Crime

Labour’s new Islamophobia definition could be ‘used to hinder police’ The government has said it would not accept any definition of anti-Muslim hatred which 'stops criminals being investigated'

(GB News) Labour’s plans for an official definition of Islamophobia will be used to object to police investigating Muslims for criminal offences, a lawyer claimed. Prior to her resignation earlier this month, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner set up a group […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Government-backed Islamophobia group linked to foundation that slammed counter-extremism programme The Aziz Foundation said that Prevent 'actively harms Muslims' as a Tory MP described the move as 'deeply concerning'

(GB News) Supporters of a highly-controversial plan to set “appropriate limits to free speech” about Muslims have been given up to £2.6million by the government to police and monitor “Islamophobia.” The British Muslim Trust has been awarded a £1million-a-year contract by ministers […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

UK government blocked own Islamophobia advisers from consulting Muslim organisations Working group appointed to draw up new definition has not been allowed to engage with Muslim Council of Britain, but consulted public figures accused of Islamophobia

(Middle East Eye) The British government blocked a working group it set up to advise on a possible definition of Islamophobia from consulting the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), while the group consulted prominent figures and organisations themselves accused of Islamophobia, Middle […]

Children & Teens

Bombshell report exposes attempts by Muslim Council of Britain group to censor UK media The Muslim Council of Britain's Centre for Media Monitoring complained about reports labelling 'Jihadi John' a terrorist

(GB News) The Muslim Council of Britain’s media monitoring unit “acted in bad faith” by trying to suppress accurate reporting about terrorism and risks curtailing press freedom, a bombshell report has claimed. Policy Exchange tonight released its 94-page report, titled “Bad Faith […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Starmer has handled Gaza ‘badly,’ say four in five elected Labour Muslim representatives New survey by Labour Muslim Network shows two-thirds do not believe Muslim representatives are treated equally in the party

(Middle East Eye) A major survey has revealed that 82 percent of Britain’s Muslim Labour MPs, councillors and mayors believe Prime Minister Keir Starmer has handled Israel’s war on Gaza “badly.” The poll of over 220 elected Muslim representatives by the Labour […]

Clothing

Revealed: NHS staff told how to ‘make best decision ever’ by converting to Islam 'For many converts, becoming Muslim isn't always a celebration, as many friends and relatives need some time to accept the good news,' the guidance reads

(GB News) NHS staff have been informed how to convert to Islam in a guide made by the NHS Muslim Network. The Network’s “Guide for New Muslims” tells NHS staff that converting to Islam will be the “best decision you ever make” […]

Clerics & Preachers

Minister addresses concerns over government engagement with those accused of extremism Tory MP Nick Timothy raised concerns about Communities Minister Jim McMahon's decision to attend an iftar event organised by the European Islamic Centre

(Jewish News) A senior minister has addressed concerns over government engagement with individuals and groups accused of links with Islamist extremism. Security Minister Dan Jarvis told MPs on Monday that the Labour government takes tackling extremism “incredibly seriously” but added it would not […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

UK Islamophobia definition to protect right to ‘insult religions’ The new working group on Islamophobia signals the government is engaging with the British Muslim Network, but not the Muslim Council of Britain

(Middle East Eye) The UK government has published more details about a working group set up to advise it on a possible definition of Islamophobia which would also protect the right to “insult” religious beliefs and practices. The membership of the working […]

Crime

Baroness Warsi endorses government pulling funding from Islamophobia monitor Tell Mama has been accused of lacking credibility and under-reporting hate crimes by over 90 percent

(Middle East Eye) Former Conservative chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has endorsed the Labour government’s decision to pull funding from an Islamophobia reporting service accused of severely under-reporting hate crimes. Tell Mama, which is funded by the communities ministry, was founded in 2012. […]

Government & Politics

Muslim Council of Britain denies endorsing British Muslim Network Sayeeda Warsi told launch event that the MCB was among community organisations which had expressed support for the new network

(Middle East Eye) The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has distanced itself from the British Muslim Network (BMN) after Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a former government minister, suggested that the new organisation had the MCB’s support at a launch event on Tuesday. Addressing remarks made by […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Muslim council urges UK government to adopt Islamophobia definition Government plans to establish a council to advise on drawing up an official definition for anti-Muslim discrimination

