Book Reviews

Islamophobia Issues, Challenges, and Action:
A Report by the Commission on British

Muslims and Islamophobia
Hugh Muir and Laura Smith, researchers

Robin Richardson, ed.
Stoke on Trent, UK: Trentham Books, 2004. 92 pages.

This report is actually a comprehensive and highly informative two-part
report put out by the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia,
which was established by the Runneymede Trust in the United Kingdom in
1996. In 1999, Dr. Richard Stone (vice chair of the Runneymede Trust) was
appointed chair of the commission. 

The first part details the issues and challenges Muslims face in Britain,
while the second part focuses on the actions taken to deal with and combat
Islamophobia. As a report, its applicability is limited to the socioeconomic
and political conditions prevailing in Britain and, in particular, that country’s
urban areas. However, the substantial issues raised (namely, a broader
discussion of the concept of Islamophobia; the relationship of Islamophobia
to racism; and whether racism as a concept ought to include intolerance,
bias, stereotyping, and discrimination on the basis of religion) have a greater
resonance. 

The backdrop to the report consists of the events of 9/11 and the grow-
ing intolerance displayed in the media, governmental institutions, and soci-
ety at large toward Muslims, both individually and collectively. Centrally,
the report asks how a secular society like Britain can provide a safe space,
one that is free of discrimination, disrespect, and intolerance, in which
Muslims can observe and practice their faith. In addition, the authors also
ask two vitally important questions: “Why is the anti-racist movement so
reluctant to address prejudice, hate, and discrimination based on religion?”
and concomitantly: “Should Islamophobia be defined as a form of racism, in
much the same [way] that anti-Semitism clearly is, and should the full force
of race relations legislation be brought to bear to defeat it?”



100 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 22:2

In the first chapter, the authors identify progress in the positive mea-
sures taken by the government and the work done by Muslim organizations.
Their conclusion is that while the government deserves some credit for
combating and reducing Islamophobia since 2001, the real credit goes to
Muslim organizations at all levels of British society. The war in Iraq, the
Terrorism Act (2000), and the Anti-Terrorism Crime Security Act (2001),
as well as the increasing abrogation of the Muslims’ civil liberties in
Britain, however, have all led to increased Islamophobia.

Chapter 2 adopts a historical perspective, arguing that Islamophobia
has been present in western societies for centuries and that its manifesta-
tions have changed as the sociopolitical circumstances have changed.
Chapter 3 traces the demonization of Islam post-9/11 and during the wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq. It links this process to the neo-conservatism of
Margaret Thatcher, who claims that “Islamism is the new Bolshevism” (p.
17). Chapter 4 concentrates on the argument that the very use of the term
“Islamophobia” injects a chill into the discourse and thus stifles debate and
discussion. The authors note that there are two predominant views of Islam:
open and closed. Open religious communities seek alliances and partner-
ships, while extremists of the closed tendency form cliques, factions, and
sects that can resort to militant action (p. 23).

Open conceptions of Islam are more inclusive, while closed concep-
tions infer the “other”; Islam’s [presumed] inferiority and backwardness
when compared to Christianity; Islam and aggression; and the stereotyping
of Muslims in predominantly Christian societies. The open/closed debate is
present within and among Muslims and Muslim scholars as well (both with
respect to Islam and to conceptions of western secular societies). The chap-
ter ends by calling for the development of an inclusive open-mindedness
within the media and in mainstream society (p. 26). 

Chapter 5 presents interesting data on the socioeconomic circum-
stances of Muslims in Britain. Demographic data are linked to data on
unemployment, youth unemployment, levels of poverty, and levels of
urbanization and religious concentration. This chapter is closely linked to
chapter 7, which looks at the challenge of unemployment among Muslims,
as well as the barriers to entering the labor market and accessing services.
The chapter points out that it is now illegal in Britain to discriminate on the
basis of religion, and that a reasonable accommodation must be reached in
the case of religious differences, as well as a reasonable adjustment to the
needs of Muslim entrants in and to the labor market.



Book Reviews 101

Chapter 6 assesses the treatment of Muslims when they are victims of
hate crimes, harassment, and religious hatred. The authors note that although
the treatment of Muslim offenders has improved in recent years, the public
perception remains that the law is soft on Muslim fundamentalist terrorists.
Chapter 8 looks at identity formation, particularly among Muslim youths
post-9/11, while chapter 9 analyzes the British government’s social cohesion
agenda. At a theoretical level, the report seeks to situate the concept and real-
ity of social cohesion in the discourses around community and conflict. The
report notes that despite some initial challenges, the social cohesion agenda
does hold promise as long as it is explicit (in policies and programs) in deal-
ing with the multiple manifestations of Islamophobia and “Westophobia,”
criminality and drug use among Muslim youths, and leadership and author-
ity among certain Muslim communities.

Chapter 10 provides concrete ways for combating the negative stereo-
typing of Muslims in the media. Essentially, the question posed is who
holds the media accountable for how they reproduce negative images of
Muslims. The authors discuss the role of the Press Complaints Commission
and strongly argue for the adoption of a professional code of ethics among
journalists. They reproduce a very useful set of guidelines for journalists
seeking a more balanced portrayal of Muslims. 

The final chapter assesses the progress made on the 60 recommenda-
tions contained in the 1997 report authored by the Commission on British
Muslims. The review is mixed. The authors conclude that some progress
has been made, despite the increased level of anti-Muslim prejudice in both
the media and society. The overall conclusion is that the most pressing pri-
ority is for the British government and the Commission on Racial Equality
to “actively encourage all public bodies to incorporate a commitment to
avoiding religious discrimination in their race equality schemes and poli-
cies” (p. 80). This would require a concomitant duty to accommodate and
promote respect between members of different faiths. Several other short-
to medium-term priorities are identified, including priorities for the media,
public institutions, and service delivery agencies.

While the report is extremely useful and informative, the various chap-
ters need a tighter structural organization of the material. The conceptual
chapters (namely, 2, 4, and parts of 9) could have been more closely
aligned, and the chapters that look at data, demographics, and indicators of
exclusion could have been more readily integrated. In addition, the report
weaves together both anecdotal evidence of Islamophobia and data from a
variety of official sources. The latter point to manifestations of exclusion



102 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 22:2

from the labor market and from society, to the higher rates of impoverish-
ment faced by various Muslim communities, and to the alienation and dis-
affection among Muslim youths. 

While the data sections are very strong, the sections detailing anecdo-
tal evidence are correspondingly weak. There is a place for narrative and
anecdotes, but the authors owe it to the readers to be more analytical. If they
conclude that incidents of Islamophobia are on the rise, is the evidence
anecdotal? Are there human rights complaints? Are there more anecdotes
now than there were before 9/11? Interestingly, the authors cite Ahmed
Versi, editor of The Muslim News, who noted that even though the war in
Iraq triggered fewer cases of abuse than 9/11, concern remains high (p. 31).
Certainly, the anti-Muslim climate contributes to heightened fears, but it is
not clear from the report that this climate has resulted in quantitatively more
cases of Islamophobia than before. The report did not address these ques-
tions adequately. 

Overall, the report makes a very useful contribution to identifying the
issues and challenges faced by Muslims in Britain. This report will be of
interest to government, the anti-racism movement, Muslims individually
and collectively, as well as mainstream society in Britain.

Zubeida Saloojee
Professor, Child and Youth Worker Program, Community Services Division

The City College George Brown, Toronto, Ontario, Canada