MEND statement on report by Henry Jackson Society

Mend response to Henry Jackson Society Report; “Mend ‘Islamists masquerading as Civil Libertarians’

The Henry Jackson Society have published the aforementioned report. Whilst the document is long, it is thin on detail.  It attempts to paint a picture of an extremist organisation due to our stance on opposing aspects of the Governments Counter-Terrorism legislation, opposition to policies pursued by the State of Israel and the promotion of “conspiratorial narratives” about Islamophobia.

Quite simply the report equates political dissent with extremism. This is ironic given that the motto for Henry Jackson Society is “Democracy. Freedom. Human Rights.”

The timing of its publication on the eve of the launch of Islamophobia Awareness Month and our event in Parliament on 1^st November 2017 is not coincidental.

Our Parliamentary event shows that we operate in the mainstream of British society and our work has recently been praised by senior figures in all three main UK political parties, including the Labour Party and Liberal Democrat Party leaders.

The Henry Jackson Society report clearly has its own partisan agenda and is aimed at discrediting Mend with a view to trying to discourage politicians, journalists, unions, civil liberty organisations and others to work with us. Our increasing participation and acceptance is an irritant to the Henry Jackson Society and it appears that they believe only certain organisations can be allowed to express political views on behalf of Muslims. It is completely predictable therefore that Inspire and Tell Mama are reported on favourably.

Readers of the report will note that many of its claims are based on innuendo and false assertions. We will be producing a counter-document responding to each and every allegation. We unequivocally reject any allegations of anti-semitism, homophobia, or extremism.

We will also be exposing this report as an example of Professional Islamophobia and demonstrate the partisan motivations behind the author, the Henry Jackson Society, and the neocon movement being mobilised against us.

We will study each statement carefully and not hesitate to take legal action where defamatory comments have been made.

Mend Board

1^st November 2017