(Middle East Eye) The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has urged the UK government to adopt the contentious definition of Islamophobia proposed in 2018 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Muslims in comments made to Middle East Eye. Earlier, it emerged that […]

Government & Politics

New lobby group for British Muslims ‘won’t compete with Muslim Council of Britain’ Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrat figures have all expressed willingness to engage with the group

(Hyphen) A new body that hopes to lobby the government on issues affecting Muslims across areas including education, healthcare and the criminal justice system is set to launch next month — and insists it won’t seek to rival the Muslim Council of […]

Government & Politics

Ousted MP Khalid Mahmood claims ‘patriarchy’ forced MCB leader out The Muslim Council of Britain is holding an election because Zara Mohammed, the current secretary-general, has reached her two-term limit

(Middle East Eye) Khalid Mahmood, a former Labour MP who lost his seat at the July general election to a pro-Palestinian independent, has claimed that the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) ousted its leader because of “patriarchy.” MCB’s secretary-general, Zara Mohammed, is […]

Children & Teens

Muslim Council leadership hopefuls advocated for children to identify as ‘Muslim rather than British’ in ‘disturbing’ views A Muslim former MP has warned how it is 'no accident' that the Muslim Council of Britain 'keeps getting it wrong'

(GB News) Muslim children in the UK should primarily identify as Muslim rather than as British, a candidate hoping to lead the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said. Dr Mohammed Wajid Akhter, who is contesting Dr Muhammad Adrees to lead the […]

Government & Politics

Candidates for Muslim Council of Britain leadership supported campaign to undermine Labour at elections Two UK doctors are running to lead umbrella organisation of mosques and Muslim charities

(National-UAE) Two candidates who backed a campaign to undermine the Labour Party in the last general election are running to lead the Muslim Council of Britain, an umbrella body representing hundreds of mosques and Muslim charities in the UK. Successive UK governments […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

UK Muslim group asks Tories to remove shadow justice secretary for ‘admiring’ far-right 'Ms (Kemi) Badenoch cannot allow what appears to be support for such Islamophobic and extreme content from a member of her shadow cabinet,' says head of Muslim Council of Britain

(Anadolu) The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) on Tuesday called on the main opposition Conservative Party to remove Robert Jenrick from his position as shadow justice secretary over leaked messages showing his admiration for a far-right social media account. The MCB issued […]

Government & Politics

New Muslim group ‘supported by Labour’ aims to challenge MCB’s leadership Former army imam among prominent figures involved in new network which seeks to engage with Keir Starmer's government and 'influence public policy'

(Middle East Eye) The Labour Party is supporting the creation of a new Muslim leadership group intended to become the primary point of engagement between Keir Starmer’s government and Muslim communities in the UK, Middle East Eye can exclusively reveal. A draft […]

Clerics & Preachers

Over 400 UK imams reject new extremism definition targeting Muslim groups Religious scholars accuse government of 'divisive tactics' and attempting to crack down on groups opposed to Israeli actions against Palestinians

(Middle East Eye) Over 400 British imams and religious scholars have signed a letter rejecting a new UK government definition of extremism that targeted several British Muslim organisations. Last week, Communities Secretary Michael Gove announced a contentious new definition of extremism, though the […]

Demonstrations

Michael Gove says ‘good-hearted people’ at pro-Palestine marches should question potential ‘extremist organisers’ Tens of thousands of people participated in a Gaza protest on Saturday in London — the fifth march in the capital this year — which saw five arrests and a counter-protester de-arrested.

