Faith Matters

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Faith Matters (formally: FAITH MATTERS COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY Company number 06082225) was launched in 2006 "...to enable faith communities to reduce conflict using conflict resolution tools. Faith Matters works on integration, cohesion, hate crime and countering extremism projects." The oganisation aims to develop strong relationships between faith communities using historical and religious contexts and by identifying commonalities between communities. Faith Matters has worked on countering extremism projects in Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt.[1]

History

According to an archived version of its website from 2009, Faith Matters 'was formed in early 2006 as a vehicle to facilitate faith communities to reduce conflict within local areas'. It 'was incorporated as a not for profit Community Interest Company in February 2007'.[2] In a Directors report for 2007 Fiyaz Mughal reported a project called the 'Bridging Beliefs Forums' that were undertaken in 5 cities across the UK, with 'attendees' 'primarily from Muslim and Jewish communities'. 'The project was conducted in partnership with the Three Faiths Forum, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Sufi Muslim Council.'[3]

Fiyaz Mughal registered the domain name 'faith-matters.org' on 3 July 2008.

People

Board of Directors

  • Asra Ayesha Sabir - Director (not listed on the Faith Matters website), appointed 14 April 2010.[4]
  • Haifa Shhadeh - Director (not listed on the Faith Matters website), appointed 29 January 2013.[4]
  • Fiyaz Mughal - former Secretary and Director, appointed to both positions on 5 February 2007. According to Companies House Mughal resigned from his position as Secretary and Director on 16 January 2020. However he is the only person currently listed on the official Faith Matters website as being on the Board of Directors.[5]
  • Robert James Cooper - former Director, appointed 1 January 2017 and resigned 23 November 2018.[4]
  • Zuber Ahemed Ibrahim - former Director, appointed 30 June 2008 and resigned 15 February 2012.[4]
  • Michelle Anne Lawrence - former Director, appointed 5 February 2007 and resigned 25 July 2009.[4]
  • Andrzej Warhaftig - former Director, appointed 1 January 2017 and resigned 23 November 2018.[4]

Staff

Fiyaz Mughal / Sarah (surname not given) / Iman Atta / Andrzej Warhaftig[6]

Patrons

Irfan Malik / Azeem Ibrahim / Varinder Singh Bola / Simon Hughes / Rana Youab Khan / Alex Carlile / Laurence Brass / Akbar Ahmed / Sally Becker / Julia Neuberger / Navnit Dholakia / Peter Tatchell / Filip Slipaczek[7]

Projects

Funding

This section gathers and presents data on the funding of Faith Matters and Tell MAMA.

Faith Matters Funding
Year Funding (£) Source of Funding Puropose of Funding
2018-19 892,000 Department for Communities and Local Government To encourage people to report instances of anti-Muslim hatred via Tell MAMA and carry out community engagement to educate people about anti-Muslim hatred and improve the recognition and reach of Tell MAMA in communities.[8]
2017-18 829,000 Department for Communities and Local Government To encourage people to report instances of anti-Muslim hatred and to carry out community engagement to educate people about anti-Muslim hatred.[9]
2016-17 504,000 Department for Communities and Local Government To encourage people to report instances of anti-Muslim hatred and to carry out community engagement to educate people about anti-Muslim hatred.[10]
2015-16 182,000 Department for Communities and Local Government To encourage people to report instances of anti-Muslim hatred and carry out community engagement to educate people about anti-Muslim hatred.[11]
2014-15 0
2013-14 80,000 Department for Communities and Local Government To support Faith Matters who manage ‘Tell MAMA’ which is the first service to record incidents of anti-Muslim hatred and support victims.[12]
2013-14 337,130 National Lottery Tell Mama (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) grant.[13]
2012-13 191,000 Department for Communities and Local Government Encourage recording of anti-Muslim hate crime and incidents on MAMA and offer victims advice.[14]
2011-12 92,000 Department for Communities and Local Government MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) collates and analyses anti-Muslim incidents in England and offers support to victims. This project will contribute to the tolerance and extremism pillar of integration and improve the evidence base and understanding of anti-Muslim hatred.[15]
2010-11 22,000 Department for Communities and Local Government To provide leadership opportunities for Muslim young people.[16]
2009-10 34,000 Department for Communities and Local Government Build relations between Muslim and Sikh communities through joint working.[17]
2009-10 100,000 Department for Communities and Local Government Grant to deliver a support service for new converts to Islam.[17]
2009-10 29,000 Department for Communities and Local Government Grant to deliver the 'Living Islam Out Loud' tour of England.[17]
2009-10 38,000 Department for Communities and Local Government Grant to compile a case study guide of mosques that provide services to Muslim women.[17]
2008-09 14,888 Department for Communities and Local Government Role model project for Muslim women.[18]
2008-09 37,675 Department for Communities and Local Government Compilation of Mosques Directory for Muslim Women.[18]
Total 3,382,693‬


