Councillors have agreed that Islamophobia has no place in Peterborough by adopting a special statement on the issue which will now be promoted across the city.
At a meeting of the authority’s annual council at Sand Martin House yesterday, members unanimously agreed to support a statement which has been drawn up following work with partners over the past three years.
The statement outlines that the council stands ‘firmly against Islamophobia in all its forms and manifestations’. It also states that Islamophobia has ‘no place in Peterborough and fundamentally erodes British values of respect, tolerance and liberty’. You can read the full version here.
The council will now promote the Islamophobia statement throughout Peterborough, encouraging partner organisations and businesses to also adopt the statement and commit to tackling the prejudice and disadvantage that Muslims can face. It will also be promoted to all city schools, colleges and universities, as well as public sector stakeholders such as the Police, Fire and Rescue Service and Health providers.
Cllr Mohammed Jamil, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Governance, said: “I am immensely proud that our members have adopted the Islamophobia statement, a process which I started with a motion to the council. We will now look to help promote the statement more widely throughout our communities. Peterborough is a diverse and welcoming city and by demonstrating our commitment to Muslim communities we can enhance community cohesion and community safety.
“Raising awareness publicly of the issues Muslims can face will help to address inequality, provide support and improve hate crime reporting leading in the longer term to improved confidence within the Muslim community and reduced incidents of Islamophobia.”
In June 2022, the council approved a motion to develop an Islamophobia statement. Officers formed a working group with the Joint Mosque Committee and partners representing the Police, Health and local schools.
The Joint Mosque Committee organised a special conference highlighting how Islamophobia can affect Muslims in Peterborough and shared real-life examples of discrimination and racism that has been experienced.
The summer disorder of 2024 showed just how serious the impact of Islamophobia can be as many towns and cities experienced attacks by aggressors intent on causing harm to Muslim communities. Whilst Peterborough was named on social media as an area to be targeted, this fortunately did not take place, largely due to the role of community and faith organisations, supported by the police and city council, which provided a strong platform to reject the messages of hate and disharmony.