British Muslims are not guests in the UK. This is our home too

“British Muslims are not guests in the UK. This is our home too Submitted by Mustafa al-Dabbagh on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 16:09 Unite the Kingdom rally provided a dark warning about the dangerous xenophobia that has ensnared parts of the country Police patrol the far-right Unite the Kingdom rally in London on 16 May 2026 (Toby Shepheard/AFP) On There is something deeply dishonest about a rally that calls itself “Unite the Kingdom”, while giving a platform to rhetoric that tells British Muslims they do not belong and mocking Muslim women’s clothing . This weekend’s events in London were not merely offensive, nor just another ugly episode in our already poisoned public debate. They were a warning about the dangerous direction in which parts of our politics and media culture are drifting. When Islamophobia is disguised as patriotism, and entire communities are spoken about as if they are a threat to be removed, restricted or defeated, we are no longer witnessing robust political disagreement. We are witnessing the deliberate dehumanisation of millions of fellow citizens - a path history has shown leads only to darkness. A recent report from the Runnymede Trust documents rising Islamophobia in the UK in recent years, as manifested in the 2024 summer riots. In addition, survey after survey has highlighted the problem, with a report last year finding that one in three Muslim women have experienced Islamophobia or racism first-hand while travelling on public transport. British Muslims, who comprise more than six percent of the total population , are not guests in this country. This is our home. We teach in its schools, seek care in its hospitals, serve in its public institutions, run its businesses, volunteer in its communities, and raise our families here. We share Britain’s anxieties, hopes, frustrations and future. To suggest otherwise is not only bigoted; it is to lie about Britain itself. Facing the same pressures But let’s be clear: the ordinary person worried about the cost of living , the parent anxious about their child’s education, the patient waiting too long for medical treatment , the Britons who feel politics no longer listens to them - these are not our enemies. Many of these fears are shared across communities. Muslim families also struggle with bills , housing, childcare, public services, and a sense of insecurity about the future. We queue in the same hospitals, send our children to the same schools, live on the same streets, and face the same pressures. The tragedy is that these very real concerns are being weaponised by people with no serious solutions . They offer no credible answers for fixing the National Health Service, building homes, lowering energy bills, improving schools, raising wages, or restoring trust in politics. Instead, they provide a scapegoat. They claim to act in the name of patriotism. In reality, they sabotage the country they claim to defend They redirect anger that should be aimed at failing systems towards minorities. They tell people that their neighbour is the problem, rather than the political choices and economic failures that have left so many feeling abandoned. They claim to act in the name of patriotism. In reality, they sabotage the country they claim to defend. A nation’s strength is not measured by how loudly it can exclude others, but by the strength of its social fabric: the trust between neighbours , the dignity afforded to every citizen, and the ability of different communities to stand together in difficult times. That matters, because Britain already faces serious challenges. Public services are under strain. Many communities feel ignored . Trust in institutions is low . The world around us is becoming more unstable. In such a moment, division is not something we can afford. A country fractured from within is far less able to face the pressures coming from outside. Applying the law equally This is why political leaders, media and public authorities must stop treating Islamophobia as a secondary concern. If equivalent language targeted any other minority community, it would rightly trigger outrage, investigation and consequences. British Muslims are entitled to the same protection, dignity and recognition. The law must be applied equally. Public condemnation must be consistent . And we must stop laundering hate as “controversy” or “free speech”, when it amounts to the vilification of an entire faith community. But the answer cannot be purely legal or institutional. It must also be civic. We need a better story about Britain than the one offered by those who profit from division. Citizenship must never be conditional. Unite the Kingdom: Hateful theatre of niqab ‘unveiling’ feeds far-right fantasies Read More » A Muslim child feeling safe and valued in Britain does not make anyone else less British. A mosque serving its local community does not weaken the country. Diversity, when built on mutual respect and shared citizenship, is not a threat to national cohesion. It is part of Britain’s lived reality. Our task is not to dismiss every anxious citizen as hateful or racist, nor to pretend that Britain’s problems are not real. Our task is to separate genuine public concern from those who exploit it. We must speak to people’s fears without feeding prejudice, and build a common cause around what really matters: decent public services, safe communities, secure futures, and a country where no one is treated as an outsider in their own home. British Muslims are ready to be part of that work, as we always have been . We stand against hatred directed at any community, not only because it is wrong, but because we believe in a stronger Britain: one where people are not manipulated into fearing their neighbours, where disagreement does not become dehumanisation, and where unity means more than waving flags while tearing communities apart. The far right offers division and calls it strength. We must offer something better: solidarity, dignity and a shared future. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. Islamophobia Opinion Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:29 Update Date Override 0

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