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b u l l e t i n the University of Sussex newsletter
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ISLAMOPHOBIA
The Vice-Chancellor writes about the recent report from the Runnymede Trust
Two years ago the German-Jewish Centre invited Rabbi Julia Neuberger to speak about her childhood, growing up in a Jewish family. At the end of her talk she took me to one side and asked if I would chair the Runnymede Trust's next Commission which was to examine anti-muslim sentiment in Britain. She was a trustee and had been involved in the then recently-published report on anti-semitism. I agreed. Although I am not a race-relations expert I have lived and worked alongside muslims in many countries and I am a strong believer, not just in eliminating prejudice and discrimination, but also in the intrinsic value of multi-cultural societies.
There were about 20 members of the Commission - half British muslims, the rest representatives of other faiths and other interests. We met every couple of months, reviewed evidence and working papers, and engaged in lively dialogues.
At the outset the muslim members urged us to focus on Islamophobia. It was for me a strange and rather ugly word. However, as our work progressed it became apparent that Islamophobia described a real and growing phenomenon. It is an ugly word for an ugly reality. Criticism of one faith by another is, of course, legitimate, but British muslims (of whom there are about 1.5 million) are increasingly subject to prejudice, discrimination, harassment and violence. In 1992 there were 13 racial murders; nine of the victims had muslim names. It is difficult to disentangle racial and religious motivations for crime but the evidence suggests they feed on each other.
In our final report, which was launched two weeks ago at the House of Commons, we recommended changes in the law to make religious discrimination and incitement to religious hatred illegal. However, we are very aware that legislation is only part of the answer. There has to be a change in attitudes. The media, in particular, are commonly Islamophobic. They generate stereotypes of British muslims which serve to marginalise them in our society. We recommended improved codes of practice for journalists, and also for employers. We addressed the issues of education. We believe state funding for muslim schools is a matter of urgency; we also recommended improved education for non-muslims about Islam and Islamophobia.
Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, spoke at the launch and praised the report. He said he had no plans to introduce laws on religious discrimination in this parliament, but he is clearly sensitive to, and understanding of, the critical issues. The media coverage was good, particularly in the broadsheets. One of the best reports was in the Daily Telegraph which has often been Islamophobic in the past. Perhaps we are beginning to see a change in attitude. I hope so.
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