Solidarity with refugees, migrants and Muslims

Our love goes to the families of Elsie, Bebe and Alice who were murdered on Monday 29^th August in an unconscionable attack. Many others were injured and traumatised by what happened that day in Southport. They all deserve a moment of national mourning. But this has been stolen from them by the far right who are enacting an extension of the violence towards migrants and refugees that comes from the top. Anti-migrant, racist and Islamophobicc rhetoric and policies are normalised by our political system, political parties, and individual politicians and the media. Years of creating an explicitly hostile environment and violently policing borders, detaining migrants, forcing them to live on barges, deporting them via airlines, has amplified their dehumanisation and normalised violence towards them. 

We ask the Inclusive Mosque community to remember that what we’re seeing from the far right is not ‘disorder’ or ‘anti-social behaviour’, it is strategic intimidation and destruction of targeted communities and their buildings. The government and local authorities must work to address the root causes of violence as well as quell the immediate threat to our communities. Expansion of police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour won’t work and given that the police are institutionally racist and misogynist, we cannot rely on them for our safety. The government must make immediate changes to the immigration system so that no further harm is done to refugees and migrants either by inhumane government processes or the far right. Remember many people new to this country are seeking safety from war, climate change and the ongoing pillaging of the global south by the global north.

We send our love and solidarity to every community affected by the violence. For the Inclusive Mosque community, and groups like ours, we know what it’s like to have our oppression weaponised by the State and grassroots fascists to justify harm against all Muslims. As individuals and as a community, we must challenge this injustice. Violence from the far right must not be used to justify the expansion of State surveillance, it must not be used to justify a loss of private spaces, including online spaces; and it must not be used to justify the curtailment of our right to protest. Be wary of what happens next, when these immediate riots aren’t in the news but our governments plans to address them are. And stand for justice wherever you see injustice. 

For white folks, including white Muslims, this means telling fascists that their assertion that they’re only saying ‘what everyone else is thinking’ is untrue. That their actions are harmful and that migrants, refugees and Muslims are not the cause of their problems. Do this in community but also build the capacity to do this individually, challenge dinner table talk, don’t accept racism from people around you, talk about politics with compassion and steadfastness in the way of our prophet Muhammad Rasullulah. Take time to understand the political structures that enable racism and challenge them too.

The Inclusive Mosque team. 

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