House of Commons · Westminster Hall
23 February 2022 · 5 other contributors · 11,629 words
Opened by Ruth Jones Lab Newport West and Islwyn
Responding minister: David Davies
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Ruth Jones raised concerns about muslim community in wales — [esther mcvey in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The Government is asked to meet the leadership of the Muslim Council of Wales, assess the effectiveness of hate crime delivery groups and provide financial support for their development in Wales.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The Muslim population in Wales was estimated at 55,400 in 2019 compared to 45,950 in the 2011 census. The Welsh Muslim community is ethnically diverse, with Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Arab origins making up 62% of the community. Muslims are disproportionately located in deprived areas and face higher unemployment rates and health issues. Additionally, Islamophobia affects Muslims in Wales with a reported 40% increase in online Islamophobic incidents.
He recognised the contributions of the Muslim community in Wales and highlighted issues of Islamophobia, citing high rates of hate crimes against Muslims. He also criticised the Conservative party for its institutional failings in addressing Islamophobia and called for implementation of recommendations from the Singh review. Mr Khan pointed out that the definition of Islamophobia comes from an all-party parliamentary group with legal expertise and is accepted by almost 1,000 Muslim organisations and multiple political parties. He questioned why the Conservative party does not accept it despite its flaws. Mr Khan also highlighted Home Office figures indicating that Muslims face the highest levels of hate, pressing the government on how long they need to formulate a response.
Jessica Morden highlighted the Muslim community in Newport, numbering nearly 7,000, and praised individuals such as Dr Kasim Ramzan for their efforts to ensure vaccine uptake among ethnic minority communities during the pandemic. She also commended businesses owned by the Muslim community and organisations like Bawso and KidCare4U for their contributions to social cohesion and support services. Morden acknowledged that despite these positive developments, nearly half of religious hate crimes in England and Wales target Muslims, and she urged the government to respond to concerns about rising Islamophobia.
I commend the hon. Lady for bringing the debate forward and declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief, emphasizing the importance of understanding diversity and long-term funding for integration programmes.
Acknowledged the positive contribution of the Muslim community in Cardiff, highlighting historical and cultural ties. Mentioned a case of discrimination involving Mahmood Mattan from Somalia who was wrongfully convicted and hanged in 1952 due to racial prejudice. Praises recent contributions during the pandemic and supports Jasmin Chowdhury's candidacy for Canton ward. Raised concerns about Luke Symons, a Cardiff resident held in Yemen since 2017.
I am delighted that my hon. Friend and neighbour has secured this debate, highlighting the long-standing Muslim community in Cardiff South and Penarth, including a first purpose-built mosque and contributions during the covid pandemic. I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for her support and agree that we need to tackle the rise of far and extreme right ideology, working with law enforcement agencies, counter-terrorism forces, and education systems. Stephen Doughty endorsed Geraint Davies' comments about links with Bangladesh and praised the work of Muslim-led organisations in education, including sporting organisations like Tiger Bay boxing club and Tiger Bay football club.
Government Response
David DaviesDiolch yn fawro, Ms McVey; thank you very much for calling me to speak. Prynhawn da, and as-salaam alaikum—I think that is probably about as much as I will get away with before the translators start to complain. The Minister thanked all Members who are here today for this positive debate and congratulated the hon. Member for Newport West (Ruth Jones) on securing it. He mentioned Councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi and his respect for him, despite not entirely agreeing with his political views. Islam is the second largest non-Christian faith in Wales, with approximately 46,000 adherents, according to the census data from 2011. The Minister spoke about the first purpose-built mosque in Wales constructed in Cardiff in 1947 and now over 40 mosques exist in Wales. He praised the work of his colleagues in the Senedd to combat Islamophobia, mentioning Natasha Asghar as a Muslim Conservative Member. There are 16 Conservative Members out of 60 in the Senedd, with two being Muslim including Natasha Asghar. The Minister emphasised the importance of reaching out to all communities and offering them equal opportunities. He noted the challenges faced by religious communities during lockdowns due to restrictions on places of worship but highlighted that communal worship continued in some way during recent restrictions. The Government were grateful for the support and cooperation from the Muslim community encouraging vaccination take-up and dispelling myths surrounding it, specifically mentioning Dr Bnar Talabani MBE's work. He also mentioned the terrible attack almost five years ago on the parliamentary estate, standing with Muslims to thank the police and show support for condemning such extremism. The Minister acknowledged difficulties in getting people out of countries due to strict rules but took note of a request for a meeting about this from Kevin Brennan regarding Luke Symons. Regarding Islamophobia, he stated that laws should protect against abuse or discrimination while allowing freedom to question beliefs, mentioning historical debates and foreign policy issues as examples of discussions that shouldn't be stifled by such definitions. He highlighted the importance of using public order laws to ensure people can worship freely without being discriminated against or abused due to their religion or ethnicity, acknowledging there are problems but emphasising current laws need enforcement rather than necessarily change. The Minister recognised intolerance and discrimination faced by the Muslim community in Wales, including instances where taxi drivers refused rides to Muslims going to mosques. He supported Tell MAMA with £4 million funding between 2016 and 2022 for monitoring and combating anti-Muslim hatred, mentioning a places of worship scheme providing grants worth £5 million to reduce hate crime at places of worship, including mosques. He also spoke about the UK Government's role in bringing Afghans to the United Kingdom, including Wales, acknowledging support for Afghan citizens who had supported NATO forces in Afghanistan.