GUMSA in partnership with MEND presents: Islamophobia Causes and Cure

GUMSA (Glasgow University Muslim Student Association) hosted the first university focused Islamophobia Causes and Cures session of Islamophobia awareness month 2020 in Scotland on Tuesday 10^th November.

In the session Amjid, one of our Glasgow working group members, took participants through MEND’s C and C training material in an interactive and engaging manner.

At the end of the session we had time for a short Q&A, were students took the opportunity to ask about support in reporting hate crime, to which we directed them to MEND’s very own IRU, https://www.mend.org.uk/report-islamophobia/report-an-incident/. Highlighting that no one need face hate alone and no one need go through the trauma of reporting a hate crime or discrimination by themselves.

Students also ask about the issue of islamophobia not being recognised as an issue in Scotland when compared to England. All in attendance highlighted that through lived experience of themselves and others they felt that islamophobia was just as much an issue here in Scotland. We discussed the image of openness and welcoming that Scotland portrays, which can at times mask the reality of what it is like to live in Scotland as part of a minority religious group.

The session was informative and interactive and we look forward to further engagement with GUMSA.