Political opportunism behind sharp rise in attacks against Islam and Muslims in the UK

BMI working to build a broad coalition against Islamophobia

The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) follows with great and increasing concern, the sharp rise in attacks against Islam and Muslims on a number of fronts over the past few weeks.

Following Pope Benedict’s recent lecture in which he quoted an ancient statement that caused great offence to Muslims throughout the world, as well as statements from a number of government officials on a number of occasions, incidents of either verbal or physical attacks on Islam and Muslims have been recorded on a frequent and often regular basis.

The recent unrest in Berkshire following a fire bomb attack on a Dairy owned by a Muslim family as well as the defecation of a copy of the Holy Quran by a prison officer and throwing a pig’s head at a Newport Mosque on the first day of the month of Ramadhan, are mere signals of an increasingly alarming trend that runs deep in our society.

Anas Altikriti spokesperson for BMI said “along with outrageously xenophobic and racist reports and commentaries in the media, politicians have also chosen to contribute to the frenzy, with David Cameron promising to ‘break Muslim ghettos’, Jack Straw deciding that the time was right to call for the removal of Muslim women’s veils at his surgeries and John Reid taking a few unsavoury stands in regards with Muslims he ought to be busy defending, there is cause for great alarm amongst us all”.

The British Muslim Initiative calls on the government, political parties and all concerned authorities, including the police and security forces to carry out their full responsibility in stamping out such acts and statements which not only demonstrate a racist streak, but forsake the safety, security and welfare of an entire community that is at the heart of British society.

BMI also calls for the establishment and initiation of a wide-reaching anti-Islamaphobia coalition bringing together all organisations, associations and groups from all aspects of society  regardless of their religious, ethnic and ideological background that wish to see a Britain void of racism, xenophobia, fascism and fanaticism of all forms. Such a coalition will be the true representative of Britain and British people, and will show that those who select to demean, offend, exclude and suppress Muslims, stand alone and do not represent the people or the country they claim to defend or promote. BMI will work tirelessly with all those who are concerned to build this crucial coalition within coming days and weeks.

For further information and interviews please contact:

Mr Ihtisham Hibatullah: 07786 257120

British Muslim Initiative

6^th of October, 2006