Challenging Islamophobia and antisemitism head on
In his latest Chair’s Column, Mohammed explains how religious hatred harms communities, divides workplaces, and undermines solidarity.
Over the past month, our communities have continued to face racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism.
In Manchester and Stockport, mosques have been attacked, with one man entering a mosque armed with a hammer, axe, and knives during evening prayers.
We have also seen an increase in antisemitic attacks. Four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community were firebombed in Golders Green in London. As a trade union, we send our solidarity to the Jewish community.
PCS has a long and proud record of standing against all forms of discrimination. Racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism harm communities, divide workplaces, and undermine solidarity.
We cannot truly defend our members unless we confront these issues directly, wherever they occur. Hundreds of thousands who share these values marched in London on 28 March as part of the Together alliance.
Just a couple of weeks prior, Muslims and non-Muslims alike gathered in Trafalgar Square for an “open Iftar” event - a peaceful and inclusive occasion where people shared food and fellowship to break the daily fast during Ramadan.
Instead of recognising this as a positive expression of cultural and religious diversity, certain political figures described the event in deeply hostile terms; as an “act of domination,” “intimidation,” or a “threat to British culture”.
These remarks cast an entire faith community and its traditions as alien, threatening, or un-British. They reflect a broader pattern where Muslim public life is framed as inherently oppositional or problematic, and feed into exclusionary narratives that equate Muslim presence with cultural threat.
Peaceful religious events strengthen community bonds, foster mutual respect, and reflect the multicultural reality of modern Britain. When opposition to them relies on coded or explicit claims about domination and “outsiders,” it cannot be separated from bigotry and racism.
As ever, if you need help, support, or just want a chat, please email me at [email protected]