The violence we saw in Summer 2024, triggered by Islamophobic disinformation and resulting in targeted attacks on mosques, Muslim communities and others across 27 towns and cities, represent a watershed moment that demands immediate and decisive action. These events occurred against a backdrop of increasingly emboldened far-right rhetoric, fuelled by the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency and the subsequent normalization of anti-Muslim sentiment and racism more broadly in mainstream political discourse across the Western world.

The landmark National Islamophobia Strategy Meeting, convened by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), brought together community activists, organizations, grassroots representatives and academics from across the country to develop a unified response.

This critical initiative comes as Home Office statistics reveal nearly 40% of all religious hate crime being targeted at Muslims, in the year ending March 2024.

“The events of Summer 2024 have made it clear that we must move beyond words to decisive action,” said Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain. “Our communities face unprecedented challenges, but we are responding with unprecedented unity and determination.”

The meeting identified three key areas requiring immediate attention through dedicated taskforces:

• • Development of practical measures for comprehensive recording of Islamophobic incidents
  • Creation of accessible support networks for victims
  • Implementation of localised reporting mechanisms
  • Regular analysis of trends to inform targeted interventions
  • Special focus on isolated communities and gender-specific experiences

• • Documentation of lived experiences within Muslim communities
  • Development of research capacity to understand systemic issues
  • Analysis of institutional impacts on Muslim communities
  • The real-world impact of our toxic social media landscape
  • Creation of partnerships with civil rights organisations and human rights groups

• • Strengthening grassroots networks and initiatives
  • Building educational and awareness programmes
  • Developing interfaith and wider community engagement
  • Supporting cultural and artistic initiatives to challenge misconceptions

This community-led initiative builds on the Prime Minister’s recent recognition of Islamophobia as a serious issue in Parliament on 13 November. However, words must now be matched with concrete action. The meeting called on the Government to formally recognize and combat Islamophobia by adopting the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims’ definition and establish funded, independent monitoring mechanisms that maintain Muslim community confidence.

With a 25% increase in religious hate crimes compared to the previous year – the highest since records began in 2012 – the communities gathered last Saturday have called on all sections of British society to support these initiatives and join in the work of creating a more inclusive Britain.

Working groups will develop detailed proposals within these areas over the next 6-10 months.

Source: Muslim Council of Britain

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the North Texas Islamic Council (NTIC) joined forces to hold the 61st ISNA Convention in Dallas over Labor Day weekend at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, celebrating the theme of “The Muslim American: Forging Faith & Action.”

“This year’s #ISNA61 held in Dallas, TX was a huge success with over 21,000 attendees,” said convention chair and former ISNA president, Azhar Azeez. “This was an unprecedented and historic convention.”

NTIC president Mujeeb Kazi served as the ISNA convention vice chair and says the 2024 convention broke records with the number of attendees for the event which is normally held in Chicago.

“It is an extraordinary, happy moment, especially for those who live in North Texas,” said Kazi. “We see the ISNA organization as a true representative of Muslim sentiment across the entire spectrum — it’s not just the religious services, it’s not just establishing institutions, it’s about shaping the narrative.”

The four-day event provided numerous parallel sessions covering critical topics to foster dialogue and reflection on faith, health, environmental issues, politics and community building.

Headlining speakers included media critic and journalist Medi Hasan, the first female Muslim military chaplain Saleha Jabeen, African American civil rights leader and academic, Dr. Cornel West among many others.“ISNA is a historic organization, and for 61 years it has been trying to keep alive the best of a great Islamic legacy in the United States,” said West, who is Christian. “So for me to be able to come here in the spirit of humility, to learn and listen as well as speak, and be able to just revel in the humanity of my Muslim brothers and sisters and engage in serious intellectual and religious wrestling is an honor.”

Saleha Jabeen, who is with the air force, has attended the convention for many years and says she “would never want to skip any year for multiple reasons, you get to be around community… mentors and people of different generations, and it just reminds me of what I am supposed to be as an active member of the community.”

CEO of Emgage, a Muslim-led civic action organization, Wa’el Alzayat emphasized the benefit of the convention, “ISNA is such an important annual gathering for Muslim Americans and allies to reconnect, to celebrate our religion, to celebrate each other and to also dedicate ourselves to the betterment of our community, our country and the world.”

One notable session featured esteemed imams who guided attendees on how to translate faith into action while delving into urgent issues, such as the genocide facing Palestinians in Gaza. The former Imam of the Islamic Association of North Texas, Shpendim Nadzaku who spoke on a panel discussing the imam’s role in activating the community, said ISNA’s presence in DFW was significant.

“I think it’s important for us as Muslims, especially within a city as Dallas that has such a high profile role within the politics of the country as a whole,” said Nadzaku, who currently works for the City of Dallas’ Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs department.

The diversity and networking opportunities that the convention afforded were appreciated by Imam Muhammad Abdul-Jami of Masjid Al-Islam, located in downtown Dallas. One of the oldest mosques in the area, it serves a mainly African American congregation.

“We believe that the work we’re doing at Masjid Al-Islam is so important that everyone should know about it and support it on whatever level that they can,” said Abdul-Jami. “I think it’s inspiring for everyone to see and collaborate with Muslims who are doing great things, learning from these sessions and having fun together.”

There were approximately 50 parallel sessions, including a youth-led convention which was managed, organized and led entirely by young leaders. There were also spaces for reverts and multilingual Muslim community members.

The convention also had separate tracks for African American and Hispanic Muslims, with 300 complimentary badges, complimentary booths and sessions for Islam in Spanish and Masjid Al Islam. 35% of event speakers were from these communities.

ISNA is one of the largest Muslim nonprofit umbrella organizations in North America, dedicated to fostering the development of the community, interfaith relations, civic engagement and a better understanding of Islam. ISNA provides platforms for community development, leadership training and promotes understanding through events like the annual convention.

NTIC is committed to fostering unity, collaboration and advocacy among Muslims in North Texas. NTIC works towards addressing the spiritual, social and civic needs of its communities through educational programs, community engagement, interfaith relationships and collaborative initiatives.

NTIC President Kazi and Convention Chair, Azeez, both said the event’s success was a testament to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers and staff who had been planning it for almost a year and they thanked attendees, speakers and participating Masjids for making this convention an outstanding success.

Source: Medium.com