COMMENT Stay safe, stay alert. Four words that have become all too familiar within WhatsApp groups among Muslim and ethnic minority communities.
“Don’t stay out late… avoid that area… maybe change your plans…” Welcome to the UK in 2024. A place where racism, Islamophobia, fascism and more are very much alive.
We’ve always known it; we didn’t need some riots over the past week to confirm it. Now everyone else is aware and wondering what to do.
But let’s take you back a little, and help you understand why some of these issues exist.
Racism is an uncomfortable topic
The hard and harsh truth is that British people don’t like talking about race. We have this fear of getting it wrong or worry that we don’t know enough about racial issues. The other challenge is the fear of offending others, stopping us from asking questions that can help us learn and break down barriers. This is all confirmed in the race and microaggression workshops that I host.
When I think about it, perhaps the term “microaggression” is problematic in itself – there is really nothing micro about a microaggression. It’s racism. And all those companies implementing “unconscious bias” training: let’s be real, that’s just a nice way of saying, “I think my employees often exercise an element of racism when hiring new people.”
We must be able to talk about it and call the thing the thing. As soon as we cherry-pick our language, we are undermining and invalidating the experiences that so many ethnic minority individuals are encountering.
Islamophobia is rife
The prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, the most senior politician in our country, is failing to label the current riots – and behaviours that have been happening for years now – as Islamophobic. Surely, pulling off a Muslim woman’s hijab, throwing acid on their faces, vandalising mosques and damaging graves can only be labelled as one thing. When other religions are not targeted in the same way, the answers are obvious.
It is not enough for only Muslim people to be calling it out – it has far more substance when people outside this community can label it.
When you fail to call something what it is, you are complicit in the terror that it is causing.
We are a diverse nation, but we are not inclusive
The UK general election on 4 July confirmed the rise of right-wing populist party Reform.
Reform received 14% of the vote share and four seats in parliament – more than the Liberal Democrats’ 12%, despite them winning 71 seats. It’s a strange consequence of the first-past-the-post system, and perhaps a good one too. While many would like to see proportional representation in our elections, it would mean that more extreme parties get more seats and thus a say in our policies.
And this isn’t a good thing. The latest census data (2021) showed that around one in six people residing in the UK were born abroad. It also showed that around 18% of the population has an ethnic minority background, with ethnic minorities making up the majority of people living in many of our cities (Birmingham, Leicester, Luton, etc). We also have more religious diversity than ever before.
So, on paper we are a diverse nation.
In reality, however, there is a sizeable proportion of our country that supports a party like Reform – one that doesn’t value immigrant contributions, multiculturalism and integration, and one that promotes division over what we have in common.
The riots are not a result of recent tragic events; they have been brewing for some time, fuelled by politicians and the media.
How to move forwards
As an organisation, we are here to support the industry. We are called PREACH Inclusion – PREACH standing for Promoting Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage. This is what our organisation stands for – everything that the riots over the past week do not.
As many Muslim and ethnic minority individuals continue to feel anxious and worried, here is our advice for companies to support their employees in an appropriate way.
Call the thing the thing. Language matters. These aren’t protests; these are riots, which are racist and Islamophobic. They are led by fascists, who are violent, dangerous and creating a culture of fear. It is important that we acknowledge exactly what these are.
Remember your emotional contract with your employees. When we say “check-in with your Muslim and ethnic minority employees and colleagues”, we mean that this needs to go beyond asking: are you OK? Suggest hosting safe spaces for people to share concerns and signpost people to employee assistance programmes.
Be reactive. There are rumours of new riots being announced daily and regardless of whether these claims can be substantiated or not, the fear is enough to make people want to stay at home. Allow your employees more flexibility, more working from home, finishing early, if required. There is no need for anyone to put themselves in compromising situations.
Educate yourself about racial issues, Islamophobia, white supremacy, immigration patterns and more. Good allyship is doing the homework to understand the challenges faced by marginalised groups, rather than expecting your diversity networks to lead on these.
Here are some resources to help you:
- Our faith and religion guide, produced in partnership with the London Property Alliance.
- Our race guide, also produced in partnership with the London Property Alliance.
- Learn more about Islamophobia here.
- Our comment piece on cultural intelligence during a time of conflict.
Finally, take it a step further and openly show your support. Messages, posts and more all make a difference.
At a time when equity, diversity and inclusion has received so much backlash, we would argue that intersectional inclusion is more important than ever.
We will continue to #PREACHInclusion and support our members and network accordingly. If you would like any assistance, please email: hello@preachinclusion.com
Priya Aggarwal-Shah is founder and director of PREACH Inclusion
Photo © PREACH Inclusion
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