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Islamic Heritage Month



What is Islamic Heritage Month?

November is Islamic Heritage Month (previously known as Islamophobia Awareness Month) and is aimed at raising awareness of Islamophobia, as well as celebrating the rich heritage of our Muslim students.

This year'’'s theme is Seeds of Change, with the goal to emphasise the importance of how small actions can contribute to a big change; there are small steps everyone can take to raise awareness.

Look out for website and social media content featuring stories from our elected officers, other news and exciting events for a chance to get involved!

Naoshin Haque, Community Organiser for IHM

Facts and figures

Rising islamophobia

Muslim students are increasingly facing both overt and covert Islamophobia (Akel, 2021).

Targeted Abuse

Female Muslim students, especially those wearing hijabs, are most likely to experience verbal abuse, with one student reporting 20–30 incidents (Akel, 2021).

Verbal Attacks

25% of Muslim students report verbal abuse, often being called derogatory names like "terrorist" or "extremist" (Akel, 2021).

Defending Faith

25% of Muslim students were asked to defend wearing religious garments on campus (Akel, 2021).

Education Gaps

Young Muslims are more likely to drop out of higher education or achieve lower degrees compared to non-Muslim peers (Social Mobility Commission, 2017).

Job Discrimination

Job applicants with English-sounding names are three times more likely to get interviews than those with Muslim names (BBC, 2017).

BBC
Workplace Islamophobia

Over two-thirds of UK Muslims experience Islamophobia at work, with 34% facing discrimination in job interviews and 32% during work reviews (Savanta ComRes, 2022).

Ethnic Minority Gap

Employer discrimination accounts for up to half of the ethnic minority employment gap in the UK (DWP, 2008).

Discrimination Against Women

23% of working Muslim women and 43% of unemployed Muslim women report facing discrimination in job interviews (Young Foundation, 2008).

Hate Crimes

44% of religious hate crimes targeted Muslims in the year ending March 2023 (Home Office, 2023).

Islamophobia Spike

The Islamophobia Response Unit reported significant increases in Islamophobia cases from October 2023 to February 2024, with a 365% rise in October alone (IRU, 2023).

IRU
Attacks on Mosques

Physical attacks on mosques occurred in 2022, including incidents in East Ham and Shoreditch (Evening Standard, Tell MAMA, 2022).

Hijab Attack

A Muslim woman was assaulted on the London Tube, where the attacker attempted to tear off her hijab and verbally abused her (Tell MAMA, 2022).


A Brief History of Islam in the East End

Read more on the history of Islam in the East End which dates back to the 16th century

 
Student Spotlight

This year’s theme for Islamophobia Awareness Month is #MuslimStories. To celebrate this theme, we bring you the stories of our IAM Planning Committee Members and wider QM Muslim student community.

 
What is the Friday Prayer (Jummah)?

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday”. On this special day, the usual midday prayer is replaced with the Friday prayer, or ‘Salat al-Jumu’ah’ in Arabic. Read the history and find out more!

 
Reading list

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