Nadiya Hussain

Guardian, Nadiya Hussain: ‘This is more than a job – it's important to be out there’

Real Christmas Spirit

Bucks Free Press, Kind laundrette owner who has helped 400 rough sleepers by washing clothes for free hands out free duvets and blankets in town centre

Pro-Brexit 'yellow jacket' protesters 'shouted racist abuse' at Sky journalist

Evening Standard, Pro-Brexit 'yellow jacket' protesters 'shouted racist abuse' at Sky journalist Faisal Islam

Revealed: the stark evidence of everyday racial bias in Britain

Guardian, Revealed: the stark evidence of everyday racial bias in Britain, 2 Dec 2018 "The ICM poll, commissioned to launch a week-long investigation into bias in Britain, focuses on everyday experiences of prejudice that could be a result of unconscious bias – quick decisions conditioned by our backgrounds, cultural environment and personal experiences." Details of the findings are here

FGM

Guardian, Female genital mutilation cases more than double in a year in UK "The number of girls in England who have experienced or are believed to be at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) has more than doubled in a year, according to assessments by council social workers."

Syrian refugee attack

Lizzie Dearden, Independent, Syrian refugee attack: Family plan to sue Tommy Robinson over allegations against teenage victim

Islamophobia Defined

APPG, Islamophobia Defined - The inquiry into a working definition of Islamophobia [PDF]

Report from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims

This is an important step in seeking a working definition of 'Islamophobia'.

Related links:

ITV News, Islamophobia is so prevalent in the UK it has become the country's 'bigotry blind spot', MPs say, 27 Nov 2018

Lizzie Dearden, The Independent, Islamophobia driving belief in myths about Muslims in British society, MPs say

Building Resilience to Extremism and Exploitation Conference - event

I'm participating in the 'Building Resilience to Extremism and Exploitation' event in Cardiff on 28 November:

I am co-delivering (with Dr Yvonne Howard-Bunt) a short paper on responses to 'smartphone jihad' in the context of radicalisaton and extremism.   Details: Building Resilience to Extremism and Exploitation

Inclusive mosques

Salma Haidrani, Style, The role of women in mosques is finally changing. Here’s why that matters Important initiative from MCB. "The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has announced a groundbreaking new scheme to train women to run mosques, after slamming the current lack of women in visible leadership positions as ‘unacceptable’." Good article.

FGM Campaign

BBC News, The village that's eradicated FGM, 23 Nov 2018 "It comes as the British Government announces £50m to tackle the issue across the continent. The BBC's Senior Africa Correspondent Anne Soy went to meet some of the people turning their back on the practice and witnessed the change they are bringing to their communities."

Hollyoaks character to be groomed in far-right plot

BBC, Hollyoaks character to be groomed in far-right plot, 23 Nov 2018 "The Channel 4 soap has worked with experts and charities to help tell the story, where Ste, played by Kieron Richardson, becomes radicalised by newcomer Jonny, played by Ray Quinn."

Mitzvah Day (and associated controversy)

BBC News, Mitzvah Day: Jews and Muslims come together to cook chicken soup 

"Volunteers from Muslim Aid and Stoke Newington Shul came together to make 1,000 bowls of chicken soup for the local homeless population."

Also see opinion/speculation: Middle East Eye, Was the Jewish-Muslim 'chicken soup challenge' cooked up by UK's Home Office?

"Jews and Muslims from youth groups, mosques and synagogues attempted to cook a thousand portions of the traditional Jewish dish as part of a programme organised by Mitzvah Day, a charity that promotes a day of social action led by the Jewish community.

"But the Chicken Soup Challenge was also backed by the UK Home Office, through a programme that provides funding and support for counter-extremism projects, a detail that went unmentioned in reports produced by BBC News and The Guardian. "

Meghan Markle returns to kitchen to see Grenfell survivors

MSN, Meghan Markle returns to kitchen to see Grenfell survivors as cookbook is hailed a success, 21 Nov 2018 "Meghan, expecting her first child, came up with the idea for the cookbook in January after going to the kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim cultural heritage centre where a group of women came together to cook in the aftermath of the fire."

