Month: October 2025

In my experience as once a perpetrator now ally, the debate around the term Islamophobia has grown increasingly complex. Many argue that we need a clearer, fairer definition, one that protects the thousands of peaceful Muslims who live harmoniously among us, while not inadvertently offering cover to extremist ideologies that seek to harm or divide society.

The UK is home to millions of Muslims who contribute richly to our communities. They are our neighbours, colleagues, and friends, people who share the same hopes, dreams, and challenges as everyone else. These individuals deserve to live free from prejudice, discrimination, and fear. No one should face hostility simply because of their faith or background has at times been used so broadly that legitimate criticism of extremist behaviour or ideology is unfairly labelled as hatred towards Islam itself. This creates a dangerous situation: it risks silencing open discussion about security, radicalisation, and human rights, while doing little to support the many ordinary Muslims who simply want to practise their faith peacefully.

A redefined understanding of Islamophobia should make this distinction clear. It must unequivocally condemn anti-Muslim hatred, verbal abuse, discrimination, and violence, while also safeguarding freedom of expression and honest debate about extremism. The goal should be balance: to ensure that compassion and reason coexist, and that neither prejudice nor fanaticism finds room to grow.

Protecting peaceful Muslims means standing up for them when they face hate crimes or discrimination. But it also means confronting those who distort their religion for violent or political ends. Only by doing both can we build a society that is truly fair, cohesive, and secure for everyone.

If we are to redefine Islamophobia, let it be in a way that strengthens understanding, promotes dialogue, and unites communities, rather than allowing extremism, of any kind, to thrive under its shadow.

@newdaystarts

Birmingham, a city famed for its diversity and multicultural heritage, is once again at the centre of a storm. The decision to ban Israeli football fans from attending an Aston Villa match has sparked outrage, but the controversy runs far deeper than a single sporting event.

Footage has emerged showing MP Ayoub Khan being warmly praised at Lozells Central Mosque by preacher Asrar Rashid, who urged his followers to show “no mercy” to Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters. Rashid’s incendiary words, coming just hours after Khan publicly backed the ban, are deeply troubling. While some argue that his remarks were misinterpreted, the repeated rhetoric, condemning Israelis, referencing IDF soldiers, and framing violence in a religious context, cannot be ignored.

This incident highlights a wider problem: certain parts of the UK Muslim community continue to harbour antisemitic sentiment. Anti-Israel rhetoric sometimes slides seamlessly into outright antisemitism, creating a hostile environment for Jewish citizens. It is vital to recognise and confront this, even as we defend the rights and freedoms of all faith communities.

Yet, videos like Rashid’s also carry another danger. By amplifying extreme rhetoric from one mosque or one preacher, the mainstream media and social media platforms risk feeding Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred. When people outside Birmingham see clips urging “no mercy” to Jewish fans, it is easy to conflate extremists with the entire Muslim community, which is both inaccurate and profoundly unfair.

The Birmingham MP’s involvement only exacerbates the tension. Political leaders have a duty to protect communities and uphold the law. Endorsing a ban on Israeli fans while engaging with figures who promote hate sends a message of appeasement to extremists and fear to ordinary citizens. This is not leadership; it is abdication.

The real victims here are ordinary people: Jewish families who want to support their team, local residents caught in the crossfire of political posturing, and the vast majority of Muslims in Birmingham who abhor hate speech and violence. Football should unite communities, not serve as a stage for sectarianism.

Birmingham deserves a leadership that defends the rights of all citizens, confronts antisemitism where it exists, and condemns extremism without fuelling prejudice against Muslims. Videos like these should spark vigilance and accountability, not Islamophobia, not division, not fear. The city, and indeed the country, cannot afford otherwise.

@newdaystarts

I’ve never been a fan of labels and have spoken out against them for years. “Far right,” “radical left,” “woke,” “snowflake,” “fascist,” “Marxist” the list goes on. It seems we’ve built a political culture where sticking a tag on someone matters more than actually understanding what they’re saying.

What really makes me laugh (or despair, depending on the day) is how quickly people who object to being labelled themselves are the first to slap a label on someone else. Those who insist, “I’m not far right!” will, in the same breath, sneer about “the radical left,” or “the woke brigade.” It cuts both ways, or not at all.

This constant cycle of finger-pointing and name-calling isn’t debate. It’s a distraction. It lets people avoid having to justify their ideas, or even engage with anyone who challenges them. Why listen, when you can dismiss? Why think, when you can shout?

What’s worse, it’s fuelled by the very politicians and media figures who thrive on outrage. Talk shows need conflict; parties need enemies. So, the easiest route is to make disagreement sound like extremism. If you question immigration policy, you’re “far right.” If you talk about inequality, you’re “hard left.” If you ask for fairness, you’re “woke.”

This isn’t politics, it’s playground stuff dressed up as principle.

The truth is, most people aren’t ideologues. They’re not sitting around plotting cultural revolutions or national takeovers. They just want decent lives, a fair shot, and a bit of respect. But that doesn’t sell papers, and it doesn’t trend online. Division does.

So, maybe the next time someone throws a label your way, the best answer isn’t to throw one back, it’s to ask what they actually mean. Because once we stop talking in headlines and start talking like human beings again, we might find we’re not as divided as we’ve been told we are.

Until then, expect more shouting, more smugness, and more meaningless labels, from people who still can’t see that they’re doing exactly what they claim to hate.

@Newdaystarts

Yet another terror attack has struck the UK, this time against a synagogue in Manchester. It comes at a moment when England has rarely felt more divided. Political arguments, cultural battles, and economic pressures have left us fractured and this latest violence threatens to split us further.

Already, the attack has fuelled fires on all sides. Some are using it to point fingers, to deepen divides, to pit communities against one another. But we must be clear: the Jewish people in that Manchester synagogue are not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, just as ordinary Muslims attending their local mosque are not responsible for the crimes of a deranged jihadist. Collective blame is poison. And it’s exactly what those who commit these attacks want us to fall into.

Manchester knows this pain. We remember the Arena bombing. We remember the grief, the anger, and the attempts to drive wedges between communities. But Manchester also remembers something else: how people came together. How the city stood shoulder to shoulder, refusing to be cowed, refusing to let hatred define it.

The individuals who carry out these attacks want us to turn on one another. They want Jews to feel unsafe in their synagogues. They want ordinary Muslims to be blamed for crimes they had no part in. They want Britain to eat itself alive with mistrust and hate.

We cannot give them that victory.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected in Manchester. But thoughts and prayers must also be joined with defiance, with a refusal to allow this attack to become another brick in the wall of division.

We must grieve, yes. We must demand justice, yes. But we must also remember that unity is our strongest weapon. If we stand together, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, secular, all communities, then hatred cannot win.

Those seeking to divide us will fail if we refuse to play their dangerous game. Division is their fuel. Unity is our shield.

Manchester has shown before that it can meet terror with resilience and compassion. Now is the time to show it again.

We cannot allow hatred to rule. Not in Manchester. Not in Britain. Not now. Not ever.

@newdaystarts