#IAM2020: Manchester Met Students Union

As part of Islamophobia Awareness Month, on Tuesday 24th November, we delivered our Islamophobia Awareness programme to staff at Manchester Metropolitan University Students Union.

During the session, MEND provided an introduction to what Islamophobia is (including its definition), how Islamophobia manifests itself in society and what we, as individuals and communities, can do to tackle Islamophobia in all its forms.

The aim of the session was to educate the SU staff on the reality of Islamophobia, using stats that highlight how pervasive and institutional it is. We looked at the role of media bias and discrimination before discussing current ineffective legislation, inadequate policing and poor political representation as causes of Islamophobia in society.

We then discussed potential ‘cures’ or ways we can work to tackle Islamophobia- including at a structural and institutional level. During our conversations, we highlighted that Islamophobia awareness and action against it should not just be confined to November. It is important for institutions to commit to doing more over the course of the entire year to address Islamophobia beyond raising awareness during IAM.

Many thanks to Jessica Bull for setting up the workshop and we look forward to working with MMU again soon!

If you’d like to have us deliver an Islamophobia Awareness workshop, get in touch and we can tailor our sessions to your organisation.