Mainstreaming Hate: How the Right Exploits the Crisis to Divide Us
Report Launch and Discussion: Mainstreaming Hate: How the Right Exploits the Crisis to Divide Us
10 Sep 2024, London Muslim Centre
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PRESS RELEASE – ISLAMOPHOBIA ACTION GROUP CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS IN TACKLING ISLAMOPHOBIA
Press Release – 28/08/2024
In light of the recent far-right riots, 80 Muslim organisations and community leaders have come together to demand immediate and concrete action from the government to tackle the growing threat of Islamophobia. The alarming rise in hate and violence towards Muslims has exposed the dangerous normalisation of Islamophobia in society, which fueled these attacks.
The situation is critical. We call on the government to take the following urgent actions:
- Adopt the APPG Definition of Islamophobia: The government must officially adopt the APPG definition, without delay, to send a clear message that Islamophobia will not be tolerated. The normalisation of anti-Muslim sentiment has been a key driver of the recent violence.
- Launch an Independent Review: An independent investigation into far-right activities is urgently needed, focusing on the role of social media platforms, mainstream media, and political narratives in perpetuating hate and Islamophobia.
- Engage with Muslim Communities: The government must engage directly with legitimate, democratically elected representatives of Muslim communities, particularly the Muslim Council of Britain, to ensure that Muslim voices are heard and addressed.
Islamophobia has surged alarmingly in recent months, culminating in serious far-right attacks. It is essential that the government takes immediate steps to build a strong, collaborative relationship with Muslim communities, fostering unity and ensuring that all groups feel represented and heard.
This is a pivotal moment. The time for action is now. A spokesperson for the Islamophobia Action Group said:
“Islamophobia has fueled the recent far-right riots, and the consequences are clear and dangerous. The government must act now by adopting the APPG definition of Islamophobia; investigate far-right activities; and engage directly with Muslim communities and their national representatives. This is a critical moment to address the root causes of hate and to protect our society.”
[End]
Notes to editors:
- The Islamophobia Action Group (IAG) was formed in response to the violent far-right riots that took place over the UK in August 2024 when Muslim communities and their places of worship came under serious attack. As Islamophobia has increased significantly and was the key driver of the far-right violence towards both Muslims and minority communities, a group of Muslim organisations began to coordinate collective action in the face of a very serious threat.
- For media queries, interviews or for further information, email islamophobiag@gmail.com
Israel & the West; The Question of Peace in the Middle East | The London Circle
Ilan Pappe’s ground-breaking book on Zionism launches in London
The Cordoba Foundation hosted a major event in London on 11 June 2024, to launch Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic, the latest work by acclaimed Israeli historian Prof Ilan Pappe.
The event was organised in partnership with the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) and One World Publications.
Attended by hundreds of people in a packed central London venue, the book launch began with a poignant moment as Dr Anas Altikriti, founder and CEO of The Cordoba Foundation, led a moment of silence in remembrance and prayers for the lives lost in Israel’s military operation in Gaza and across Palestine.
Published by One World Publications, Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic delves into the intricate and powerful networks that advocate for Zionist interests in both the US and Europe. Pappe, a professor of History at the University of Exeter and author of the bestselling The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, provided insightful commentary on his latest work.
The event featured a distinguished panel of speakers who offered their perspectives on the book and its themes. Palestinian academic, physician, and author Dr Ghada Karmi praised the book as “impressive,” noting its exploration of the origins of Christian Zionism.
Dr Daud Abdullah, director of Middle East Monitor and co-organiser of the event, emphasised the significance of Pappe’s work, stating that it goes beyond previous attempts to examine the Israeli lobby by investigating its operations in Europe and Britain.
Prof Nur Masalha, a Palestinian historian and associate member of SOAS, University of London, provided historical context, discussing the role of “millennial Christianity” and “restoration Christianity” in advancing the interests of the British Empire and the Zionist movement.
Altikriti moderated the conversation, allowing the panel to share their insights and engage with the audience in a question-and-answer session. His moderation throughout the evening facilitated a meaningful dialogue, highlighting the significance of Pappe’s work leaving no doubt about the book’s power to transform our understanding of Zionism.
Reflecting on the event, Altikriti said, “the launch of Professor Pappe’s new book marks a significant historical moment on multiple levels. The timing of this critical publication, coupled with the exceptional turnout that filled the venue to capacity, is particularly noteworthy. We are witnessing a paradigm shift in public discourse, undoubtedly influenced by the remarkable resilience and determination displayed by the people of Gaza in the face of unprecedented adversity. This shift unfolds amid a global order that urgently needs reform, one that can effectively hold rogue states accountable and ensure that no entity, regardless of power or influence, operates above the law.”
