Hijab in Police

Independent, PC who redesigned ‘uncomfortable’ hijab hopes new version will inspire more Muslim women to join the force

"PC Amireddy, who helped to design a new hijab to replace the one she was supplied with, said she hopes the garment will inspire other Muslim women to consider a career in policing."

Mental Health and Young British Muslims

Telegraph & Argus, There is a 'mental health crisis' among young British Muslims, says report " The report, commissioned by British Muslims for Secular Democracy, has been written by six authors - all of whom are British Muslim women - and aims to "change the narrative" surrounding mental health for the UK's Muslim population."

Medina as Market Model

Middle East Eye, How a British market was inspired by the Islamic model of Medina "In the early days of Islam, markets were "the lifeblood of the community" and the "first bastion of both social welfare and wealth creation", according to the Open Trade Network, a Norwich-based organisation supporting "access to trade and enterprise for all". Traders at the new market aren't taxed or charged rental, and undercutting is not permitted."

Conservative Perspectives Poll

Guardian, Half of Conservative party members believe Islam is threat, poll finds, 30 Sep 2020 "Almost half of Conservative party members believe Islam “a threat to the British way of life,” according to a poll which has reignited concerns over Islamophobia within Britain’s ruling party."

Tackling Islamophobia

Azfar Shafi, Byline Times, Tackling Islamophobia in ‘Terrorism’ Won’t happen by Sticking the Label On More White Perpetrators, 22 September 2020 "CfMM is right to be concerned about language, as language is indeed embedded in power. The media’s use of the ‘terrorist’ label normalises and shores up support for a term which, in the hands of government agencies, serves as a blank cheque for the use of some of Britain’s most powerful, repressive and exceptional powers – from raids, detention, citizenship stripping and up to warfare."

COVID-19/Bradford

Telegrah and Argus, Bradford's faith leaders speak on what the 'new normal' looks like for the district's temples, mosques and churches

Report: "How The British Media Reports Terrorism"

Press Gazette, MCB report says UK media has disproportionate focus on Islam when reporting terror "The report, How The British Media Reports Terrorism, was based on an analysis of 16 terrorist attacks between 2015 and 2020 in America, Britain and Europe as well as the Christchurch attack."

A Levels Fiasco

MCB, MCB Responds to UK Government U-Turn on A Level and GCSE Results plenty of coverage on this, including on my Twitter feed, but it's important to see the impact on deprived communities

Family reunited

Daily Mirror, Mum's unimaginable joy as daughter comes home 34 years after she was kidnapped. "Jackie Saleh, 57, was left devastated after her husband fled to war-torn Yemen with their three young daughters and feared she would never see them again."

Beyond Banglatown

Metro, Why Brick Lane is at risk of losing its curry capital crown "As part of a two-year research project focusing on Brick Lane’s restaurant and retail sectors, the report, called Beyond Banglatown, highlights the unique contribution of the Bangladeshi community to Brick Lane and its world-renowned curry houses."

Runnymede Trust report: Beyond Banglatown[PDF]

COVID-19 >anti-Muslim Prejudice

How #COVID19 has influenced the nature of anti-Muslim hatred, discrimation, and Islamophobia both online and offline: pic.twitter.com/h5zrjy2yNq

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) August 6, 2020

Lockdown and 'Islamophobia'

Islamophobia surges amid lockdown warn civic leaders in north of England https://t.co/4kLKRNvZQV

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) August 5, 2020

Sunderland Case

Disgraceful racist behaviours. The pair left a female shop owner in tears after one of them told her: "You're in Sunderland not p*** land".

Callum Wallace called the male owner a "p*** c***" and pulled out a knife after visiting the store a day later.https://t.co/Aoowfjdp7J

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) August 6, 2020

Coronavirus: 'Institutional racism left minorities exposed'

BBC News, Coronavirus: 'Institutional racism left minorities exposed'

"Judge Ray Singh, who led the Welsh government's response to the issue, also said lives could have been saved if an online risk-assessment had been made available sooner."

