More than 350 prominent Muslim figures from the UK, US, South Africa and other countries have signed a letter to the Guardian, blaming 'systemic and institutionalised Islamophobia' for creating the conditions that led to the Christchurch terror attacks. The letter accuses mainstream media, politicians and academics of fuelling bigotry against Muslims, stating that the massacre was 'decades in the making' and inspired by Islamophobic rhetoric.
The signatories argue that Muslims have been 'constantly cast as suspect communities' and that the hatred has been disguised behind a 'veneer of objectivity'. They call for urgent action to tackle the root causes of anti-Muslim hatred, which they say has been allowed to fester unchecked in many societies.
Conservative peer Sayeeda Warsi has added her voice to the demands, calling on the government to increase security funding for mosques. She described Islamophobia as the Conservative Party's 'bigotry blind spot' and said there was 'overwhelming evidence' of the need for more protection after the Christchurch attack, which claimed 50 lives.
Warsi highlighted the disparity in funding between synagogues and other religious institutions, noting that a specific fund exists for synagogue protection while only £2.4 million is allocated for all other faiths. She urged the government to adopt a formal definition of Islamophobia, as proposed by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims, which has already been backed by the Liberal Democrats and is under consideration by Labour.
Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, is writing to Prime Minister Theresa May to express the 'palpable sense of fear' among Muslims and warn of the risk of copycat attacks. The council has called for increased funding for places of worship amid a rise in suspected far-right incidents across England, some allegedly inspired by the New Zealand atrocities.
