What is Islamophobia Awareness Month?

November is Islamophobia Awareness month. This month shines a spotlight on the Islamophobia and hatred experienced by many Muslim communities across the UK and the globe and unites us in the fight against it. This year’s theme is ‘Flip the Script’, focusing on how we can all positively challenge negative narratives that stereotype, demean, and harm Muslims in our communities and highlight the positive contributions made by Muslims to human civilisation.

In recent times, many in diverse Muslim communities have experienced a rise in hate, prejudice, and division. Of the total religious hate crime offences recorded in the year ending March 2025, 45% targeted Muslims (Muslims only constitute about 6% of the UK population). This is closely related to a nationwide rise in hostility towards other minority groups, including the Jewish community, migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. As a result, many Muslims, including Touchstone staff, volunteers, and service users, have experienced increased fear, feelings of unsafety, and a sense of not belonging in our communities.

Raising awareness about Islamophobia and actively working together to dismantle it is as necessary and urgent as it’s ever been.

Dismantling Islamophobia in Mental Health Spaces

In response to such violence and hate, communities and organisations must work together to create safety and inclusion for Muslims and all group and communities targeted by hate and prejudice. This includes creating safe spaces for people in our workplaces, communities, and in the places where people seek mental health support.

According to a report by the Better Community Business Network (cited on the Islamophobia Awareness Month website):

  • Over 70% of Muslims who had experienced ‘mental health struggles’ had also experienced Islamophobia;
  • More than two thirds reported experiencing bullying, with nearly half experiencing this at school;
  • 64% of young Muslims said they experience suicidal thoughts;
  • 90% of service users said that it was important for Mental health support services to be faith and culturally sensitive.

As mental health providers, we have an urgent responsibility to ensure that our services understand the oppression and hate Muslims face and challenge the ways it manifests in our structures, spaces, and service provision. If we fail to do so, we risk further harming, and possibly re-traumatising, people in our Muslim communities, who turn to us for support.

What is Touchstone doing?

At Touchstone, we are proud of and active in our anti-hate stance.

We offer mandatory anti-hate training to all our staff, which expands upon previous training on challenging Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism. Our Faith and Belief Staff Equality Network also regularly meet to discuss issues affecting staff of faith. For Islamophobia Awareness month, staff from our network recorded a special podcast around the ‘Flip the Script theme’. You can listen to this insightful and informative conversation here.

We also work hard to ensure our services are inclusive to all who experience oppression and marginalisation. We offer culturally specific support groups, including our Improving Low Mood Using Islam course, which is run by Touchstone staff as part of the Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service.

During this Islamophobia Awareness Month, as always, we are proud to unite with organisations and communities up and down the country, and across the globe, standing against anti-Muslim hatred and providing safe spaces for Muslim communities to access support.

More Information and Support: