After recent far-right riots across England, many Muslim organisations demand that the government act to counteract Islamophobia. These groups are pressing for action from the government in the form of independent inquiries and consultation with the leaders of Muslim communities, as well as in defining the concept of Islamophobia more accurately.
The recent riots challenging the politics against immigrants and racism demonstrated hatred against Muslims; rioters attacked mosques chanting stop the boats, and we want our country back Internet rumours instigated the riots that the man who killed three young girls in a dance class in Southport late July was a Muslim immigrant.
In response, 80 Muslim organisations have jointly written an open letter asking the government to investigate the part played by social media, political speech, and the primary stream media in encouraging such violence. They say that these factors contributed significantly towards the acts of riots, and as such, they require a critical and thorough investigation.
Linsay Taylor, the Community Development and Engagement manager of MEND (Muslim Engagement and Development), called for a wide-ranging government review. “We want the government to explain why these riots happened. It did not happen in a vacuum,” Taylor added. That means that the review should cover social media and all the factors that made it possible for this to happen, and we need solutions to put an end to such incidences.
Members of the media were informed during a press briefing on Wednesday that the riots witnessed in the past few days point to the need to tame social media, especially about the fake news that can lead to loss of lives. Taylor explained how the situation was hopeless, mentioning that it was possible to get caught in the hotels which were burned down in the riots. “We need to understand what went down here and how people were incited to that kind of violent act based on fake news,” she said.
The open letter and the list of its signees also demand the launch of an independent review of counter-terrorism legislation in addition to other demands, which can be seen as follows: the government is encouraged to cooperate with representatives of the Muslim community more actively. At the same time, Britain’s authorities have been applauded for effectively responding to the riots – prosecuting offenders and providing extra security to mosques – the Muslim leaders say that there was no “official or genuine interaction” with their community.
Those who signed the letter are appealing to the government to “communicate with legal, elected, and representative national officials of the Muslims, such as the Muslim Council of Britain, an association of more than five hundred Muslim associations and organisations.
The open letter also wants the government to accept the definition of Islamophobia by the APPG as “an ideology rooted in racism and a type of racism that targets Muslimness or perceived Muslimness. ”
A spokesperson for the Islamophobia Action Group emphasised the urgency of government action: Far-right riots in recent weeks have been motivated by Islamophobia – with deadly and identifiable consequences. The government must get its house in order: adopt the APPG definition of Islamophobia, investigate the far-right, and hold meaningful dialogue with both Muslims and their political representatives. This is not the time for entrenched denial – the time for action is now.