Recitation in Cathedral

The Sun, Imam recites Muslim call to prayer during a Church of England cathedral’s Armistice concert WITHOUT PERMISSION, 18 Nov 2018 I don't often link to The Sun. "The recital took place in Blackburn Cathedral the night before Remembrance Sunday."

TellMama graphic (from Twitter)

TellMama graphic (from Twitter)

MCB Graphic

MCB Graphic on anti-Muslim prejudice

Asia Bibi case

BBC News, Asia Bibi: British imams join calls for UK to give asylum, 13 Nov 2018

"Prominent British Muslims, including three imams - Qari Asim, Mamadou Bocoum and Dr Usama Hasan - have written a letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid asking him "to make a clear and proactive statement that Britain would welcome a request for sanctuary here"."

'How to be a Muslim Woman'

Sayeeda Warsi, BBC Radio 4, 'How to be a Muslim Woman' 

"Sayeeda Warsi explains how to be a Muslim woman in 21st-century Britain."

This will be broadcast on Friday 16th and then available on BBC Sounds. 

Tell Mama, Islamophobic hate mail targets schools and mosques in London and Yorkshire

Armistice Day Observation

You'll find substantial coverage of Muslim approaches to the observation of Armistice Day on my Twitter feed @garybunt - below are some highlights

 Welsh Muslim Cultural Foundation's visit to Belgium

Asian Image, Tauheedul pupils mark World War centenary

 BMA, The consultation: soldiers' sacrifice

 Abdullah Rehman congratulates Birmingham Quran Academy for introducing materials associated with WW1 and WW2 into its curriculum [Twitter post]

In addition, here's Yvonne Howard-Bunt's poem marking Armistice Day

How Muslims are being targeted in new Counter-terrorism bill

Asian Image, 'Criminalising thoughts': How Muslims are being targeted in new Counter-terrorism bill 

"Clicking just once on a link that that is deemed to contain terrorist material or displaying images online could lead to Muslims being prosecuted. That is according to lawyers who have been investigating some of the possible impacts of the new Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill."

Twelver Shia networks in Britain

Oliver Scharbrodt, Aminority within a minority?: the complexity and multilocality of transnational Twelver Shia networks in Britain, Contemporary Islam

"To analyze the multilocal spatial manifestations and connections of these network, the article utilizes Werbner’s notion of ‘complex diasporas’ (2002, 2004, 2010) and recent contributions to the development of a spatial methodology in Religious Studies (Knott 2005; Vásquez 2010; Tweed 2006; McLoughlin and Zavos 2014). The article thereby constitutes the very first attempt to apply recent contributions on the nature of diasporic religions and their spatial multilocality to the case study of Twelver Shia networks based in London."

Photographic legacy

BBC Radio 4, Desert Island Discs, Vanley Burke 
"Lauren Laverne interviews photographer Vanley Burke, known as the godfather of black British photography." 
Burke's important portfolio includes many religion related photos, including from Birmingham's Muslim communities. It's an incredible legacy. Do check it out (I can't reproduce any here for copyright reasons).

Islamophobia Awareness Month

#IAM2018 Campaign launched. There are ongoing discussions on formalising the definition of 'Islamophobia'. In the interim, this is a relevant campaign, promoted by MCB

Also see their graphic:

Cardiff 'Race Riots'

ITV Cymru News, "'One thousand people came rioting down the street': Reliving a notorious chapter in Cardiff’s past." "They were sparked by racial tensions during a period of acute unemployment. In Cardiff’s docklands, servicemen who had returned from war found themselves competing for jobs with a local workforce of largely black and Asian men, who were also desperate to make ends meet."

Mosque Security Issues

Middle East Eye, Revamping security at London mosques: ‘We are completely on our own’ "Increased Islamophobic attacks on London's Muslim community are forcing mosques to step up security and be more vigilant."

