Romford Abuse

Deeply disturbing - such blatant Islamophobic abuse on display as this man shouts his vile abuse - no surprises- at Muslim women and Palestinians activists.

I hope he is identified swiftly and dealt by @metpolice. Hate has no place in our society. https://t.co/EYf0bZDlnv

— Zara Mohammed (@ZaraM01) April 21, 2024

Michaela School Judgement

London Central Mosque has issued a statement saying it did not suggest that obligatory prayers could be delayed and was not involved in the Michaela Community School court case in any way.

The statement comes after a High Court judgement stated that headteacher Katharine… pic.twitter.com/JeESiCfDDp

— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) April 18, 2024

Toxic Politics (part 97)

This is just the latest evidence showing the scale of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party.

Last week Birmingham Cllr Rick Payne was forced to resign after HOPE not hate revealed his use of an anonymous X account to spew anti-Muslim hatred.https://t.co/3xI1XIjo64

— HOPE not hate (@hopenothate) April 18, 2024

Eid Mubarak

NEW CRESCENT SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT: EID MUBARAK!!

MOON SEEN ACROSS THE BRITISH ISLES

Ramadan will have 29 days in the UK

Wednesday 10 April = 1 Shawwal

More details and pictures to follow later in the evening. #moonsighting #UKIslamicCalendar #EidMubarak

Did you see the… pic.twitter.com/pMHwSiUfOF

— New Crescent Society (@NewCrescentSoc) April 9, 2024

TV on Islam in the UK

I'm sure these programmes will be available for streaming too:

Great line up of #Muslim related broadcasts this week

On Wed @ShehabKhan presenting @ITV documentary on Muslims & Ramadan 22.45PM

&

Bradford Aunties on @BBCOne bringing Bradford’s old & young together 10.40PM

also

Sunday, rapper @ItsBigZuu goes to Makkah on Umrah @BBCTwo 9PM

— Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM) (@cfmmuk) April 9, 2024

'Defiance' documentary

Channel 4‘s ‘Defiance‘ documentary series can be streamed (in the UK) via this link (requiring log-in).

“The story of how – from 1976 to 1981 – Britain’s Asian community stood tall against far-right violence and a rising tide of racist murders.”

Muslim Vote Allegations

Genevieve Holl-Allen, Telegraph, Muslim voting campaign supported by groups investigated over extremism, 7 Apr 2024

"Muslim Vote attempting to coordinate people casting their ballots to spurn candidates they believe are not supportive enough of Palestine.

MEND-Labour ties bust

The New Arab,Labour cuts ties with Muslim org labelled 'Islamist' by Gove, 3 Apr 2024 "The Labour Party has cut ties with a prominent Muslim organisation after the UK government's Communities Secretary Michael Gove said the non-profit would be investigated for extremism."

Masjid Ramadan

Gillian Duncan, The National, UK's oldest Turkish mosque at risk of closure, 27 Mar 2024 "Erkin Güney, the owner of the Masjid Ramadan, in Dalston, north-east London, said the building’s bills have tripled in recent years and he is struggling to cover them alongside rising maintenance costs."

MCB 'exclusion'

Middle East Eye, How the Muslim Council of Britain was left out in the cold, 18 Mar 2024 "The MCB is the UK's largest representative Muslim organisation whose young female leader says it stands for the 'shared values of Britain'. So why does the government refuse to engage with it?"

Discussions on 'Extremism' and Politics (cont/d)

Some important comments (separately) from Zara Mohammed and Sayeeda Warsi:

🚨 WATCH | MCB Secretary-General, Zara Mohammed speaks to @SkyNews Mark Austin on the new extremism definition pic.twitter.com/vHNrhRAiKT

— MCB (@MuslimCouncil) March 15, 2024

Catching up on my listening this morning: this was an inciteful interview between @lewis_goodall and @SayeedaWarsi for the @TheNewsAgents. The word "arsonists" certainly jumped out ... https://t.co/nt5JJV3rVc

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) March 16, 2024

After much consideration I decided to share publicly as chair of the government’s Islamophobia taskforce that we haven’t met in years.
On the UN day to combat #islamophobia it is imperative the critical work of the anti-Muslim hatred working group resumes
https://t.co/1i6Q5SqxxP

— Akeela Ahmed MBE (@AkeelaAhmed) March 15, 2024

'Extremism' Perspectives and Discussions

While this discussion is not/should not be exclusively associated with Muslims in the UK, there are underlying themes in the discourse, which I have attempted to highlight and record here for reseaarch purposes.

