Muslim organizations call on UK government to take tangible steps to address rising Islamophobia

ATHENS (AA) – Some 80 Muslim organizations and community leaders called the UK government to take tangible steps to address rising Islamophobia in the country.

In a statement, the organizations and community leaders, organized under the Islamophobia Action Group, drew attention to the normalization of Islamophobia, which recently fueled riots in some cities, and urged the government to officially adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) definition of Islamophobia “to send a clear message that Islamophobia will not be tolerated.”

The statement also called on the government to initiate an independent investigation that would focus on the role of social media platforms, mainstream media, and political narratives in disseminating hate and Islamophobia.

“The government must engage directly with legitimate, democratically elected representatives of Muslim communities, particularly the Muslim Council of Britain, to ensure that Muslim voices are heard and addressed,” it added.

Commenting on the issue, a spokesperson for the Islamophobia Action Group said: “This is a critical moment to address the root causes of hate and to protect our society.”

Earlier this month, the UK experienced a surge of racist attacks, violent protests and hate crimes directed against Muslims, immigrants and people of colour. The events followed a stabbing attack by a non-Muslim immigrant who was mistaken as a Muslim. The misinformation spread by the media triggered a wave of Islamophobic violence.