All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia

Activities

Set up in November 2010, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia's purpose is:

To investigate the forms, manifestations and extent of prejudice and discrimination against Muslims in the UK today. To review the effectiveness of all legislation with a view to improving the rate of success in the prosecution of hate crimes. To review existing mechanisms for the recording of anti-Muslim hate crimes both through police forces across the country and through third party reporting sites with a view to improving data quality and comprehensiveness. To investigate and review the role of the media in fostering mutual respect and tolerance and guarding against misrepresentations of Islam and intolerance towards Muslims.

Criticism

In 2011 academic Dr Chris Allen wrote a report on the APPG's progress, summing up that:

On all of [the APPG's] aims it has - to date - categorically and overwhelmingly failed. More so than anything else, it has to be recognised that the credibility of the APPG has been damaged and that the focus on Islamophobia lost.

In July 2013 he noted in another article about the APPG that, 'In my opinion, very little has changed since'.

He describe the APPG as an 'insignificant irrelevance, a toothless entity whose (lack of) actions have spoken far more loudly than its, at times, somewhat overblown words'.

People

• Co-Chairs: Simon Danczuk (Lab) Stuart Andrew (Con)
• Vice Chair: Jack Straw
• Treasurer: Nigel Dodds
• Eric Ollerenshaw – Con
• Dr Julian Lewis – Con
• Lord Sheikh – Con
• Simon Hughes – LD
• Sir Peter Bottomley - Con
• Gordon Birtwistle – LD
• Iain Stewart – Con
• Sarah Teather – LD
• Sir Andrew Stunell – LD
• Julie Hilling
• Mark Hendrick
• Stephen Timms
• David Anderson
• Jonathan Ashworth
• Caroline Lucas
• Jonathan Edwards
• Lord Ahmed

Former members

• Kris Hopkins, Conservative MP

DATE OF GROUP’S LAST REGISTERED ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING was 28 January 2014.

Contact

Website: