Interfaith initiatives can restore our sense of community

In times of increasing polarization and inequality the search for common bonds to build that sense of solidarity and communion can be fleeting and sometimes completely abandoned. The fragmentation of society into atomised groups facilitates an environment of distrust, suspicion and resentment. The academic Matthew Goodwin intelligently articulated this in his book National Populism: The […]

As the EDL Plan to March in Bradford, We Provide Testimony About Their Hatred

Letters have been sent by West Yorkshire Police to mosques and community centres highlighting the march of the far right extremist group, the English Defence League, in Bradford on Saturday the 14th of November 2015. As the extremist group plan to march in West Yorkshire, we highlight the impacts of their sympathisers and their activists

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Why did Tommy Robinson move from the EDL to Pegida?

This October marks two years since Tommy Robinson departed from the English Defence League (EDL). The Quilliam Foundation had called it “a huge success for community relations in the United Kingdom” and urged others, within far-right and Islamist circles to follow suit. Their staff “facilitated” both Robinson’s departure, and that of the EDL’s co-founder, Kevin Carroll. Quilliam had also offered both men education on Islam and training in lobbying. Robinson aimed to tackle Islamist ideologies “not with violence but with better, democratic ideas”. He later told BBC Radio 5’s Nicky Campbell “I want to lead the revolution against Islamist ideology, I don’t want to lead the revolution against Muslims“. When asked if he had regrets, he replied “I apologise if what I have said and represented has not resonated individually with Muslims”. Beyond these pristine, mineralised and rehearsed statements, the cracks sat in plain sight. Days before the announcement, Robinson’s Twitter feed continued to pump out anti-Islam content. Two days before Quilliam’s press conference Robinson had tweeted “Muslims created Islamophobia themselves… Go figure!!! They don’t challenge the extremists so we will!!!” Days earlier he tweeted that “Global war/holocaust on Christians… We all know it’s #Islam fueling it…“ Robinson retweeted an [...]

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Unmasked for the Thugs That They Are – The #EDL Fascists

People have been discussing whether the English Defence League are really a threat to the security of the United Kingdom, whilst others have taken the position that they are not so bad as ”those Jihadis across the ocean’. Senior commentators have also suggested that the English Defence League are nothing of significance in relation to

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A Study of the English Defence League: The Faith Hate Report

What Draws People of Faith to Right Wing Organisations & What Effects Does the EDL Have on Interfaith Relations? Key findings of the report include: EDL attempts to recruit among faith communities Christian leaders should publicly stand up to EDL UK government should examine group’s international funding Jewish Defence League should be banned Christian organisations […]

The English Defence League: Challenging Our Country and Our Values of Social Inclusion, Fairness and Equality

The English Defence League: Challenging Our Country and Our Values of Social Inclusion, Fairness and Equality. A detailed report on key leaders within the English Defence League, their funders and those that formulate its strategy. This report is a damning insight into a group that promotes a non-racist image, yet those aligned and linked to […]

Rabble-rousing rabbi and his far-right friends

More than 300 protestors convened outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington last Sunday for the far-right EDL’s demonstration against “Islamic extremism”, which saw the Israeli flag waved alongside the cross of St George. Fiyaz Mughal of interfaith group Faith Matters said: ” Its strategy is to reach out to floating groups such as ethnic communities […]

Adab Research Report

A PERSPECTIVE OF SIKH & MUSLIM RELATIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM & CAUSES OF TENSIONS & MISTRUST BETWEEN THE TWO COMMUNITIES Click to view report The Adab (Respect) research report builds on the work that Faith Matters undertook in Corrymeela in 2008 where a group of Sikhs and Muslims took part in facilitated discussions sessions […]

Cohesive Communities: Bridging Divides Between Muslim and Sikh communities:

Faith Matters investigated tensions amongst young Sikh and Muslim men which threatened to create local and national hotspots of tension. Conducted in 2008, it took Sikhs and Muslims to Corrymeela in Northern Ireland to explore some of the issues causing tension in some parts of the East and West Midlands and to look at commonalities between the […]

Sikh and Muslim Media Monitoring Project

The Sikh and Muslim Media Monitoring group regularly meets in Ealing and has been looking at key themes that have included (i) the EDL and its attempts to drive a wedge between Muslim and Sikh communities in England (ii) Outreach by the EDL towards Black and Minority Ethnic communities in order to promote the false […]