I have been equally busy in the final half of Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM) over the last two weeks to make the most of the momentum we have already achieved. IAM is all about celebrating the positive contributions of British Muslims, and raising awareness of the Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate that is inflicted every day.

I have been particularly pleased with the support shown to this work by my Parliamentary colleagues, many of whom have publicly supported IAM and condemned all forms of hate.

I welcomed Parliamentarians, Ambassadors, academics, journalists and stakeholders to launch the new report by Runnymede Trust – ‘Islamophobia: the intensification of racism against Muslim Communities in the UK’. This report comes at a critical time following the scenes of violence witnessed over the summer. It examines threats to British Muslims perpetrated by politicians, mainstream media outlets, and institutions like Prevent.

We heard from the authors of different chapters of the report about the necessity of their research and what can be done to call out the harmful effects of Islamophobia across the country. We were also joined by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi who spoke of the deep social impacts of Islamophobia and H.E. Ambassador Husam Zomlot who stressed the global nature of the issue. His Excellency gave a powerful message, while acknowledging that the responses to the siege on Gaza were deeply intertwined with Islamophobia, stressed the situation in Palestine was not a Muslim issue but human issue. Read their report on Islamophobia HERE.

The following day, I hosted my annual Islamophobia Awareness Month drop-in event with Amnesty International UK and The Muslim Council of Britain, along with Ambassadors from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. I was delighted to welcome 50 MPs and Peers to stand up against Islamophobia. We held great conversations, and many MPs were keen to learn more about how to tackle Islamophobia and support Muslim constituents. I am grateful for my colleagues from all major political parties coming along to show solidarity and commemorate IAM.

Check out the MPs and Peers who came, HERE.

In Manchester, I attended the BMHC Gala Dinner 2024 along with the Minister for Faith. We celebrated the wonderful achievements and contributions of individuals who have dedicated their time to supporting and uplifting the community. The Minister spoke about the need to tackle hate crimes against Muslims and I look forward to closely following the Government’s work in this area. Check it out HERE.

White Ribbon Day is during Islamophobia Awareness Month, so I made sure to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls. I joined a roundtable discussion in Parliament that gave Muslim women from across the UK the chance to share their lived experiences of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate. We had the opportunity to hear their stories and reflect on how initiatives and policies can help to empower these communities.

Acting on this experience, I raised the issue of the complex and intersectional discrimination inflicted on Muslim women in a Westminster Hall Debate on Violence Against Women and Girls. It was great to see so many of my colleagues joining in on the debate and it was agreed that we must challenge stereotypes and discrimination that targets Muslim women whenever we can. Read my intervention HERE.

On Wednesday evening, I had the honour of being selected as the Patchwork Foundation’s Labour MP of the Year, partly for my work on Islamophobia. At the event I talked about how far we have come, and how far we must go, to tackle this hatred and discrimination. I also stressed, once again, how adopting a working definition of Islamophobia is absolutely vital in order to effectively tackle it. It was a privilege to receive this award and only encourages me, and the brilliant communities I work with, to keep pushing for a fairer society. Read more HERE.

I then sat on a panel which was discussing how we can tackle the far-right at The University of Manchester. The room was full of key people from across Greater Manchester who want to tackle hatred, that is most often aimed at Muslims or perceived Muslimness, and we discussed how we can all play a part in doing this. I appreciate Vice Chancellor Duncan Ivison for prioritising this important discussion and inviting me to be a part of it. Read more about it in my constituency round-up HERE.

I concluded IAM this year by hosting a session with Hope Not Hate on tackling Islamophobia and how to confront racism, xenophobia, and anti-multiculturalism. Positively engaging different communities in this way is vital step in confronting hate. Check out the photos HERE.

After four full-on weeks of raising awareness for IAM, I am so pleased with what has been achieved this year. However, the work does not stop. I will continue to do what I can to combat Islamophobia and to call out racism and hatred when I see it and I remain committed to our goal of creating a more equal and accepting society.