Manchester PREVENT

Manchester colleges agreed to share data of students referred to #Prevent with universities

A young person subject to a Prevent referral does not have to consent to the information being shared, though they are informed, the documents show.
https://t.co/eSqBkjFbcy

— Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) July 19, 2020

'Islamophobia' in the North East

Chronicle Live, How lockdown community spirit could help tackle Islamophobia in the North East A report, produced by Newcastle University, Northumbria University and TellMAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), shows that nearly 70% of Muslims experience anti-Muslim racism regularly. The report came out in June, and is available here

Pococke

We kick start the week with a fantastic new blog by @SameraHassan, which reveals how a 17th century poet chose to commemorate the restoration of the monarchy in the most impressive way he could:https://t.co/C8XiKu0TXG

— Medieval and Early Modern Orients (MEMOs) (@MEMOrients) July 20, 2020

Blackburn

BBC News, Blackburn mosque 'faces police investigation' over 250 at funeral. "The chairman of Jamia Ghosia mosque said they thought there were no restrictions on numbers if hygiene and distancing measures were in place."

Woking Mosque

I look forward to seeing this (missed it on the day!):

VIDEO: https://t.co/wPORbPe8lG Ep 4 of landmark series on early Muslim communities in Britain which shares some really cutting edge research on the Woking Mosque --Marcus Roberts on Leitner who commissioned it and had it built in 1889 from a grant from the Begum of Bhopal... pic.twitter.com/06P3wpM8h3

— EverydayMuslim (@Everyday_Muslim) July 7, 2020

Brick Lane

Interesting article: A Walk Down Bengali Brick Lane. (I'm looking forward to going there again soon). https://t.co/qFRhED3F0H [tip @YBirt}

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) July 6, 2020

Empires, Converts and Communities

Catch up on Episode 1 https://t.co/E95NcgzA19 of Empires, Converts and Communities as Prof Ansari @RoyalHolloway sets the scene by describing Britain’s earliest Muslim communities and how they emerged in the heartland of the British Empire. pic.twitter.com/3mwP4Wdnnv

— EverydayMuslim (@Everyday_Muslim) July 6, 2020

Poster

We are here to support and assist if you face racism, anti-Muslim abuse, or Islamophobia online or on social media.

Speak in confidence. #WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/5PvhunSG31

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) June 22, 2020

BAME Mental Health

Covid-19 affects BAME youth mental health more than white peers – study https://t.co/IMxRCOHhmf

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) June 21, 2020

Reading Attack

Reading terror suspect came to UK as refugee from Libyan civil war https://t.co/Y7ziyQqnRr

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) June 21, 2020

"Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night (20/6), has now been declared a terrorist incident" https://t.co/I6jfRTJ0Z0

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) June 21, 2020

Leeds Mosque

Yorkshire Post, Take a Virtual Tour of Leeds Central Mosque,  "Mosques across the country are virtually opening their doors to show communities what they have been doing during lockdown and Leeds Grand Mosque is holding a virtual tour this weekend."

MPs fear rise in Islamophobia as mosques in England reopen

Guardian, MPs fear rise in Islamophobia as mosques in England reopen "MPs are braced for a rise in Islamophobia as mosques start to reopen across England, after a rise in racism and conspiracy theories about Muslims and coronavirus."

