Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Islamophobia

Monday 7 March 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Afzal Khan questioned the Government about discussions with the anti-Muslim hatred working group on rising Islamophobic attitudes.
  • The Minister committed to addressing Islamophobia and confirmed ongoing work with the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims.
  • Imran Hussain asked how constituents can trust a Government unable to address Islamophobia within its own party, to which the Government cited financial support to anti-hatred organizations and grants for religious facilities.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Afzal Khan Lab Manchester Rusholme
Community Security
Context

The rise in Islamophobic attitudes has been a growing concern for Muslim communities across the UK.

Question

What recent discussions have there been with the anti-Muslim hatred working group on the rise in Islamophobic attitudes?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The anti-Muslim hatred working group has played a valuable role as the Government's forum for discussing and advising on anti-Muslim hatred. The group continued their work through webinars during the pandemic, including an event addressing fears about the covid-19 vaccination programme. A meeting with the leadership of the group is scheduled in the next few weeks to discuss current issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific details on actions taken by the government to address rising Islamophobia.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Afzal Khan Lab Manchester Rusholme
Community Security Religion & Faith
Context

The Labour party has taken decisive action on Islamophobia, while the Government have not delivered on their promises.

Question

Given that Islamophobia remains prevalent in society and the criticism from the anti-Muslim hatred working group's Qari Asim, will the Minister take steps to tackle Islamophobia, starting with an independent investigation into the Conservative party? When did the UK last submit a report to the UN's International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The Government remain committed to stamping out anti-Muslim hatred. Conversations have been held with the hon. Gentleman, and we are due to meet the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims soon. We will outline our next steps in due course but are actively working on this issue.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific actions or a timeline for addressing Islamophobia or submitting a report to the UN.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Imran Hussain Lab Bradford East
Community Security
Context

Muslim communities face Islamophobia daily, raising doubts about the government's ability to tackle prejudice in their own ranks.

Question

Given that Islamophobia is on the rise and rife in society, how can constituents have confidence in a Government who cannot address Islamophobia within their own party?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

The accusation is rejected as untrue. The Government supports Tell MAMA with £4 million between 2016 and 2022, awarded 241 grants worth approximately £5 million through the places of worship grant scheme over five years, and awarded £1.8 million through the faith, race and hate crime grant scheme.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address how to regain constituent confidence or provide specific actions against Islamophobia within the party.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)