Jardine calls for Action on Islamophobia
Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine has marked Islamophobia Awareness Month in Parliament by urging the Government to act on rising hate crime levels.
Christine has tabled a cross-party early day motion, calling for the Government to stand up against religious hatred, and to ensure public bodies to have the resources and training to identify and prevent faith-based hate crime.
Tell MAMA, a leading charity working with Muslim communities, reported a sevenfold increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, compared to the same period in 2022. This has included an increase in verbal and physical abuse, as well as reports of the targeting of mosques.
Today (Tuesday 14th November) the Liberal Democrat Equalities spokesperson joined MPs from across Parliament to commemorate Islamophobia Awareness Month for a reception with Muslim community leaders from across the United Kingdom.
Christine said: “Like so many people across Edinburgh, I have been appalled by the scenes in Israel and Palestine, and it is shocking to see Muslim communities across Edinburgh and the UK facing a new wave of religious hatred as a consequence.
“I recently met Tell MAMA in Parliament to hear about the rise of Islamophobia – with horrific stories of members of the public being abused for wearing a hijab or being accused of supporting the actions of terrorists simply because of their faith.
“Today I joined Muslim community leaders from across the UK in Parliament to mark Islamophobia Awareness Month. Now more than ever, it is vital we work towards a more tolerant and respectful society, and to end faith-based hate crime in our communities.
“This appalling situation requires strong leadership from the UK Government, and I would urge them to do more to support public bodies, charities and local government to work together to stamp out anti-Muslim and religious hatred once and for all.”