Read all about IHRC’s work this last year, including updates on ongoing projects, new campaigns, and initiatives.
Download and read the report here.
Chairman’s Statement
My dear Friends, Campaigners and Supporters,
I am delighted to be able to bring you to our Annual Report of 2021. It has been a very challenging year, not least because of the pandemic which sadly saw some of us losing our loved ones from our families and communities. Unfortunately, the several lockdowns we had to endure that isolated us from our friends and families in order to keep them and the community safe did not impact or reduce the level of Islamophobia and human rights abuses around the world. If anything, we witnessed an increase both locally and globally on the level of the environment of hate with escalating human rights abuses by the usual suspects. This created a particular challenge for the IHRC team both locally and globally to continue to rise to the challenge of this ever-increasing need of our community, while at the same time maintaining increased safety requirements. Alhamdulillah, with the dedication of the IHRC team we managed to address these issues, albeit with social distancing and the use of tools to communicate remotely.
The global pressures on Muslims of China, Myanmar, Kashmir, Palestine, Nige- ria and Yemen should give us a better appreciation of the importance of a united Ummah and its responsibilities. Unfortunately, these haven’t been the only areas of injustice in the Ummah – we have also seen the environment of hate intensifying against Muslims in the West. We have seen the manifestation of this in places like Canada, France, Austria, Switzerland, USA and the UK and the West as a whole where Muslims are easy targets of hatred and discrimination.
I would like to invite you to read all our Annual Reports from previous years and review the fantastic work the IRHC Team have done under very difficult and challenging circumstances, in particular, the work of IHRC Advocacy and IHRC Legal. As you know, IHRC is the only Muslim NGO with an Advocacy and Legal department with in-house solicitors addressing injustices and discrimination. We have just launched a legal fund to support those who have found themselves in Britain and need to regularise and prove their right to remain. The fund will be supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our community, something that is only possible with your generous help.
In Britain and globally, there is a coordinated effort to demonise the Muslim community and demonise those who stand in support of Palestinian rights. We have joined Christians, Jews and people of all faiths and none in creating a structure to support those who are attacked. And no doubt you are well aware that we are raising humanitarian funds for victims of violence in Nigeria, Yemen and now Palestine.
Most of all I am grateful to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala who has given us the ability and the opportunity to stand up for all the oppressed people around the world. I would also like to thank everyone who has tirelessly supported us in every possible way and made the commitment that we will not abandon those who are in need but continue this work together to support them in every possible way. Together we will be victorious.
Please share this report and our activities with your friends and colleagues and people in the community so we may increase our ability to address the task at hand. Please also encourage others to support IHRC by campaigning, supporting, or donating to the work of IHRC.
Massoud Shadjareh
