Last night, two men armed with an axe, hammer, knife and other weapons entered Manchester Central Mosque, during evening prayers. One was apprehended while the other fled the scene. No attack took place and no worshippers were harmed. Alhamdulillah. We commend mosque security and volunteers for...
MEND notes with alarm that recent leaks in the media suggest that instead of publishing its much-awaited definition of Islamophobia, the government may instead produce a definition of “anti-Muslim hostility.” While this is intended to reassure concerns around freedom of expression, such a shift...
** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** Rights group Muslim Engagement & Development (MEND) have launched a new report The Great Debunk: Challenging Islamophobic Conspiracy Theories, which examines how false narratives about Muslims once limited to the far-right fringes have entered mainstream political,...
MEND welcomes the government’s announcement of an additional £10 million to protect mosques, Muslim faith centres and schools across the UK through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme. This investment, which gives funding for CCTV, alarm systems, fencing and security personnel, is a vital...
MEND STATEMENT: POLICY EXCHANGE’S REPORT MISLEADS ON ISLAMOPHOBIA AND TARGETS MUSLIM ORGANISATIONS MEND strongly rejects the misleading claims made in Policy Exchange’s recent report on Islamophobia and its criticisms of Muslim civil society organisations, including MEND. The report is part of...
MEND strongly condemns the actions of officers at Charing Cross station who expressed support for far-right extremist Tommy Robinson, made Islamophobic, racist and misogynistic comments and used excessive force against suspects, including children, as revealed in a BBC investigation. Such behaviour...
MUSLIM ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT (MEND) LAUNCHES A BRIEFING ON THE ALARMING RISE OF ISLAMOPHOBIC INCIDENTS IN SCOTLAND AND MEDIA SILENCE Rights group Muslim Engagement & Development (MEND) has launched a new briefing, Rising Islamophobia in Scotland and Media Silence, which documents the...
MEND strongly condemns the far-right “Unite the Kingdom” rally in London over the weekend as a dangerous demonstration of Islamophobia, racism and incitement to violence. While organisers and supporters have framed the march as an expression of “patriotism”, the speeches delivered at the...
MEND commends the Government’s appointment of Shabana Mahmood as the UK’s first Muslim woman home secretary. However, as has often been the case, we hope the choice is neither tokenistic or worse a cynical attempt to cover over the government’s failings towards ethnic minorities, the...