Men and Mental Health

Mental Health Foundation, Men and Mental Health 

"While many of the same difficulties are experienced by both men and women, some difficulties and influences on mental health may be especially relevant for men."  This is an important issue too in relation to Muslim societies in the UK. 

County Down 'hate crime'

BBC News, Newtownards: Group dressed as KKK members is 'hate crime', 30 Oct 2018 "A report of a group of people dressed as Ku Klux Klan (KKK) members in Newtownards, County Down, is being treated by police as a hate crime.

"Pictures emerged of the group posing near an Islamic prayer house."

Is Wales Fairer?

EHRC, Is Wales Fairer? (2018) "This is the Welsh supplement to our report on equality and human rights progress in England, Scotland and Wales, Is Britain Fairer? (2018)." Available as a PDF in Welsh and English.

UK Islamist Anjem Choudary released from prison

CNN, UK Islamist Anjem Choudary released from prison, 19 Oct 2018 "The 51-year-old self-styled cleric, jailed in 2016 for inviting support for ISIS, was let out of the high-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London on Friday morning." See Hope Not Hate's Report here

One man’s (very polite) fight against media Islamophobia

Guardian, One man’s (very polite) fight against media Islamophobia, 18 Oct 2018 "For three years, Miqdaad Versi has waged a quixotic – and always scrupulously courteous – campaign against the endless errors and distortions in news about British Muslims. But can a thousand polite complaints make a difference?"

Divided Britain: study finds huge chasm in attitudes

Guardian, Divided Britain: study finds huge chasm in attitudes, 17 Oct 2018 "The study by the anti-fascism advocacy group, “sets out to understand the drivers of fear and hate” in England, and where data is available, in Wales and Scotland. It uncovers the often glaring extent of geographic splits between people of varying attitudes, with opposition to immigration and multiculturalism correlating closely with socio-economic deprivation." Hope Not Hate's Report is here

Official Statistics, Hate crime, England and Wales, 2017 to 2018

Home Office, gov.uk, Official Statistics, Hate crime, England and Wales, 2017 to 2018 "Statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police and information on hate crime from the Crime Survey for England and Wales."

'Punish A Muslim' Letter Writer Pleads Guilty

Huffington Post, 'Punish A Muslim' Letter Writer Pleads Guilty To Soliciting Murder, Other Charges, 15 Oct 2018 "David Parnham, a 35-year-old from central England, admitted that he created a racist letter campaign calling for violence against Muslims."

Mosque History & Heritage conference at ⁦@ShahJahanMosque

 Tweet from Edward Madigan reviewing the Mosque History & Heritage conference at ⁦@ShahJahanMosque⁩ (photo from the tweet)

Whitechapel, London: The Muslim undertakers of the East End

AlJazeera, Whitechapel, London: The Muslim undertakers of the East End, 26 Sep 2018 "A family of Muslim undertakers offers a glimpse into a vibrant community that the far right has tried to demonise."

Islamophobia study

Middle East Eye, Muslims in Europe facing 'hostility in everyday life', Islamophobia study finds "European academics and policy makers came together at the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday to launch what they describe as a "toolkit" to tackle Islamophobia across the continent." Toolkit link here: Counter-Islamophobia Toolkit – Prof. Ian Law, Dr Amina Easat-Daas and Prof. S. Sayyid

'Britain's first mosque'

Daily Mail, Britain's first mosque: Built by a Hungarian Jew, the house of worship which became a High Society attraction where Queen Victoria's Muslim servant Abdul Karim prayed

Temporarily off-line

I'm currently off-line and not updating this blog. I am still tweeting @garybunt. I will be updating the blog in due course.

In the meantime, my new book is published in October by the University of North Carolina Press.  It's available through all the usual channels. 

Normal service on this blog will be resumed as soon as possible.

How London's Southall became 'Little Punjab'

Guardian, How London's Southall became 'Little Punjab', 4 Apr 2018 "A new project explores the largest Punjabi community outside India – from possibly Britain’s first Indian shop to race riots and the fight for rights."