Poetry Corner

Great video from Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan:

in 1966 Phil Ochs' released "Love me, I'm a Liberal" in the USA. https://t.co/AZj7asmERn

here's my spoken rendition for June 2020, UK
"Love me, I'm not racist" 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ #tagsomeonewhowontgetit pic.twitter.com/PGPHTu2vCA

— Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan (@thebrownhijabi) June 9, 2020

Shukri Abdi

The mayor of Greater Manchester has called for “the widest possible investigation” into events leading up to the drowning of 12-year-old Shukri Abdi: https://t.co/am8x9KMt5E

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) June 11, 2020

Prayer Places

BBC News - Coronavirus: Places of worship to reopen for private prayer https://t.co/QNPvS4DPNM

— DrHaroonIbnEbrahim (@HaroonSidat) June 6, 2020

Tiger Bay thread

Thread on Tiger Bay... https://t.co/nOlg6objz2

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) June 6, 2020

Pathé archive clip

Great Pathé archive clip narrated by Bob Danvers-Walker https://t.co/8xL6rOAe6d

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) May 26, 2020

New Judge

Metro, Muslim woman becomes first hijab-wearing judge in UK "A woman who has become the first hijab-wearing judge in the UK says she wants young Muslims to know they can achieve anything they put their minds to."

Blackburn murder

BBC News - Blackburn gun death: Victim, 19, was 'not intended target'https://t.co/CYzseulYLH

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) May 19, 2020

BBC reporter racially abused while reporting on Covid-19 in Leicester

Guardian, BBC reporter racially abused while reporting on Covid-19 in Leicester

Million Women Rise

Photos/video put together by my 'other half' recording participants at Million Women Rise in March 2020. https://t.co/81OfzGQdPe

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) May 3, 2020

Birmingham Covid-19

At least 10 Mosques set up temporary mortuaries to cope with surge in COVID-19 deaths

One mosque in Birmingham told Sky News they are now carrying out 25 funerals a week, which is what they'd normally do in a year.
https://t.co/aB0oK5BYbT

— Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) May 3, 2020

Altab Ali

May 4th is such an important date for British Bangladeshis. In 1978, Altab Ali’s racially motivated murder was a watershed moment that marked a significant turning point for race relations. #AltabAli #SocialJustice #Equality #NeverForget @ConversationUK https://t.co/nTwZSWBbhr

— Aminul Hoque (@BrIslam2015) May 4, 2020

Shah Jahan Mosque

Brilliant work by @Everyday_Muslim and @_TharikHussain on Britain's first Muslim heritage trail with @OxfordHistory faculty, writing here about their recent trip to Brookwood Cemetery and @ShahJahanMosque #MayThe4thBeWithYou https://t.co/8vizCqya3R

— Yahya Birt (@YBirt) May 4, 2020

Ramadan Memories

Nadeem Javaid shares his memories of his first Ramadan. #RamadanDays stories from our #RamadanArchive I always remember Ramadan growing up because the whole neighbourhood would just, you know, um, swap food. So like my mum would give me like a, like a, plate... pic.twitter.com/dbFuZW0kTz

— EverydayMuslim (@Everyday_Muslim) April 25, 2020

LGBT+ Issues

Just an example of the poisonous sweeping judgements made against British Muslims on @TwitterUK

.@LaylaMoran has every right to stand with communities in solidarity. That is what makes our country unique.

Maybe Mick needs to meet @ImaanLGBTQ https://t.co/j87ybVTTMT

— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) April 26, 2020

NHS Heroes

Lovely message of hope, faith and solidarity from some local NHS Heroes 💚🙏🏼💚 @karendawber @Mel_Pickup @APPGBritMuslims @ShadimHussain @alijan209 pic.twitter.com/FftpmCTH6u

— Naz Shah MP (@NazShahBfd) April 26, 2020

thanks to Sinanwren, our Mosque was able to help deliver PPE equipments to @RoyalFreeNHS we distributed 100 coveralls 100 face vizers & 800 face masks. Trustee Khalid Oumar said “it's an honour to support our frontlines doctors & nurses who we are continuously inspired by”. pic.twitter.com/ObJv7JILaT

— Finsbury Park Mosque (@FPMosque) April 26, 2020

Regent's Park Mosque - retrospective

Regent’s Park Mosque tarawih and eid prayer in the 1990s was a whole vibe unto itself. https://t.co/Vu1c2ggI5q

— Khadijah Elshayyal (@DrKElshayyal) April 27, 2020

Covid-19: Shopkeepers' Respond

The Scottish Muslim couple winning hearts amid coronavirus crisis

Grocery shop owners in Falkirk donate PPE to health workers, food to the elderly and even Easter eggs to local children.