Dr Abdullah Faliq, Managing Director at The Cordoba Foundation and the lead organiser of the event, commended Prof Pappe on his new book and thanked him for making time to engage with the attendees, some of whom had travelled from across the UK and even abroad. “The relevance of this book launch is especially critical today as we see Zionism increasingly aligning with Far-Right elements and other extremist ideologies. This unholy alliance, built on shared xenophobic and nationalist sentiments, poses a significant threat to minority communities and democratic values.”
Faliq further added “Pappe’s book sheds light on recent efforts on both sides of the Atlantic to conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism and this discussion is particularly important as people in the US, UK and around the globe go to the polls. It serves as a timely warning about the potential impact of these lobbying efforts on electoral processes and policy-making.”
The event by The Cordoba Foundation with MEMO and OneWorld Publications not only launched an important scholarly work but also initiated a crucial dialogue about the far-reaching implications of Zionist lobbying in the West. As global attention remains focused on the ongoing situation in Palestine, Lobbying for Zionism and the discussions it has sparked provide valuable tools for understanding and addressing the complex dynamics that shape international responses to the conflict.
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The Cordoba Foundation welcomes UN resolution on Srebrenica Genocide
Roundtable recording – Islamic State, Governance and Power-Sharing, with Reference to Rachid Ghannouchi’s Political Thought
Panel
Prof Andrew March – USA
A professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, he specialises in political philosophy, Islamic law and political thought, religion and comparative and non-Western political theory. Author of several books including, The Caliphate of Man: The Invention of Popular Sovereignty in Modern Islamic Thought (2019), and with Rachid Ghannouchi, On Muslim Democracy: Essays and Dialogues (Nov 2023)
Dr Ahmed Gaaloul
Former Tunisian minister; lecturer and writer in Islamic Studies, and an advisor to Rachid Ghannouchi.
Dr Daud Abdullah (Moderator)
Director of the Middle East Monitor; lecturer and author of several books, including, Engaging the World: The Making of Hamas’s Foreign Policy (2021).
Moadh Ghannouchi
Son of Rachid Ghannouchi and former Chief-of-Staff Nahda Party, Tunisia.
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Special message by Shaykh Rachid Ghannouchi from prison to The Cordoba Foundation roundtable
Friday, February 16, 2024
I am in prison today because I called for the values of national democracy, which is part of universal democracy, and because the conflict in Tunisia is a conflict between democracy and non-democracy.
Some of the enemies of democracy rely on modernity as a basis to exclude Islamic opponents. We in Tunisia were founded on the values of Islam, and we do not find any justification to exclude those who disagree with us or those who believe in Islam with a different vision, because we do not see that there is an official spokesman for Islam.
I am in prison because a significant portion of the so-called Tunisian modernists are non-democratic. They call for a democracy that is just for them, an exclusionary democracy. Whereas We are in a struggle for a Tunisia for all and for a democracy that includes everyone inside Tunisia and outside Tunisia.
The country today is governed by the dualism of good and evil, right and wrong, patriotism and treason. This is the essence of the coup of July 25, 2021: the monopoly of patriotism, the monopoly of Islam, and the monopoly of righteousness. Therefore, the existing regime is in a relentless war against democracy in all its meanings. This approach cannot bring Tunisians together because God created people different.
The current system sees difference as a curse, but we see it as a mercy.
Palestine exposed the shortcomings of democracy within the framework of the nation state.
Democracy, as a mechanism, is one of the best mechanisms that the human political mind has produced for consensus and reaching settlements between differences and a way to resolve disputes away from violence.
But when democracy is confined to a particular group and is imprisoned within the trenches of nationalism, race, and colour, its mechanisms break down in more than one case – especially in the face of major challenges such as the Palestinian question.
The flaw, then, is not in the idea of democracy, but in the idea of the nation-state outside the framework of ethics and the values of equality for all human beings. There is no framework for ethics outside the framework of man as God’s khalifa / vicegerent on earth, the one who is entrusted to look after this world. Therefore, we demand democracy and add it to our understanding of Islam so that it emerges from the confines and the narrowness of the individual and the group to the vastness of humanity.
Shaykh Rachid Ghannouchi
Event Update: Gaza Genocide – Breaking the Cycle of Israeli War Crimes
Panel
Honourable Faiez Jacobs – South Africa
A South African Member of Parliament of Greater Athlone for the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Born and bred Capetonian serving communities on the Cape Flats, he previously served as the Secretary of the ANC in the Western Cape until 2019. He has been a long-standing advocate for the freedom of Palestine and is currently involved in passing a bill in Parliament in support of Palestine.