Hashtag Islam: How Cyber Islamic Environments are Transforming Religious Authority

VirtuallyIslamic.com, Publication Announcement - Hashtag Islam: How Cyber Islamic Environments are Transforming Religious Authority (University of North Carolina Press)


News on my next book, including links to purchase/ordering options via Amazon.  The book comes out in October 18.

Parsons Green Tube bombing: Teenager Ahmed Hassan jailed for life

BBC News, Parsons Green Tube bombing: Teenager Ahmed Hassan jailed for life

70% of young Brits are 'not religious'

BBC News, 70% of young Brits are 'not religious', 21 Mar 2018

‘Integration? It’s about top exam grades’

BBC News, ‘Integration? It’s about top exam grades’, 16 Mar 2018 ""People sometimes don't see past the name," says one of the pupils at Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School, in first place in the secondary school league tables, now based on how much progress is made by pupils."

Our Shared Future: Muslims and Integration in the UK’ - report

A PDF link to a new report "Our Shared Future: Muslims and Integration in the UK’ from the MCB can be found here: We Need an Equal Integration Strategy for All Britons’ – Muslim Council of Britain

The Silence of the Liberals

Radio 4, The Silence of the Liberals"

"Observer columnist and writer Nick Cohen thinks mainstream liberal culture and left-wing politicians are failing to help progressive Muslims who want to fight inequalities endorsed by culture and religion in their communities. He calls this the "racism of the anti-racist"."   A very interesting programme. 

Update on ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ hate mail campaign

Tell MAMA, Update on ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ hate mail campaign updates via Twitter on this anti-Muslim hate campaign

Jason Mohammad Profile

Wales Online, 'I grew up in Ely and had a Pakistani dad – of course I experienced racism,' Jason Mohammad on religion, sport and working on Radio 2 " Brand new Radio 2 presenter - and BBC Five Live host - Jason Mohammad has spoken about what it's like to grow up as a Muslim in Wales and how his childhood dream of working on one the UK's biggest radio stations has finally come true."

Butetown Is My Home

Interesting documentary on Butetown. " A short documentary film on Butetown history directed and edited by Namibian digital storyteller Darryn February. This documentary tells the story of Cardiff' city's Butetown and Tiger Bay multicultural influences and lifestyle in the 1800s and 1900s. Narrated by Nicky Delgado and Keith Murrell some of Old Butetown's former residents."

'Teenager given life sentence for planned Justin Bieber gig attack'

Guardian, Teenager given life sentence for planned Justin Bieber gig attack, 2 Mar 2018 " The defendant, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, had denied preparing for an act of terrorism, two charges of encouraging terrorism online and two charges of possessing editions of an Isis propaganda magazine."

Mosque response to weather crisis

As with other mosques in the UK: Manchester Evening News, Mosques are opening their doors to homeless people at night during the freezing weather

"UK mosques must make space for women"

Remona Aly, Guardian, UK mosques must make space for women – not turn us away
"Mosques are opening their doors to the public, but too many keep them closed to practising women. The Open My Mosque campaign aims to change this."

Visit My Mosque

Visit My Mosque contains details of all the mosques available to visit on 18th February 2018. It's a good initiative. I've been encouraging my students to attend. Details of the Wales programme are shown.

Erasing Muslims from the “West”: Islamophobic campaigns across Europe and the US

Mobashra Tazamal, The Bridge Initiative, Erasing Muslims from the “West”: Islamophobic campaigns across Europe and the US, 14 Feb 2018 "The growing nativist, far right, and white nationalist movements in Europe and the United States have utilized existing racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia to garner support for their discriminatory policies. The election of Donald Trump, whose campaign capitalized on Islamophobia and racism, has emboldened ethno-nationalist movements in Europe and the United States. Exclusionary rhetoric has grown amongst political parties who seek to capitalize on growing anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment. While the movements have manifested in different ways in the two geographic locations, the central message is creating an us versus them dichotomy and refusal to see Muslims as a part of European and American society."