Great work 👏🏽👏🏽https://t.co/dWxqKQ4NVX

— Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) April 17, 2020

BAME Covid-19 Statistics/fatalities

🗣️ "If you don’t ask the questions in data, then you don’t have answers. If you don’t measure it, then that problem doesn’t exist.”@Zubhaque on the importance of collecting ethnicity data of #Covid19 patients and fatalitieshttps://t.co/L759CEpyzd

— Runnymede Trust (@RunnymedeTrust) April 17, 2020

Corner Shops

A Taste of Home: As Muslim communities began to flourish local shops were established by members of the community providing produce and ingredients essential for recreating the tastes of home. Read more: https://t.co/kfWB0yFuRS #Archive30 #oralhistory #archive #history #heritage pic.twitter.com/WjlXIY1m38

— EverydayMuslim (@Everyday_Muslim) April 13, 2020

Response to Video Rumours

This is an important statement about verification of videos circulating at present. https://t.co/o7jEiCpeFz

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) April 2, 2020

Paramedic Initiative

Shumel Rahman, who works for the North East Ambulance Service, says his beard was an important part of his faith but he made the decision to shave it off to help save liveshttps://t.co/ttYj2x3WQ2 #COVID19Pandemic #coronavirus

— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) April 2, 2020

Mosque Delivers Goods

Mosque delivers free milk and bread to the whole street. pic.twitter.com/kifYmzrNdP

— IlmFeed (@IlmFeed) April 1, 2020

COVID-19

Next time you come across someone abusing British Muslims, maybe remind them of these 4 doctors who helped #COVID19 patients at the front line, & who paid the ultimate price, with their lives.

Photo: courtesy of Al-Jazeera English. pic.twitter.com/pIm4E7rXHV

— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) April 1, 2020

Our Media Monitoring work hasn't stopped!

Thank you to @guardian for correcting this article after our complaint. It wrongly suggested Muslims would attend congregational prayers in Ramadan next month, despite the ban on gatherings.https://t.co/MF6OK5mkak pic.twitter.com/u2bZwRuQy9

— cfmmuk (@cfmmuk) April 1, 2020

COVID-19

Read my blog page on COVID-19 and social media via my Virtually Islamic blog

COVID Medical Deaths

Three NHS doctors have sadly passed away after contracting COVID-19.

My heart goes out to the loved ones of Dr Amged El-Hawrani, Dr Adil El-Tayar and Dr Habib Zaidi.

And to all our frontline NHS staff: thank you for your courage & self-sacrifice ♥️

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) March 29, 2020

Fuad Nahdi

Buzzfeed, A Leading Activist In Britain’s Muslim Community Has Died Of The Coronavirus "Fuad Nahdi, a prominent British Muslim journalist and activist who published an influential Muslim-focused magazine and was a key voice in Britain’s Muslim community, died on March 21 after being infected by what his family later learned was the novel coronavirus, his son said." Q-News was a significant outlet in the 90s for Muslims in the UK, one that I read closely. His death was widely reported. Also hear the section on BBC Radio 4, The Last Word.

Updated: The Guardian, Fuad Nahdi Obituary, 1 Apr 2020

'The forgotten women who helped to build British Islam'

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor, The Conversation, The forgotten women who helped to build British Islam "I used archive material linked to the two earliest British mosques to examine the everyday lives of women in these historical communities. This research presents a coherent and compelling narrative of women’s lives and roles as contributors and leaders of their communities."

Trevor Phillips Controversy

Guardian, Trevor Phillips dismayed at Labour suspension over Muslim comments Ongoing controversial issues. Opinions of Trevor Phillips and MCB highlighted here.

