Raising awareness, supporting victims and working closely with partner agencies are just some of the ways Tower Hamlets Council is working to reduce Islamophobia in the borough.
More than 100 people attended the Seeds of Change event organised by the council in partnership with East London Mosque, Council of Mosque and Darul Ummah as part of Islamophobia Awareness Month, which takes place in November and aims to raise awareness of Islamophobia and to show case the positive contributions of Muslims in society.
Attendees heard about what is happening around Islamophobia locally and nationally and listened to key speakers from the police, council and other guests. Attendees discussed ideas on what more the borough can do to combat Islamophobia which will developed into a report with recommendations for further consideration.
Alongside this conference, the council also organised a programme of events across the borough to highlight how to report Islamophobia and other hate crimes, show the support available to victims, and hear from residents how they thought Islamophobia could be tackled.
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “90% of residents in Tower Hamlets say people from different backgrounds get on well with each other, however, as with all communities, our residents do sometimes experience Islamophobia and other forms of hate crime.
“We are committed to making our borough free from all kinds of hate. To achieve this we have our Tower Hamlets No Place for Hate Forum, Hate Incident Case Panel and our Hate Crime Champions who work closely with the Police and many partners to ensure victims and witnesses are supported and swift action is taken to tackle all forms of hate crime.”
Cllr Abu Talha Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said: “I know of several people who have been personally affected by Islamophobia.
“Even one person is too many, which is why events like this are so important as they raise awareness and show that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in our borough.”
You can report Islamophobia to police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
To see the support available to victims, visit https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/community_and_living/community_safety__crime_preve/hate_crime/hate_crime.aspx
Posted on Thursday 21st November 2024