Forum for Peace UK trustee Imam Qari Asim responds to the violent riots of the past week

Forum for Peace UK and Hope Not Hate trustee Imam Qari Asim responds to the violent riots of the past week

“We are worried - yet we remain committed to all that makes Britain truly great.

For the last week, we have seen stories of racist thugs and hooligans attacking our mosques and intimidating our community in the streets. The elderly, women and children in my community are having to think twice about going into the city centre or taking public transport. Protests have sought to intimidate not only British Muslims but all minorities, religious and ethnic. This hatred contradicts the British values of togetherness, acceptance, and unity.

How did we get here? Since the tragedy at Southport, we have seen the rapid rise of misinformation and the radicalisation of parts of the population. This follows years of extreme voices - in particular some media outlets, among certain politicians, and within some think tanks - echoing and legitimising language that demonises Muslims and migrant communities in national discourse, empowering the hatred in hearts and violent actions of those we see on the front covers of our papers and, thankfully, being prosecuted in our courtrooms. Yet we also got here after decades of austerity and a serious lack of investment in social cohesion programmes, particularly those aimed at young people. What we are seeing now is not an isolated event, but rather the compounding of issues over years.

Not all people involved in this unrest are racist thugs. We need to draw a line between those who are racist and those who have genuine, legitimate concerns about immigration and social inequalities, but that must be discussed through constructive dialogue, not by shouting and hurling bricks. Violence begets violence, and suddenly a vicious cycle of hatred among protestors and counter protestors is established.

I see some young Muslims responding to this violence by wanting to protect their mosque and their community and institutions, sometimes in a way that doesn’t reflect our proud history of peacefully and democratically dealing with challenges and threats.

At the Mosques and Imams Advisory Board, I along with other Imams, have issued guidance that none should take the law into their own hands. It’s the job of the police and other authorities to protect individuals and Mosques, and we should support them rather than become a hindrance. I personally welcome the additional support offered by the Home Secretary. And as a Trustee for the Forum for Peace UK, I have helped shape discussions on what positive citizenship for our Muslim community looks like in the UK - one that courageously addresses any form of aggression and extremism.

In Islam, our faith encourages a positive citizenship that upholds the law of the land, values the importance of security, promotes tolerance and contributes to the overall flourishing of our society. We are proud to be British, but the violence we are seeing is not reflective of the Britain we love.

There are reasons to be hopeful. After the news cameras and journalists cover the unrest, the rebuilding begins. The Southport community came together to rebuild Muslim community centres. Imams courageously invite far right members into their mosque. Muslims join with countless others to defend asylum seekers and refugees. Faith leaders, of all traditions, have stood together in solidarity with Muslims. It was truly heartening to stand with faith leaders at the Southport Mosque condemning Islamophobia and then walking together, in grief, to lay flowers in memory of the three young girls brutally killed. These encounters and activities show that no matter how fractured interfaith relationships may seem in this country, people of all faiths and beliefs stand together when they see a stain on our national moral conscience.

The momentum to tackle hatred and enhance community cohesion is on our side, yet it’s not acutely felt. It is often the fruit of relationships built over years and the quiet work of peacebuilding and community restoration that thrives out of the ashes of conflict.

More is needed, however. We need stronger collaboration and sustained engagement between political leadership and faith leaders to improve and enhance community cohesion. This requires investment and strategy - restoring the relationship between HM Government and the Muslim community and increased funding for interfaith initiatives and youth programmes. The incitement of violence online must be dealt with, and we can no longer tolerate the spewing of hate from people of influence in our politics. I have pledged, along with the key faith leaders - the Chief Rabbi, Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop of Westminster and Chief Imam of Scottish Ahlul Bayat Society “to work with government and all sections of society, towards a constructive and compassionate dialogue on immigration and social cohesion.”

We need to - collectively - work to offer a vision of positive citizenship to our young people. Together, we can show them a Britain that is truly great. And the first step is modelling togetherness, acceptance, and unity ourselves.”

Imam Qari Asim is chair of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, Trustee of Forum for Peace UK and Hope not Hate.