Trauma/ummah

Metro, Muslims experience ‘shared suffering’ when other Muslims go through trauma "Researchers at Sussex University found that Muslims are uniquely bonded by a shared community – an ummah. Researchers of the study dubbed this phenomena ‘vicarious trauma’, experiencing the pain that other people have faced."

Elderly Care

Metro, The neglect of elderly ethnic minorities in healthcare is ‘institutionally racist’
"Some people say they don’t ‘see’ race in an attempt to emphasise that everyone is equal. But race dictates many parts of people’s lives, for better or worse, and those differences need to be recognised."

Patel Criticised

Guardian, Priti Patel’s plan to tackle radicalised youth is so flawed it’s mad, says study, "Rather than rolling out more draconian measures to contain “risk”, the Youth Empowerment and Innovation Project, part funded by the Home Office, found that offering encouragement to youngsters and addressing factors such as social exclusion was a better way to mitigate violent youth radicalisation." I haven't seen the report yet. It's available here.

A Very British History

"Dr Aminul Hoque tells the story of the thousands of Bangladeshi families who settled in the UK in the 1970s and 80s. Their arrival brought new foods, traditions and workers for British industry. But they faced hardships and racism while building a new life in Britain. Using film archive and his own experiences of growing up in East London, Aminul meets and tells the stories of Bengalis who made their homes here over the course of two key decades. He returns to Bangladesh with his own family, taking his children for their first visit to their grandparents' village to explore their roots in the region of Sylhet." BBC, A Very British History: British Bangladeshis

Streatham Attack

Virtually Islamic, Updated: Streatham Attack coverage on my other blog.

Ofsted Sued

Guardian, Birmingham Islamic school sues Ofsted after being failed for leaflet "Ofsted rated Birchfield independent girls’ school in Aston as “inadequate” after inspectors found an “inflammatory” leaflet about a 1994 Islamic conference in the library."

Mosque Safety

Recommended listening from Radio 4 on mosque safety and anti-Muslim prejudice. I hope this gets an outing on BBC World Service, as it deserves a wide audience. BBC Radio 4, 'My Name is Samayya: How Safe Are Our Mosques?'

'Joke about bombing mosque'

Derby Telegraph, Joke about bombing mosque lands chef with criminal record "Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard that Derby chef Michael Smith created the post on his "Fattie Wobbler" Facebook timeline writing "That's the bomb planted LOL". The mosque was tagged in the post."

'Islamophobia' prosecution

Apparently the police made the man write a letter of apology and pay the fare that was due.

An outrageously soft response from @StaffsPolice with regards to dealing with the Islamophobic attack!https://t.co/ZkkGNzbJnS https://t.co/G4xz0wkW9i

— DOAM (@doamuslims) January 20, 2020

Recall on police documentation

Metro, Terror police recall guidance listing ‘standard Muslim beliefs’ as signs of extremism "Human rights groups condemned the 12-page document produced by counter terrorism police in south-east England for undermining ‘free expression and discrimination’."

Doctor Who and Noor Inayat Khan

A belated follow up on this - great to see @bbcdoctorwho feature Noor Inayat Khan, albeit on a slightly different timeline. More info is here: https://t.co/hAG9nr5t4N Can I now include watching Doctor Who as part of my research?? https://t.co/XLtBZ5Im8a

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) January 13, 2020

UK Somalis 'racially profiled' over FGM

BBC News, UK Somalis 'racially profiled' over FGM "Parents are wrongly being arrested and having their children taken into care due to the stigma around female genital mutilation (FGM), members of the UK Somali community have told the Victoria Derbyshire programme. They say figures suggesting tens of thousands of girls are at risk in the UK are inaccurate."

Organ Transplantation discussion

Organ Transplantation article from Dr Mansur Ali (Cardiff)

British Iranians responses to crisis

BBC News - What British Iranians think about the rising tensionhttps://t.co/F14Fhg6GRb

— Gary Bunt (@garybunt) January 8, 2020