of worship such as mosques receive adequate protection, such as supporting the installation of preventative on-site security measures, responding swiftly to potential threats, and enforcing strong hate crime laws.
- Political leaders should engage with Muslim constituents – We call on political leaders to establish constructive engagement with Muslim communities and a range of representative Muslim-led organizations on the issues impacting diverse Muslim communities nationally.
- Communities should build bridges with neighbours of different faiths – We encourage our neighbours of different backgrounds, those of all faiths and none, to counter Islamophobia locally by availing opportunities to visit mosques in their neighbourhood, connect with Muslim neighbours, and participate in anti-hate work.
In a more UK specific context, we will be calling upon UK parliamentarians to:
- Publicly recognise the UN’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia
- Expand the Places of Worship (POW): Protective Security Funding Scheme, to include greater resources and funds available to mosques
- Establish constructive engagement with a range of Muslim representative bodies and community stakeholders to address issues impacting British Muslim communities
- Champion inter-faith engagement, fostering community cohesion in word and deed
- Pursue ethical foreign policies in support of peoples facing persecution internationally, including: Uighurs, Rohingyas and Kashmiris, for example.