Shaykh Dr Yasir Qadhi – USA
A resident Scholar of the East Plano Islamic Center in Dallas, the Dean of The Islamic Seminary of America, and the Chair of the Fiqh Council of North Africa. Shaykh Al-Qadhi is one of the few people who has combined a traditional Eastern Islamic seminary education with a Western academic training of the study of Islam.
Tayab Ali
Director of the International Centre for Justice for Palestinians and an internationally recognised Solicitor Advocate. His practice encompasses criminal and civil/public law in both the UK and international jurisdictions. He is a Partner at leading London Law firm Bindmans LLP.
Antony Lerman
An Honorary Fellow at the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish-Non-Jewish Relations at Southampton University, he is the former director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research; and author of Whatever Happened to Antisemitism?: Redefinition and the Myth of the ‘Collective Jew’. Lerman specialises in the study of antisemitism, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, multiculturalism, and the place of religion in society.
Dr Daud Abdullah
Director of the Middle East Monitor and author of several books, including, Engaging the World: The Making of Hamas’s Foreign Policy (2021). From 2003-2011, he was a part-time lecturer at Birkbeck College, University of London and from 1990-1993, he lectured at the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. He has been a guest lecturer on Islamic and Palestinian affairs at many universities in the UK including Queen’s University in Belfast.
Baroness Jenny Tonge
Former Lord’s health spokesperson; was a Member of Parliament for Richmond Park in 1997. She was the Liberal Democrat spokesman for international development for 7 years, and has been a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Population, Development and Reproductive Health since 1997. In 2008, she took part in the Gaza Flotilla which broke through the blockage to deliver humanitarian aid. She has received several awards for her support for the Palestinians.
Dr Ghada Karmi
A Palestinian academic, physician and author. Currently, she is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter. Born in Jerusalem, Karmi was forced to leave her home with her family as a result of Israel’s creation in 1948.
Mysara Ibrahim
A British Palestinian, originally from Gaza City whose family members have been killed recently in the barbaric Israeli bombardment. He is a specialist in education diplomacy.
Dr Anas Altikriti (moderator)
Founder and CEO of The Cordoba Foundation. He is the former President of the Muslim Association of Britain and a leading figure in the international Anti-War movement and an Anti-Racism campaigner. He currently hosts a podcast, The London Circle, on Al Hiwar TV addressing issues relating to British takes on local, continental and global affairs.
From Srebrenica to Gaza: The Fading Promise of “Never Again”
In the shadow of the Holocaust (1933-1945) and the solemn promise of ‘Never Again,’ Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish Polish legal scholar, introduced a haunting term to encapsulate the horrors of mass murder: genocide. Lemkin described it as a deliberate scheme to obliterate the very essence of national groups, causing them to wither away like plants afflicted by an unremitting blight.
Since the coining of this term, the world has regrettably borne witness to genocide on multiple occasions over the past seven decades. In our recent history, during the Bosnian War (1992-1995), the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995 left a scar on humanity’s conscience, with the systematic brutality and organized annihilation of 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys by Bosnian Serbs and the Bosnian Serb Army of Republika (VRS).
The civilian death toll in Gaza has reached a staggering 8,100, surpassing even the horrors of Srebrenica. Yet despite the mounting casualties, Israel continues its relentless bombardment, rejecting even a UN call for a ceasefire. This merciless assault against the Palestinian people shows a callous disregard for human life and international law. It echoes the very definition of genocide coined by Raphael Lemkin: the destruction of a people. We cannot remain silent witnesses to this unfolding tragedy. The time is now to speak out against these atrocities and demand an end to the violence.
It is painfully evident that the world has failed to internalize the lessons of the Holocaust. ‘Never Again’ remains trapped in the annals of history, forgotten and neglected, while the Palestinian genocide rages on, a grim testament to the world’s inaction.
The promise of “never again” rings hollow as the Palestinian genocide continues unabated. The lessons of the Holocaust remain trapped in history books, reduced to platitudes rather than calls to action. While the world stood idly by, “never again” became “again and again.” Gaza burns, the civilian death toll climbs, and Israel rejects ceasefires. If “never again” still means anything, the time for action is now.
Dr Anas Altikriti
Founder and CEO
Dr Abdullah Faliq
Managing Director
Full conference video: Tunisia at a Crossroads
Full recording of Tunisia at a Crossroads conference, organised by The Cordoba Foundation, 23 June 2023, The Royal College of Pathologists, London.