Mo Salah chant

In respect of Mo Salah of Liverpool, out came this chant (via Ilm Channel)

Cambridge Mosque

Cambridge News, Take a look inside Cambridge's oldest mosque before it opens to the public, 11 Feb 2018 "Abu Bakr Masjid mosque in Mawson Road, off Mill Road will open its door to all faiths and communities on February 18 as part of a national Visit My Mosque Day organised by the Muslim Council of Great Britain."

Muslims in Wales

Laura Jones, Parallel.cymru, Hanes y Mwslimiaid yng Nghymru / The History of Muslims in Wales

Sunday Times 'twisted' hijab ban story to stoke debate

Middle Eastern Eye, Sunday Times 'twisted' hijab ban story to stoke debate, teachers say, 9 Feb 2018 "Teachers say newspaper's story was 'completely misleading' and journalists came to London school with 'agenda' to stir up controversy." Allegations. "The headteacher at a London primary school that was forced to back down from a ban on Islamic headscarves has accused the Sunday Times newspaper of "twisting" her words to stir up controversy around the issue, according to a recording obtained by Middle East Eye."

Mosque in east London to be demolished after high court ruling

Guardian, Mosque in east London to be demolished after high court ruling, 7 Feb 2018 "A temporary east London mosque that has been refused planning permission faces demolition after a high court ruling."

Will Self's Bus Journey around Britain

BBC, Radio 4, Will Self's Bus Journey around Britain visits a Preston mosque

Islam, Women and Me

BBC, Islam, Women and Me, 31 Jan 2018

Mehreen Baig's very personal documentary, which includes a visit to a 'Sharia Council', a discussion on dating apps, and her negotiations with her father about moving out ... The programme is available on iPlayer for the next month.

Saudi crown prince's UK visit delayed amid protest fears

Middle East Eye, Saudi crown prince's UK visit delayed amid protest fears "A controversial visit to London by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to be delayed, amid reports that officials in Riyadh are concerned over possible protests and unflattering media coverage of the powerful young royal, Middle East Eye can reveal."

Finsbury Park - trial

BBC News, Darren Osborne guilty of Finsbury Park mosque murder, 1 Feb 2018 "A man who drove a van into a crowd of Muslims near a London mosque has been found guilty of murder."

Also see the statement from the Metropolitan Police

The Guardian, Finsbury Park attack: man 'brainwashed by anti-Muslim propaganda' convicted, 1 Feb 2018 "The Guardian understands a review has been launched into the extreme right by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre. Sources say it is assessing how determined they are to kill, how able they are to murder, what their motivations are, and how they spread their propaganda and get recruits."

Education issues

BBC News, Religious extremists 'trying to pervert education', 1 Feb 2018 opinion and analysis

Q-News

It's something of a paradox that much of my research is digital, yet I still seem to have boxes and boxes of research related materials (evidenced in a recent office reconfiguration). I need some time for serious archiving. I found lots of TV programmes on Islam/Muslims in the UK from the 80s and 90s, recorded on VHS - not sure when I'll get those into digital format! However, I did locate this box of more tangible materials, containing a set of Q-News from the first issue in the early 90s onwards. There's still scope for getting a research paper out of this. It was an important magazine at the time.

Anger over Sara Khan appointment to lead UK counter-extremism commission

Middle East Eye, Anger over Sara Khan appointment to lead UK counter-extremism commission, 23 Jan 2018 opinions on this appointment from all sides, in relation to the Prevent strategy. "Campaigner described as 'a creation of and mouthpiece for the Home Office' as government faces criticism over controversial appointment." Also see The Guardian, Choice of new UK anti-extremism chief criticised as 'alarming', 24 Jan 2018 and BBC News, Controversy over new counter-extremism tsar Sara Khan, 25 Jan 2018

