STATEMENT
The Muslim Council of Britain is deeply concerned about the unfolding humanitarian crisis that has inevitably emerged a week on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to peace.
We stand with the Ukrainian people, including the hundreds of thousands of Muslim Ukrainians, the majority of whom belong to the Crimean Tatar community: a people who have already faced genocide and persecution under the Soviet Union.
We support all measures that will bring about a just peace as soon as possible. We urge our British government to play its part in the international community to bring about a lasting political solution to this conflict. Russia’s action is a clear violation of the UN charter and the international rule of law. The lessons from the invasion of Iraq remind us that the violation and occupation of a sovereign nation’s territory leads to untold suffering of innocents and long-term destabilisation.
In addition, we must be prepared to do our part in receiving those seeking refuge from Ukraine – regardless of origin. As such, we also call upon the Government to reconsider the Nationality and Borders Bill currently making its way through Parliament, which will effectively criminalise and re-buff those seeking refuge from such wars and persecution. We cannot turn our backs on people in desperate need of sanctuary.
Finally, the Muslim Council of Britain calls on our politicians and media to be mindful about the language and attitudes we project during this crisis. Our support for the people of Ukraine comes from our shared humanity and because they face injustice, not because they ‘look like us’, as some commentators have suggested.
The alarming consequences of such attitudes are clear to see: black and ethnic minority refugees fleeing from Ukraine are being discriminated against. We call upon all European governments to treat all refugees with compassion and mercy regardless of their race, colour or creed.
ENDS