We stand in absolute solidarity with the racialised, migrant and Muslim communities across the UK, who have been subjected to the recent violent attacks of the far right.
At Here For Youth, we work collectively with hundreds of mosques and have seen and felt the impact on our communities and young people.
Last week’s events did not happen in a vacuum. These incidents are part of a long history of Islamophobia and racist anti-immigration rhetoric that has been mainstreamed into national political and media discourse. For instance, recent violent attacks in places like Stockport, Sunderland and Belfast have highlighted the urgent need for a united response to these ongoing threats.
Over the last year, we have witnessed both Conservative and Labour politicians use the UK’s migrant and Muslim communities as a scapegoat throughout their election campaigns such as Rishi Sunak’s demonisation of small boats or Keir Starmer’s singling out of Bangladeshi immigrants for deportation. As these racist rhetorics have further entered the national discourse we have witnessed the normalisation of far-right nationalism on our streets. Our elders will know all too well this is not a new phenomenon.
In response to some of the worst widespread direct racist attacks, we must build a clear and organised response. Mosques should play a vital role in accommodating this response within our communities.
Keeping Our Communities Safe
During the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when he and many of his companions were oppressed in Mecca they gathered at the Kabbah together to pray. Today, when mosques are explicitly targeted, it is crucial that we attend them in numbers to offer salah as was the way of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We should make extra efforts to accompany the most vulnerable in our community to the mosque to offer more safety.
Migrant support centres, hotels, and immigration advice centres have also become targets for these violently racist groups. We therefore cannot separate anti-immigrant violence from islamophobia and racism. These narratives are deeply intertwined. Migrants are often perceived as Muslims, and Muslims as immigrants.
It is in our collective interests to recognise one another and unite in response. Within Islamic tradition, one of the first things the Prophet (peace be upon him) did was to create bonds between those who had emigrated from Mecca (Muhajiroon) and the residents of Medina (Ansar).
Our tradition guides us towards creating a welcoming space of safety, to take part in a collective society that fulfils each other’s needs. It is vital for us to show up and stand in solidarity with all those targeted.
We recognise that the dehumanisation of Palestinians and the demonisation of demonstrators against the ongoing genocide has emboldened the far right. This is exhibited in Suella Braverman’s characterisation of demonstrations as “hate marches” and the Zionist counter-protests that followed. It is important we do not equate people standing up for justice and defending our communities with those who seek to incite fear and attack marginalised people.
Creating a Clear and Organised Response
Hold spaces for community members and young people to share how they are feeling and are impacted by this violence whilst understanding the way it is affecting their mental and spiritual well-being. This is the first step in collectively planning for safety.
We must have discussions about what racism is and how we can tackle it across all the different spaces our communities are part of; in our schools, workplaces, and neighbourhoods.
From the race riots in Cardiff and Liverpool in 1919, to fighting the National Front in Whitechapel and Bradford to the colonial policies that facilitated the 1943 famine in Bengal. Building a solid understanding of the historical context in which these current racist ideologies emerge will strengthen our community and ability to oppose this racism. We must provide learning in the spaces we create to address these issues effectively for all age groups.
We must urgently discuss how to make our community members who are migrants and asylum seekers safe. Are there organisations in our area already doing this work whom we can support further? Can we offer them help with documents or administrative support? Can we welcome them into our homes and families? How can we help create safety for migrants?
Mosques can facilitate solidarity coalitions among grassroots and community organisations, whilst maintaining our values and principles. One approach is to host round table discussions on community safety planning. These coalitions can share resources, coordinate responses to incidents, and be part of the change.
We are currently putting together resources to support local Youth Hubs that work with Muslim teenagers, if you can support us in any way please reach out via support@hereforyouth.com
At Here for Youth, we envision our teenagers to be leaders in the change this world desperately needs. As adults we must create spaces that foster courage, resilience and resistance that the next generation can carry. In taking this path we start by putting our trust in Allah. We do this by renewing our intentions and trying our best to be intentional in our everyday actions.
We are reminded of this through the morning and evening remembrance:
- “Ḥasbiyallāhu lā ilāha illā huwa `alayhi tawakkalt, wa huwa Rabbu ‘l-`Arshi ‘l-‘Aẓīm.” – Allah is Sufficient for me, none has the right to be worshipped except Him, upon Him I rely and He is Lord of the exalted throne (Hisn al-Muslim).
Every time we leave our houses we remember the dua:
- “Bismillāhi, tawakkaltu `alallāhi, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh” – In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah. (Hisn al-Muslim)
When calamity reaches us we say:
- “Hasbiya Allah wa ni’mal-Wakil” – Allah is sufficient for me, and how fine a trustee (He is).
May Allah give us the empathy, wisdom and courage to build communities where everyone can thrive in this life and the next, Ameen.
