Supporting Islamophobia Awareness Month

The Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council has shown his support for Islamophobia Awareness Month, which showcases the positive contributions of Muslims in British society.

Blackburn with Darwen takes pride in its diversity and our Muslim community are a vital part of that.

Councillor Phil Riley said:

Blackburn with Darwen is stronger as a result of its diversity and the contributions of all our community groups operating across the borough.

As an example, last week I attended the annual Community Volunteer Awards which celebrate all our volunteers and voluntary groups, and it was fantastic to see a wide variety of people from different backgrounds giving their time and talents for the benefit of others.

The theme of this year’s Islamophobia Awareness Month is Seeds of Change which seeks to raise awareness, foster understanding, and combat prejudice. 

Islamophobia is a prejudice, aversion, hostility, or hatred towards Muslims. Discrimination isn’t always as direct as hate crime. It can be unconscious, latent, hidden and in some cases pervasive.

Another goal of Islamophobia Awareness Month is to call for better reporting of religiously motivated hate crimes.

Home Office data ending March 2024 shows that 38% of religious hate crimes recorded by the police were against Muslims.

Over 70% of young Muslims in the UK who say they experience mental health struggles, also say they have been victims of Islamophobia.

42% of Mosques experienced a religiously motivated attack in the last three years and of those, 83% have been attacked at least once a year.

Councillor Riley added:

Nationally hate crimes are under-reported. It’s vital that anyone who feels they may have been targeted because of their race or religion, or other protected characteristics, reports a crime to the Police. This helps them to build a picture of what is happening within our communities and any patterns.

Anyone who has witnessed or been a victim of a hate crime can make a report by:

• Using Lancashire Police’s online reporting portal
• Calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
• Calling the Police on 101
• And in an emergency, dialling 999.