Zara Mohammed, the first female leader of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), has issued a stark warning about the escalating tide of Islamophobia in the UK. As she prepares to step down from her role after a challenging four-year tenure, she reflects on the significant struggles faced by British Muslims, including rising hate incidents and government disengagement.
During her leadership, Mohammed confronted numerous crises, including nationwide riots and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. She described a particularly alarming moment during the Southport riots last year, triggered by false rumors surrounding a stabbing incident. “It was so visceral,” she recalled. “We were watching on our screens: people breaking doors down, attacking taxi drivers, smashing windows, smashing mosques.” This violence left her questioning her impact in the fight against hate.
Despite the urgency for governmental engagement, Mohammed felt sidelined. “The justification was there, the necessity of engagement was there, British Muslims were under attack,” she lamented, highlighting that the MCB was not being consulted during critical moments.
In the wake of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, incidents of Islamophobic hate have surged, with monitoring group Tell Mama UK reporting 4,971 cases in the past year—the highest tally in 14 years. While the MCB has undertaken extensive community building and political advocacy efforts, Mohammed noted that these efforts have not translated into a significant shift in mainstream narratives about British Muslims.
“There has been such a normalization of Islamophobic rhetoric without it being challenged or condemned,” she stated. The abuse directed at Muslim politicians, such as former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, underscores a broader societal issue.
Mohammed expressed a sense of ongoing struggle: “You’re constantly firefighting. Did we make British Muslims’ lives better? On one hand, yes, because we raised these issues on a national platform. But with Islamophobia, we’re still having the same conversation.”
As she departs from her role, her reflections serve as a compelling reminder of the work that remains to be done in addressing the challenges faced by Muslim communities in the UK.
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