80 Muslim groups urge UK to combat rising Islamophobia

Some 80 Muslim organizations and community leaders urged the U.K. government Wednesday 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 prejudice against Islam, which recently fueled riots in some cities. They urged the government to officially adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group (AAPG) 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 anti-Islam bias.

“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 group said: “This is a critical moment to address the root causes of hate and to protect our society.”