The UK government has suffered a blow to its long-awaited appointment of an adviser against anti-Muslim hatred after one of the country’s leading campaigners stepped back from the role.
Anti-hate campaigner Fiyaz Mughal, who founded Faith Matters, ruled himself out as a frontrunner for the role after facing a barrage of abuse.
It is an embarrassing setback for the government in the week the Levelling Up and Communities Secretary Michael Gove prepares to unveil a long-awaited overhaul of the UK’s extremism policies.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited a mosque in London today to "spread the message that anti-Muslim hatred has no place in UK society". He was announcing £117 million in new security measures to protect Muslim schools, centres and mosques around the country.
Last week, he called for the UK to draw a line against the "poison of extremism" as he warned the country was being torn apart by rising domestic tension.
Alan Mendosa, the director of the Henry Jackson Society think tank, told The National anyone who wanted the role of anti-Muslim hate adviser would need a “hide of steel”, and that the government will face a mammoth task to fill it.
The government has come under mounting pressure to appoint a new anti-Muslim hatred czar due to the role being vacant for more than two years despite recent figures showing anti-Muslim hate in the UK has more than tripled since Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Just last week Felicity Buchan, Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, announced in the House of Commons that an appointment was imminent.
Mr Mughal said that since his name as a potential frontrunner was leaked last week, he had received "extreme threats", and said he has faced a "malicious, targeted campaign" against him from Islamist groups.
"This is the state of our country, sadly, that people who try to do what is right for our country – to bring communities together, to tackle extremism – are being hounded out of government,” he told Sky News.
"Enough is enough. I stepped away because it is traumatising to me ... I'm a working man.”
Mr Mughal – who also founded Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), a national project which records and measures anti-Muslim incidents in the UK – said the adviser post involved two days' work a month for £1,000 with no security protection, and accused the government of not taking the situation “seriously”.
Mr Mendosa told The National whoever took on the role will be “attacked” from all sides.
“It was never going to be an easy task to find an anti-Muslim hate crime czar given that the person will inevitably be attacked by those on the Islamist fringe who are worried that their extremism will be exposed by a moderate in the role, and by those on the Far Right who revel in their racism,” he said.
“Similar roles, like the UK’s anti-Semitism position, are unremunerated despite the massive rise in anti-Semitism since October 7.
“Any person who undertakes it will therefore need to have a hide of steel and be motivated by the mission, as well as being in a position to support themselves.
“While difficult, this is somewhat essential as the role is inherently an independent one where the person will need to sometimes criticise government as well as face down external critics.”
Imam Qari Asim was the last person to hold the post but he was removed in 2022 after calling for a film to be banned.
On Thursday, Mr Gove is due to announce his strategy for taking a tougher stance on groups and individuals “undermining” British values when he changes the UK’s definition of extremism, which has not been altered for over a decade.
Under Mr Gove’s plans to redefine extremism, the government is drawing up a list of organisations which will be banned from receiving public funds and engaging with government, and banned from university campuses.
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
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6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
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7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
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