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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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22nd April 2003

ALERT: UK – Desecration of Muslim body and the call to recognise Islamophobia

The Islamic Human Rights Commission has been inundated with calls from the community asking for immediate action in the case of the defiled body of a Muslim woman in Hillingdon Hospital (London, UK).

This follows a recent upsurge in anti-Muslim hate crimes, including grave desecrations.

IHRC calls upon the Government to recognise the incident in question, as with others in a similar vein, as a specifically Islamophobically-motivated hate crime. Whilst some pre-existing legislation covers aspects of cases such as the appalling \’Hillingdon incident\’, nevertheless Muslims are left vulnerable due to the lack of representation of Islamophobia and religiously motivated prejudice on the statute books. Undoubtedly, Islamophobia is the new anti-Semitism and Muslims the \’new Jews\’ of Britain and Europe.

Suggested Action

Please send letters to the Home Secretary David Blunkett and your local MPs (addresses below) and take every opportunity to visit their surgery. IHRC recommends that you mention the following points:

. The majority of victims of racially-motivated violence are Muslims
. During the year following 9/11, IHRC documented over 700 Islamophobically-motivated incidences, including arson and attempted murder (see, \’The Hidden Victims of September 11: The Backlash Against Muslims in the UK\’ report). The police have acknowledged that the majority of incidences are not reported, so the actual incidence figure is much greater
. Whilst current Race legislation affords protection to Jews, Sikhs and Rastafarians, Muslims are without any legislative protection
. Urge your local MP to apply pressure to the Government and opposition parties to make an unconditional commitment to (amending or enacting further) legislation outlawing religious hatred and providing protection against religiously motivated crimes.

We urge volunteers to contact your local MPs. Without positive action Muslims will not be awarded the same protection that is afforded to other communities. This hierarchy of protection cannot continue. It inherently discriminates against Muslims, leaving the entire Muslim community vulnerable to violence and discrimination

To see, \’Press Release: Horror at desecration of Muslim body\’, please visit:

www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=625

To see, \’The Hidden Victims of September 11: The Backlash Against Muslims in the UK\’ report, please visit:

www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=385

Home Secretary David Blunkett
Home Office
Queen Annes Gate
London SW1H 9AT

Name of Your MP
House of Commons
London SW1A OAA

For more information please contact us

Islamic Human Rights Commission
Tel: +44-20-8902-0888
Fax: +44-20-8902-0889
email: info@ihrc.org
web: www.ihrc.org

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