The first mainstream television advertisement by a Muslim charity will be aired over the festive period, a development many hope will help to challenge the misconception that Muslims are anti-Christmas. The 59-second advert for the West Yorkshire charity Penny Appeal highlights the often ignored role of British Muslims in helping vulnerable people across the UK over Christmas.

The commercial, which will debut on Christmas Eve and will feature on ITV and Channel 5 over the festive period, underlines the fact that for many British Muslims the festive season is about helping others.

Recognition of the charitable contribution made by Britain’s Muslim community follows years of fake news stories claiming that Muslims are opposed to Christmas. The latest emerged on Thursday, albeit in Italy, and centered on claims – later found to be misreported – from rightwing media commentators that officials in the north of the country had ordered the removal of a Christmas tree to avoid offending Muslims.

A UK parliamentary report published the previous day promoted a more accurate and competing view, concluding that Muslims are not recognized for the charity work they undertake, particularly over Christmas. The report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on British Muslims said that charitable acts by the UK’s Muslim community were “willfully” ignored by the UK media.

Former Tory cabinet minister Baroness Warsi, treasurer of the APPG, admitted that her own party, aided by sections of the media, had fostered negative and ill-founded allegations against Britain’s 3 million Muslims… Bilal Hassam, creative director of British Muslim TV, said he hoped more people knew that Britain’s Muslims embodied the true spirit of Christmas.

Source: The Guardian