Learn about some of the successes IHRC have achieved in recent years. If you would like to get in touch with our Advocacy or Legal department please call us on +44 20 8904 4222…

Advocacy

Our Advocacy team provide support to individuals who have faced discrimination and hate crime. Our work is vital in helping Muslims challenge Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate crime. The team also writes briefings on government policy seeking to influence legislation as well as educating communities through our Know Your Rights project. Take a look at some of our Advocacy team’s succeses:

IHRC helps pupil with access to prayer facilities in school
IHRC was contacted by the family of a nine-year-old pupil whose school had prevented their child from praying. The school had argued that it was a secular school, so did not allow any activity aimed at one religion. This meant that the child had to choose between going to school and practicing her religion. IHRC then contacted a team of solicitors to take the case on. Leigh Day and Co solicitors successfully mediated the case and managed to get the Muslim pupil access to regular prayer facilities in school.

Policies on Hijab
IHRC has been active in advocacy regarding Muslim dress in various countries from Nigeria to the UK. IHRC received an apology from BAA (authority in charge of most UK international airports) after our client was mistreated during a search at an international airport. They also agreed to re-issue guidance on how to deal with sensitive religious/cultural issues and to involve the IHRC in future training programs.

We have negotiated on behalf of parents with a number of schools so that the school would incorporate the Hijab, or the wearing of beards by older boys into their uniform. We supported numerous clients to challenge their employers when they were asked to remove the hijab or were discriminated against because they wear the hijab. Going back over the years we were responsible for a change in internal procedures for issuing passports to UK passport holders. In 2000 a British citizen in Singapore was advised to remove her hijab for her passport photo. As a result of IHRC’s advocacy with the British government, a memo was sent to all involved in passport processing that forcing someone to remove their hijab would be deemed a disciplinary offence and that Muslim women could wear Hijab in passport photos. Additionally we were assured that those officers found to have given wrong advice would be disciplined.

Supporting victims of anti-terror measures
Our advocacy team currently runs campaigns and does extensive research on the PREVENT programme, what it entails and how it is implemented. Our team takes on cases of individuals who are being targeted by these measures, supporting them throughout the process, and challenging the need for their engagement in PREVENT in the first place. We also working closely with expert human rights lawyers on this, and if necessary refer cases to them to challenge decisions in the courts

Supporting victims of hate crime
Yassir was a PhD student when he was ruthlessly assaulted by four men who called him ‘Bin Laden’, spat on him and beat him with a broom till he was left unconcious. He is now paralyzed on the left side of his body. IHRC advocated for his case and acted as a support to him and his family.

IHRC Legal

Our legal team specialises in employment and immigration matters. Take a look at some of our recent successes:

Black lecturer forces university to overturn discriminatory ‘zero hours’ contract
IHRC Legal helped a black university lecturer who was left to rot on a ‘zero hours’ contract as white colleagues around her moved onto more secure and rewarding contracts. We helped secure an out of court settlement which included a substantial lump sum in compensation for injury to feelings as well as a contract of employment containing the terms and conditions she was entitled to.

IHRC Legal Fund secures first anti-Muslim discrimination victory
IHRC Legal helped a Muslim waitress who was told she could not bring halal meat to work and to eat non-halal meat including pork instead. She was called a terrorist and a member of ISIS/ISIL and was subjected to insulting comments about Allah and the Prophet Muhammad.

In October 2014, she contacted IHRC Legal who agreed to take up her case. She issued a claim with financial support from the IHRC Legal Fund. We were able to challenge the unlawful behaviour of the employer and secure a substantial five figure settlement for injury to feelings and unlawful deduction of wages.

IHRC Legal secures immigration victory for destitute Muslim woman
IHRC Legal successfully helped a woman who was denied access to public funds and left destitute while having to raise her children because of a condition enforced by the Home Office.

Despite two of her children being born in the UK, it was an immense struggle to ensure they had access to public funds so that they could survive. After providing extensive proof of the family’s destitute state as well as the ill health of one of the children; IHRC Legal managed to secure the removal of the Home Office’s condition