Staff news

Islamophobia Awareness Month 2021

November is Islamophobia Awareness Month and there are various events and resources available to staff and students who want to find out more about this important national campaign.

What is Islamophobia Awareness Month?

Islamophobia Awareness Month highlights the threat of Islamophobic hate crimes and showcases the positive contributions of British Muslims to society.

The campaign, held every November, aims to work with the Police, local councils, journalists, local media outlets, councillors, local MPs, mosques, universities, schools, community organisations and others to raise awareness of the threat of Islamophobia and encourage better reporting of incidents to the police.

IAM raises awareness within society of how Muslims are discriminated against in various spheres, along with providing information on the positive contributions of Muslims to the UK.

It helps break down barriers and challenge incorrect stereotypes people may hold about Muslims, as well as providing an avenue for people of other backgrounds to engage with Muslims.

 

Events

There are various events happening throughout the month that all staff and students are welcome to attend. Information on these can be found below.

Talk on ‘Islamophobia: Causes and Cures’

Wednesday 10 November 2021 from 5.15pm – 6.30pm

Venue: Online - Sign up via EventBrite

Collaboration: ISocEd (University of Edinburgh Islamic Society) in collaboration with MEND

Audience: All welcome

As part of raising awareness about Islamophobia, the Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), which helps empower and encourage Muslims to tackle discrimination and hate crime, will be presenting an online talk to introduce the issue and discuss the causes of Islamophobia as well as the cures. At the end of the session, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions relevant to the issue. 

 

Panel discussion: Islamophobia, Prevent and ‘Us’

Thursday 11 November from 12.30pm – 1.30pm

Venue: Online - Sign up via EventBrite

Collaboration: RACE.ED in collaboration with EREN (the University of Edinburgh staff Race Equality Network) and ISocEd (University of Edinburgh Islamic Society)

Audience: All welcome

How and why does Prevent have such a detrimental impact in British Muslim life, and what are the underlying ideologies framing it's approach? Join us for this EREN and RACE.ED co-hosted event where panellists will discuss these questions and the wider relationship between Islamophobia and the Prevent agenda. In this session we will also learn about the People’s Review of Prevent and the refusal of British Muslim communities to participate in the UK Government’s review of Prevent led by Sir William Shawcross. Contributors will include Dr Madeleine Abbas, Dr Khadijah Elshayyal and Prof John Holmwood, and the discussion will be chaired by Prof Nasar Meer.

 

Forum on ‘Being A Muslim’

Tuesday 16 November 2021 | 5pm registration/arrival for 5.30pm start

Venue: Auditorium, The Chaplaincy, Bristo Square. Sign up here

Collaboration: ISocEd (University of Edinburgh Islamic Society) in collaboration with The University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy

Audience: All welcome

As a part of the ‘Being at University’ podcast series by The Chaplaincy, the podcast ‘Being A Muslim’ was a conversation with two students about their experiences coming from different backgrounds, and how Islam became a grounding and motivation for themselves. In this session, the audience will have the opportunity to openly discuss and share their stories and experiences of being a Muslim, whether at the University or outside the University. This event aims to create a sense of belonging and connectedness within the Muslim community, and raise awareness and understanding for non-Muslim communities. 

 

 ‘Let’s Talk: Islamophobia and the Importance of Allyship’

Tuesday 23 November 2021 from 5.15pm – 6.30pm

Venue: Auditorium, The Chaplaincy, Bristo Square. Sign up here.

Collaboration: ISocEd (University of Edinburgh Islamic Society) in collaboration with MEND

Audience: All welcome.

Join us in discussing Islamophobia with a focus on changes needed to advocate and tackle this form of racism by Muslims and non-Muslims, highlighting the importance of allyship. Hosted by the University of Edinburgh’s Muslim Chaplain, Dr Sohaib Saeed, the forum will also discuss how the hijab has become a symbol of political and European Islamophobia, and the impacts it has had on Muslims in the UK. The audience will also be informed of guidelines to seek out help if they have experienced Islamophobia or if they know someone who has. This will be an interactive forum where the audience will be encouraged to join the discussion. 

 

Resources

Chaplaincy

Being Muslim at the University (podcast)

Let’s Talk – Islamophobia (podcast)

Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World

Stand-Up to Hate (animations)

RACE.ED

Undersong - Antisemitism & Islamophobia (podcast)