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Newham Council has become the first in the country to adopt an official definition of Islamophobia in a bid to stamp out racism.
Councillor have passed a motion that will see the local authority endorse the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims definition of Islamophobia.
The meaning was finalised by the APPG at the end of November, following almost two years of consultation.
It defines Islamophobia as “rooted in racism and a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness”.
The nine point definition includes “calling for or justifying the killing or harming of Muslims in the name of a fascist ideology” and “applying double standards by requiring Muslims to behave in ways not expected or demanded of any other groups in society”.
Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, who put forward the motion, said: “Newham is proud of its diversity and recognises this as a huge asset and a source of great strength.
“A large proportion of its residents are Muslim, who are an integral part of its make-up, playing a huge role in all aspects of the borough’s life. Its residents have always united and supported each other in the fight against racism and discrimination in all its forms.”
19% of Leicester’s population in the UK is Muslim, according to the Office of National Statistics. That number is on the rise – as is the number of its city’s mosques. But the majority of these mosques offer no space for women. Open My Mosque, an initiative founded in 2015 to investigate the issue, has discovered that roughly a third of mosques across the whole of the UK are men-only. Meet the women who are trying to change this – not only by demanding spaces for women in their places of worship, but for leadership roles too. Producer: Sophia Smith Galer (Photo Credit: BBC)
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