Islamophobia and the New Hate Crime Strategy – Scotland

On Tuesday 6th September, MEND organised an event in partnership with CEMVO Scotland and Interfaith Scotland to gather information on the lived experiences of hate crime among Muslims in Scotland.

Following the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 passing through the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government is developing an implementation strategy to ensure that hate crime is tackled appropriately and in a manner that protects all within the community. Once in force, the Act will provide a new opportunity to help Scotland deal with the sad reality of the abuse and harassment facing Muslims on a regular basis across the country.

During this community engagement session, representatives from the Scottish Government as well as other organisations including MEND, CEMVO and Interfaith Scotland were present. An introduction was delivered and participants were invited to take part in breakout rooms where they were asked a series of questions. Initial questions aimed to gather details of the frequency of incidents of hate crime experienced by those present, as well as what they perceived were the root causes of such crimes. This was followed by a range of questions which asked participants what they believed would help in tackling such acts of hatred and what positive changes they would like to see.

While these events are just a small step in a huge battle against Islamophobia and racism, such meetings between government, organisations and members of the public are crucial in sharing valuable information which we hope will lead to a more peaceful and prosperous future for marginalised communities across Scotland.

MEND would like to thank all the participants who shared their valuable experiences, the Scottish Government and CEMVO for the opportunity to organise this event and Interfaith Scotland for providing the space to hold this session.