Adam Bienkov, Josiah Mortimer, Byline Times, Michael Gove Expected to Drop Plans to Put Muslim Council of Britain in List of ‘Extremist’ Groups, 13 Mar 2024

Hope Not Hate Report 2024 (PDF)

If Gove is confident in his views about the Muslim Association of Britain and other organisations, alleging extremist views and a threat to UK society, we challenge him to state them outside parliament. However, due to the fear of legal challenges, we know he lacks the courage… https://t.co/tXbHB80cU4

— Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) (@MABOnline1) March 14, 2024

‘We’re easy to scapegoat’: Muslim Council chief baffled by Tory ‘extremism’ label https://t.co/i1eDvF8e9m

— Zara Mohammed (@ZaraM01) March 14, 2024

Our Secretary-General @ZaraM01, on BBC Newsnight this evening on the Government’s expansion on the definition of extremism. https://t.co/ywbL50UHWT

— MCB (@MuslimCouncil) March 13, 2024

Michael Gove is asked if saying an MP should be shot is an extremist view & would it fall under his new definition of extremism. Gove won't say

Goves new definition is meant to stop govt money going to extremists & Frank Hesters company gets lots of govt contracts. pic.twitter.com/bOPmxvdl5W

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) March 14, 2024

"It's unfortunately a part of my daily life... I think it is incredibly frightening."

Apsana Begum, Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse, says that as an ethnic minority politician she often faces racist abuse and wants to see institutional reforms to address this. #Newsnight pic.twitter.com/FAtaEXsHDt

— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) March 13, 2024

This is a must watch to understand the thinking behind the latest announcements on extremism by Michael Gove.
Also remember his comments in his book as reviewed by @DalrympleWill - I quote
“Worth pointing out how @MicGove opposed Oslo and the Two State Solution in his terrible… https://t.co/30o5rqiGwp

— Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) March 14, 2024

“Words matter, we’ve had two MPs who have been murdered… There has to be accountability…”

Labour’s @DrRosena responds to the Conservative Party’s handling of reported racist comments about Diane Abbott by Tory donor Frank Hester#Peston pic.twitter.com/IyoCObsz7c

— Peston (@itvpeston) March 13, 2024

Anti-Muslim Rhetoric in the UK

 The toxic political situation in the UK incorporates anti-Muslim rhetoric and 'Islamophobia'. I have covered some of this in my X feed, but for the record am placing some other elements below. Just a reminder - there are multiple opinions here, the posts below are for information and subsequent analysis, and inclusion never does not imply endorsement. The language is not adjusted and can be 'loaded' at times:

 

 

This tweet is magnificent.

The Hard-Right have weaponised the murder of Lee Rigby for years, to justify anti-Muslim hatred BUT denied hating Muslims.

Yet here's hard-right mouthpiece Mahyar Tousi attacking Lee Rigby's widow for telling people not to hate Muslims.

MAGNIFICENT pic.twitter.com/rLrGz1E9Me

— Femi (@Femi_Sorry) March 11, 2024

Conservative MP Mike Fabricant believes that Islamophobia from an MP does not even need to be apologised for...

Seriously. https://t.co/7BEvZeWwH9

— Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) March 12, 2024

Sadiq Khan, "We have another example, of a senior Conservative, a Conservative donor, making comments that are clearly racist and clearly misogynistic"

"What Rishi Sunak needs to do. Is to grow a backbone. To have courage. He failed to call out the Islamophobia, the anti-Muslim… pic.twitter.com/6CKehK0jR6

— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) March 12, 2024

Gove who once described the indigenous population of over seas colonies as Fuzzie Wuzzies - has decided to hand pick an Islamophobia advisor. Mr Mughal - whose skill sets include : telling his pay masters what they want to hear, criticising his own community incessantly and… pic.twitter.com/Sshl7IS5y0

— Akunjee 🖋 (@mohammedakunjee) March 9, 2024

Yet another desperate attempt to smear the First Minister of Scotland, and his family.

It seems the leadership shown by @HumzaYousaf to get urgently needed aid to 2.2million starving Gazans must be viewed with suspicion, I’m sure his being Muslim has nothing to do with it? https://t.co/TIz4COXXTL

— Zara Mohammed (@ZaraM01) March 9, 2024

Archbishops of Canterbury and York warn against new extremism definition. Clerics say Michael Gove’s anti-extremism strategy risks targeting Muslims and may threaten freedom of speech and peaceful protesthttps://t.co/BEFKhJF8KW

— William Dalrymple (@DalrympleWill) March 13, 2024

There should never be a hierarchy of racism. But under this government there clearly is.

Islamophobia body has not met for 4 years, despite the rise in anti-Muslim hate crimehttps://t.co/0FDv3fqsAU

— Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) March 11, 2024

🧵1/10 Apparently, the government are going to appoint Fyaz Mughal as their “anti-Muslim hatred” adviser! A thread on why this is gaslighting of the highest order, even for this government!! (more to follow) pic.twitter.com/xog00AN3lG

— MEND Community (@mendcommunity) March 8, 2024

For months Sunak and many of his cabinet pushed divisive commentary against the Muslims community. He now talks about tackling anti Muslim hatred rates of which his party directly contributed towards. Disgusted by it but disappointed that a mosque just let him waltz in. Shameful https://t.co/mICn30zs5C

— Bushra Shaikh (@Bushra1Shaikh) March 12, 2024

STATEMENT ON REPORTS THAT FIYAZ MUGHAL IS TO BE THE NEW ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED TZARhttps://t.co/mGezYmmSyH pic.twitter.com/f7f9SGtIOX

— MEND Community (@mendcommunity) March 8, 2024

Mosque Protection

 ITV News, Government commits £117 million to protect UK Muslims from hate attacks, 11 Mar 2024 "More than £117 million will be spent by the government to protect mosques, Muslim schools and community centres from hate attacks over the next four years."

Also see: Sky News, More than £117m taxpayers' money to be spent on protecting UK Muslims, 11 Mar 2024

Sheffield British-Yemenis

Lemma Shehadi, Nicky Harly, Marwa Hassan, The National, Steeled for worse: Sheffield's British-Yemenis conflicted over crisis in the Red Sea, 8 Mar 2024. "For British-Yemenis, who are the UK's oldest Arab community, the crisis leaves them in a difficult place. Though they support the Palestinian cause, they are also opposed to the Houthi militia – which took control of the capital Sanaa and parts of north Yemen in 2014."

School "prayer ban"

BBC News, Michaela School made being Muslim seem toxic, former pupil says, 5 Mar 2024 "

"The "prayer ban" by a school facing a court challenge made being Muslim "seem toxic" and "evil", former pupils claim."

'Islamophobia incidents skyrocket'

Independent, ‘I’m too scared to leave my house’: Muslim fears as Islamophobic incidents skyrocket by 365%, 4 Mar 2024 "London charity Islamophobia Response Unit (IRU) says many of the incidents have involved people being targeted over their support for Palestine, as the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage.' Islamophobia Response Unit

Anderson and Braverman

 I have a page on the Anderson/Braverman 'Islamophobia' debate on my Virtually Islamic News site, collecting various online responses. It also features on my X @garybunt

Rochdale By-Election Furore

Sky News, Analysis | The sacking of Azhar Ali as Labour's candidate in the Rochdale by-election is the biggest disaster for Sir Keir Starmer in his nearly four years as leader of the party.

Also see Geneva Abdul, Guardian, Labour handling of Azhar Ali 'shambolic', says antisemitism report author. "Martin Forde says storm over Rochdale byelection candidate raises new questions over ‘disparity in treatment’ of Labour MPs"  The story took a new turn with Harriet Line's Daily Mail article

     

Statistics

Statista published the following (note: full data are behind a paywall):

D. Clark, Views on Muslims in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2018, by region, Statista, 2 Feb 2024 "This statistic shows the results of a survey of British adults which asked them to indicate how positive or negative their views on Muslims in the UK were in 2018, by region. Respondents in Scotland viewed Muslims the most positively, followed by London and the North of England."

D. Clark, Number of masjids in the United Kingdom in 2017, , Statista, 2 Feb 2024"This statistic displays the number of mosques in the United Kingdom in 2017, by capacity. In this year there were 300 masjids in the United Kingdom with a capacity between 101 to 200 people. This was the most common size for a masjid in the United Kingdom. It was followed by 279 masjids with a capacity for between 201 and 300 people. In 2017 there were only ten masjids in the United Kingdom that had a capacity for over 4,000 people."

Labour and Muslim Support

Nadine White, Adam Forrest, Independent, British Muslim support for Labour plummets, shock poll finds, 5 Feb 2024 "Labour support amongst British Muslims has plummeted, a bombshell opinion poll has revealed amid major concerns about Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the Gaza war."

Muslim Women in Britain, 1850–1950

BBC News, Hidden histories of British Muslim women revealed, 27 Jan 2024 "A collection of remarkable and often hidden stories of Muslim women who helped shape the history of Britain have been revealed and documented in a new book." Muslim Women in Britain, 1850–1950: 100 Years of Hidden History, Edited by Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor and Jamie Gilham, London: Hurst, 2023

Interfaith Charity Funding Cut

Middle East Eye, UK withdraws interfaith charity funding over Muslim Council of Britain links, 25 Jan 2024 "The decision to stop funding the Inter Faith Network was due to the “reputational risk” posed for government."

School "prayer ban"

ITV News, 'Britain's strictest school' facing High Court challenge from Muslim pupil over ‘prayer ban’, 17 Jan 2024 "Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, introduced a policy in March 2023 "banning prayer rituals"."