STATEMENT ON REPORTS THAT FIYAZ MUGHAL IS TO BE THE NEW ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED TZAR

It is reported by GB News that Michael Gove will be appointing Fiyaz Mughal to be the Government’s new anti-Muslim hatred Tzar

Fiyaz Mughal is a discredited figure in the Muslim community and beyond. As Founder of the Government funded organisation Tell Mama he previously attacked other Muslim organisations tackling Islamophobia such a MEND as being “conspiratorial”, antisemitic and having a “hatred of other communities.” He did this in evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee so he could not be sued.

Despite ostensibly tackling anti-Muslim hatred,  he has blamed Muslims for having a “victimisation narrative”, and organisations tackling Islamophobia as “Islamist peddlers of victimhood.” This despite the Home Office’s own figures showing that year-on year Muslims are the biggest religious group to be the victims of religious hate-crime.

He also stated that the “biggest driver of anti-Muslim hate is terrorist attacks”, which demonstrates his lack of understanding of structural Islamophobia.

Mughal is only being appointed as a stooge to rubberstamp this Government’s new definition of extremism, and to show the public that they are taking the problems of Islamophobia ‘seriously’ by appointing an ‘independent’ person to oversee it.

However considering much of the anti-Muslim hatred is emanating from this Government in the first place, it will be interesting to see whether Mughal calls out this particular piece of political hypocrisy.