Faith Matters has received funding from the Home Office’s Building a Stronger Britain Together (BSBT) programme.[19] The Home Office Fact Sheet on Hate Crime states that it provided Tell MAMA with £2.5m of funding between 2017 and 2019 to support its work to encourage the reporting of anti-Muslim hatred and to provide support to victims. Between January and March 2018, Tell MAMA hosted 77 community events reaching over 7,500 people and since 2017 they have established 10 Regional Advisory Boards to support their work.[20] It is unclear whether the £2.5 million in Home Office funding was allocated via the Department for Communities and Local Government and is therefore included in the figures above, or whether it was additional direct funding from the Home Office.

Publications and Reports

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

Affiliations

Views and positions

Prevent

In an August 2014 blog, Mughal criticised the government for neglecting and underfunding Prevent. He wrote that a “resourced and pro-active” Prevent programme was vital and claimed the “view within communities” was that Prevent should be “willing to expand its work”.

Mughal saluted “the sheer determination, tenacity and drive of previous ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), particularly Hazel Blears” for starting Prevent. “Resources were even pumped into broader projects that not [sic] primarily about tackling violent extremism,” he wrote, “but which would help promote the idea of Prevent in the long run.”

In May 2015, the group tweeted “Prevent is needed and valued. That is what we are keen to say.” That July, they condemned “calls by some community groups to scrap Prevent” as “naïve and politically immature”.

Nevertheless, the group now criticised the strategy’s “securitisation agenda”, saying it threatens free expression, “fixates on ideology and religiosity” over “propensity for violence”, “excludes and isolates groups that do not fit into its narrow definition of ‘British values’” and “will alienate” Muslims.


Contact, website

Web: faith-matters.org
Internet Archive holdings of faith-matters.org
Youtube: Faithmatters100
Facebook:FaithMattersUK
Twitter: FaithMattersUK Joined January 2010
Internet archive holdings of Twitter page: @FaithMattersUK

Notes

  1. About Us, Faith Matters. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  2. Faith Matters About US. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 26 January 2009 on 27 March 2020.
  3. Faith Matters Director's Report. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 16 June 2009 on 27 March 2020.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Faith Matters Companies House listing, Companies House. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  5. Who We Are, Faith Matters website. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  6. Faith Matters Staff, Faith Matters website. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  7. Faith Matters Patrons, Faith Matters website. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  8. Annual Report and Accounts: 2018-19, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  9. Annual Report and Accounts: 2017-18, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  10. Annual Report and Accounts: 2016-17, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  11. Annual Report and Accounts: 2015-16, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  12. Annual Report and Accounts: 2013-14, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  13. Tell MAMA Grant, National Lottery. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  14. Annual Report and Accounts: 2012-13, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  15. Annual Report and Accounts: 2011-12, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  16. Annual Report and Accounts: 2010-11, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Annual Report and Accounts: 2009-10, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  18. 18.0 18.1 Annual Report and Accounts: 2009-10, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  19. Building a Stronger Britain Together supported groups – February 2019, www.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  20. Home Office Fact Sheet - Hate Crime, Home Office. Retrieved 31 March 2020.