Faith Matters welcomes the recent news documentary that Al Jazeera undertook on the TELL MAMA project which supports those who have suffered anti-Muslim attacks and which also maps, measures and analyses areas in England that may be potential hotspots for such attacks.
The project which was devised by Faith Matters is being co-ordinated by the organisation and also assists those individuals who may have suffered attacks since they have been perceived as being Muslims. This includes Sikh men and women who have also suffered attacks post 9/11 in the US and 7/7 in the UK. We believe that all people should live free from fear and attacks and this is a fundamental human right for all.
Further details on the TELL MAMA project can be found by clicking on the link.
A new service has been launched this week enabling Muslims to report anti-Muslim discrimination. The initiative by Faith Matters must be applauded and can be a milestone in challenging Islamophobia.
Over the past four years, my own research about Islamophobia has highlighted the need to recognise and challenge Islamophobia. This is evidenced in the growth of the far right across Europe over the last 10 years and more disturbingly, the increasing tendency for their Islamophobic rhetoric to be replicated in the mainstream. For example, a recent poll showed that 45% of Britons are not ashamed to admit that they think there are 'too many' Muslims in Britain. Numerous other studies also suggest similar widespread suspicion and dislike of Muslims.
The Government has called on people to come together and play their full part in local communities. A new 'localist' approach to achieving a more integrated society focusing on creating the conditions for everyone to live and work successfully alongside each other was today unveiled by Secretary of State Eric Pickles and Communities Minister Andrew Stunell.
EPolitix.com Reports on the Work of Faith Matters in Countering Extremism in Pakistan
We talk to Fiyaz Mughal, founder and director of Faith Matters, about how the charity is seeking to tackle extremism in Pakistan through the use of SMS technology.
Could you outline the main objectives of Faith Matters?
Project Peghaam tests messages on a focus group of Pakistanis in Pakistan and with the UK Pakistani Diaspora community. These messages are based on Quranic verses, leadership and poetry which underscore peace, non-violence and respect for minorities. They are then sent to six million live mobile numbers in FATA (the Federally Administered Tribal Areas) on the Afghan/Pakistan border and within AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir).
