A report by the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia
Chaired by Dr Richard Stone
Research by Hugh Muir and Laura Smith
Editor, Robin Richardson
Adviser, Imam Dr. Abduljalil Sajid
Price £14.99
92 pages
A4
ISBN-10: 1 85856 317 8
ISBN-13: 978 185856 317 6
May 2004
Published in collaboration with the Uniting Britain Trust

The word Islamophobia was first used in print in 1991 and was defined in the 1997 Runnymede Trust report as 'unfounded hostility towards Islam, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims'. This follow-up report seven years on considers events and trends since 1997 and outlines essential things that still need to be done.

This report describes the nature of Islamophobia in modern Britain and the impact of September 11 and the ensuing wars. It stresses that a major challenge is to build constructive ways of airing disagreements and engaging in debate. It looks at four main areas of social, political and cultural life: recognition of Muslim identities in the census and the legal system tasks facing schools community cohesion at street and neighbourhood level and ways of affecting media coverage.

The book closes by citing the 60 recommendations that were made in the 1997 report and reviewing the progress that has, and has not yet, been made. It contains statistics, arguments, original research, interviews and facts, and a wide range of lively quotations. With its substantial bibliography and long list of useful websites, this is the authoritative publication on the subject of Islamophobia.

Islamophobia - issues, challenges and action will be an invaluable practical guide for years to come and will be of interest to a wide range of professionals in education, government, law and the media.

...with its extensive notes and excellent bibliography, it contains a wealth of information for anyone either seeking to begin an enquiry or looking to investigate individual debates more thoroughly. - Journal of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations

...provides a well informed starting point for understanding the many recent changes in the law and public policy relating to Muslims in Britain. Clear overviews of the developments in different aspects of public life are complemented by some well chosen illustrations, including examples of recent 'Islamophobic' writing, good practice in policy-making, individual Muslims' experiences, scholarly analysis and statistics. - British Journal of Religious Education

'This report, ably edited by Robin Richardson which ensures its quality, deals in particular with the events after 9/11 ...the sections on Identity and Education and dealing with the media <Actinic:Variable Name = 'offer'/> topics for teachers to grapple with in order to provide a counter force against racism' - Journal of In-Service Education

The Report is particularly welcome and will remain the standard point of reference against which necessary improvements in the treatment of Muslims will be measured. - The Muslim World Book Review


Useful links: http://www.insted.co.uk/islam.html