PRESS RELEASE: “Decision-makers need to ‘think hard’ about what needs to be done on Islamophobia & Religious Discrimination”

In a year when the British National Party (BNP) won two seats in the European parliament, the English Defence League have marched in protest against the ‘Islamification’ of Britain in various towns and cities, and more recently, there has been a referendum in Switzerland to ban minarets, the University of Birmingham this week hosts a national conference that explores the timely issue of Islamophobia and religious discrimination (9th December 2009).

Bringing together key individuals from the Department of Communities & Local Government (CLG), the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the Houses of Parliament, Birmingham City Council and the University of Birmingham amongst others, the conference – “Islamophobia & Religious Discrimination: new perspectives, policies and practices” [1] – will consider the extent to which religious discrimination is on the rise and whether the legislation and policies that seek to address these are indeed working.

Dr Chris Allen [2] from the Institute of Applied Social Studies (IASS) and who convened the event says:

“Despite the fact that there are a growing number of British people choosing to identify themselves in terms of their religion and greater recognition is being afforded to religion and faith in the public and political spaces, research continues to suggest that Islamophobia and other forms of religious discrimination are on the rise – not just here in Britain but elsewhere in Europe too. People are finding it increasingly acceptable and ‘normal’ to be prejudiced and discriminatory about others on the basis of religion or belief.

Sometimes through fear and suspicion, sometimes because of ignorance and a lack of understanding, if left unchecked, these could easily become hostilities and hatreds that result in tensions, unrest and harm between different communities and religions. So if we want to ensure the future wellbeing of a cohesive multicultural, multi-faith Britain, it is vital that we begin to discuss these issues now.”

Why do we need Islam Awareness Week? Keynote Speech in Sandwell 16th November 2009

Next Monday – 16th November – sees the launch of the 15th Islam Awareness Week (IAW). The theme for this year’s IAW is “Walk the Talk” and is all about recognising our common humanity, celebrating our diversity and respecting each other.

As part of this, I have been invited to present the keynote address at the launch of IAW in Sandwell. My presentation will focus on the question, ‘Why do we need Islam Awareness Week?’

The event starts at 9:15am at The Public in West Bromwich and hopes to bring together around 130 people from a variety of different backgrounds to share in the day. The event also incorporates the formal launch of the the Inclusive Muslim Action Network (IMAN). IMAN was initially conceived in October 2008 to form a collective voice for Muslims in Sandwell.

Anyone wishing to attend the Sandwell event or wanting to know more  can do so by getting in touch with Wenda Leslie on 0121 569 4638 or via email at wenda_leslie@sandwell.gov.uk.

For more information about Islam Awareness Week, then you can visit the national website by clicking here.

“I detest the niqab and the BNP: what does that make me?”

For anyone who has read the post by Gary Younge on Comment is Free entitled, ‘When you watch the BNP on TV, just remember: Jack Straw started all this’, many I’m sure will conclude that he makes some good points. Not least when he notes that:

…there is little doubt that once the BNP is on Question Time, Jack Straw – or indeed anyone in the New Labour hierarchy – is in no position to take the fight to it. The same is true for most of the rest of the British political establishment that will be represented on the panel – they have either actively colluded or passively acquiesced in the political trajectory of the past decade.

But it is no accident that this happened on New Labour’s watch and no small irony that Jack Straw should set himself up as Griffin’s opponent.

In fact I couldn’t agree more. Why put up against the BNP’s Nick Griffin the very man that started the whole niqab furore a few years ago?

Event: ‘Europe & Islam: Whose Identity Crisis?’

As part of the British Council’s ‘Our Shared Europe’ project, I have been invited to participate in a debate at the European Parliament on the 19th November 2009 entitled, ‘Europe & Islam: whose identity crisis?’.

If anybody would like to attend the debate, then please contact osedebate@britishcouncil.be before the 11th November.

Full details of the event are set out below:

Europe & Islam: Whose Identity Crisis?
Hosted by Sajjad Karim MEP

Thursday 19th November 2009 – 10:30 to 13:00
European Parliament, Brussels

In a continent of diverse cultures how people choose to identify themselves is becoming increasingly important; whether through nationality, religion, language or political outlook. Can these identities mix, are they changing, and which are most important?

And is identity in Europe becoming a more complex issue for its citizens? How are European Muslims reconciling their multiple identities? And what is the basis for a European identity? Does an increase in extremism, euroscepticism, islamaphobia and a move back towards nationalism indicate that people are unhappy with those who identify themselves in different ways?

In a continent progressively challenged by mixed identities, who is it with the identity crisis? Europe, or Islam, or both?

Participants

Pal Schmitt
Vice-President of the European Parliament
Douglas Murray
Director, The Centre for Social Cohesion
Malika Hamidi
Vice-President, European Muslim Network
Dr Chris Allen
Academic, writer and broadcaster on Islamophobia in Europe
Bashy Quraishy
Chair Advisory Council, European Network Against Racism
Daniel Hannan
Member of the European Parliament

Debate moderated by Shada Islam, Senior Policy Executive, European Policy Centre.

Further information can be found at http://www.oursharedeurope.org/activities.

Islamophobia: only 10% of Muslims believe discrimination is on the basis of religion

A somewhat overlooked report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published towards the end of May this year has shown up some interesting findings.

The report – the second ‘Data in Focus’ report from the ‘European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey’ (EU-MIDIS) – formed part of an EU-wide survey that asked immigrant and ethnic minority groups about their experiences of discrimination and criminal victimisation in everyday life. Surveying a total of “23,500 immigrant and ethnic minority people across all 27 Member States of the EU during 2008″, the FRA claim that EU-MIDIS provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of the extent of discrimination and victimisation against minorities in the EU.