(Sky News) Michael Gove has urged pro-Palestinian protesters to question whether extremist groups are behind some of the demonstrations — days ahead of publishing a new official definition of extremism. The housing secretary said “good-hearted people” attending the marches should be aware […]

Academics & Education

UK to create ‘blacklist’ of Muslim groups under new extremism definition Government is bringing in robust changes to target groups and individuals 'undermining' British values

(National-UAE) The UK government is creating a “blacklist” of organisations under a new definition of extremism which would see their funding cut. Several Muslim groups are likely to be on the list after being singled out in government reports. The groups facing […]

Government & Politics

UK withdraws interfaith charity funding over Muslim Council of Britain links The decision to stop funding the Inter Faith Network was due to the 'reputational risk' posed for government

(Middle East Eye) The British government intends to stop funding an interfaith charity because one of its trustees is a member of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which the British government refuses to engage with. Communities Secretary Michael Gove told the […]

Clerics & Preachers

Senior UK Muslim clerics condemn Hamas attacks on Israel in landmark statement 15 Muslim clerics also condemn ‘excessive force’ by Israel but don’t apportion blame for hospital strike

(Jewish News) Some of Britain’s most senior Muslim leaders have said they “denounce Hamas’s killing and abduction of innocent people” on 7 October and have steered clear of apportioning blame for the Gaza hospital killings. In a significant intervention by leading Muslim […]

Banks & Banking

Like Nigel Farage, British Muslims say they are being ‘de-banked’ Often without providing clear reasons, major high-street banks appear to be disproportionately closing the accounts of British Muslims, members of the minority group and experts say.

(Al-Jazeera) Two months ago, the Cordoba Foundation, a British think tank, was organising a forum in central London about political tensions in Tunisia. But when trying to settle invoices, its efforts to pay for the event failed. “Multiple attempts to pay the […]

Banks & Banking

Banks accused of closing accounts belonging to British Muslims The Muslim Council of Britain has written to political leaders, saying members of the community are 'disproportionately affected' and need to have their rights protected.

(Sky News) British Muslims are having their bank accounts closed “without adequate transparency and recourse,” representatives have claimed. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said individuals and organisations in the community were being “disproportionately affected by this issue” — leaving the group […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Tory ‘turmoil’ stopped party tackling Islamophobia in its ranks Two years after a report into discrimination within the party concluded, its author says progress has been 'slow' due to multiple changes at the top.

(Sky News) The “turmoil” at the top of the Tories has led to “slow” progress in tackling Islamophobia within the party, an independent reviewer has said. Boris Johnson launched an inquiry into discrimination within its ranks after the last election in 2019. […]

Children & Teens

Suella Braverman describes grooming gang comments as ‘unfashionable facts’ after backlash The home secretary claimed it was not racist to speak 'plain truths' after she was accused of amplifying far-right narratives with claims most grooming gang members are British-Pakistani.

(Sky News) Suella Braverman has defended her use of language after claiming grooming gang members are “almost all British-Pakistani,” describing them as “unfashionable facts” in the face of a backlash. In a column for the Spectator, the home secretary said it was […]

Children & Teens

Muslim groups urge Suella Braverman to withdraw ‘irresponsible and divisive’ grooming gang comments A Home Office-commissioned study in 2020 found that group-based child sexual exploitation offenders are most commonly white.

(Sky News) Suella Braverman has been urged to withdraw “divisive” comments around child sexual exploitation (CSE) by dozens of medical bodies, businesses and Muslim community organisations, Sky News can reveal. A number of Muslim organisations across the country have written to Rishi […]

Government & Politics

Government’s anti-terror programme failing to ‘understand and tackle antisemitism’ William Shawcross's long-[awaited] report into the Prevent programme includes references to cases that the author says show 'the prevalence of extreme antisemitism'

(Jewish News) The government’s anti-terror programme is not doing enough to “understand and tackle antisemitism,” a new report has concluded. The findings of former Charity Commission chairman William Shawcross’s long-awaited report into the Prevent programme included claims by the author he was […]

Demographics

UK: Growing Muslim population hailed as ‘strategic national asset’ New census data suggests Christians now a minority in England and Wales while number of those with 'no religion' increases

(Middle East Eye) The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said that the growth of the UK’s Muslim population is a “strategic national asset” for the country but raised concerns about the levels of poverty the community continues to live in. Results […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

‘UK leadership candidates not held to account over Islamophobia’ Addressing anti-Muslim hatred is not government’s priority, says former head of Conservative Muslim Forum

(Anadolu) The UK leadership candidates must address Islamophobia within the Conservative Party, according to the head of the country’s largest and most diverse Muslim umbrella organization. That has triggered demands that the next prime minister takes Islamophobia within the Tory party seriously […]