Finsbury Park attack - trial

Daily Mail, CCTV 'captures the moment Finsbury Park murderer ploughed his rental van into a crowd of Muslim worshippers leaving one man dead after asking for directions to the nearest mosque', 23 Jan 2018 Comprehensive coverage of this case, showing the roles of social media and internet content. Also see Wales Online, Cardiff man accused of carrying out Finsbury Park attack told pub-goers 'I’m going to kill all Muslims', court hears, 23 Jan 2018

Blackburn

Bushra Siddiq, BBC News, Blackburn: A town still divided? "Blackburn was once described as one of the most segregated towns in Britain by the author of a report on riots across northern England. In 2007, Panorama found Blackburn's Muslim Asian and white communities were living worlds apart. Ten years on, has anything changed?"
Available on iPlayer, BBC, Panorama, White Fright, Divided Britain, 22 Jan 2018

Luton school responds to Ofsted

BBC News, Luton Islamic school complains over critical Ofsted report, 19 Jan 2018 "Governors at an Islamic school have lodged a complaint over a highly critical report.
"Ofsted found pupils at the independent Olive Tree Primary School in Luton had to ask for toilet paper and wash their cutlery in toilet sinks."

Update: East Ham school’s hijab ban

Guardian, East London primary school backs down over hijab ban, 19 Jan 2018

update on this story:

Newham Recorder, Petition against East Ham school’s hijab ban for under 8s gets 8,000 signatures in two days, 16 Jan 2018

Book review: Afua Hirsch

Guardian, Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch review – everyday racism and a search for identity, 19 Jan 2018

Preventing Prevent (opinion piece)

opinion piece: Iqra Choudhry, The Overtake, Preventing Prevent

"What does Islamophobia feel like? We dressed visibly as Muslims for a month to find out."

Irene Zempi & Imran Awan, The Conversation, What does Islamophobia feel like? We dressed visibly as Muslims for a month to find out "In 2015, Imran grew a beard, wore the jubba (male Islamic dress) and Islamic cap in public places in Birmingham, while in 2014 I wore the full veil – including jilbab (long dress), hijab (headscarf) and niqab (face veil) – in public places in Leicester. Our goal was to examine how our perceived identity as Muslims made us vulnerable to Islamophobic victimisation. The level of hatred and vitriol we experienced was startling." Some significant ethical issues would be raised in research of this nature. It's an interesting article, however.

Burial issues

Evening Standard, Coroner criticised over Jewish and Muslim burials "A senior coroner faces calls to resign over claims she caused "immense anguish and trauma" in her handling of burial requests from Muslim and Jewish families." Also on BBC London News last night.

Islamophobia Resource

Islamophobia Resource - Experiences

Schools urged to help tackle Islamophobia

Bethan Lewis, BBC News, Schools urged to help tackle Islamophobia "Young Muslims in Wales say they have been frequently stared at in public, called "terrorists" at school and been told by strangers to take off headscarves."

Derby terror plot

Dominic Casciani, BBC News, Derby terror plot: The online Casanova and his lover, 8 Jan 2018 This is a significant case, in relation to the significance of online materials in the radicalisation processes.

Muslims in Wales

Jessica Walford, Wales Online, Abused and discriminated against yet thriving and proud: the life of Muslims in Wales "We found a community that is at once thriving and under-threat, both settled and unsure of its place, growing but vulnerable, integral to Welsh life but poorly understood and isolated." Good to see this article on an underrepresented subject. The following map is included in the article:

2017 Peaceful Co-Existence Conference a Success!

MCW, 2017 Peaceful Co-Existence Conference a Success! brief report on the Cardiff 2017 conference, which I participated in.

UK Muslims Find their Indigenous Voice in Hymns, Pantomimes

Lauren Booth, aboutislam.net, UK Muslims Find their Indigenous Voice in Hymns, Pantomimes "Crossed legged on the floor, my ears navigate the curious strains of a Manx (Isle of Man) folk tune, reworded to praise Allah, sung by women with Scouse accents."