The UK government has chosen a new organization to oversee the monitoring of anti-Muslim sentiment, following the termination of its partnership with Tell Mama, an Islamophobia reporting service. The newly designated partner is the British Muslim Trust (BMT), which is set to start accepting and investigating reports of incidents and concerns from early autumn. This decision comes in response to the escalating number of hate crimes aimed at British Muslims and will aid in addressing the advancing nature of religious intolerance and targeted animosity towards Muslim communities.
The BMT will utilize the allocated funding to establish a comprehensive reporting mechanism capturing occurrences of anti-Muslim hatred both online and offline, including those that may have avoided police reporting. Additionally, BMT will provide direct assistance to victims, enhance the understanding of what constitutes a hate crime, and encourage increased reporting among the communities affected.
Formed by the Aziz Foundation and Randeree Charitable Trust, the BMT will be under the leadership of Akeela Ahmed, who is also the co-founder of the British Muslim Network (BMN), which has a broader mandate not reliant on government funding. Ahmed has articulated that the BMT’s key role is to rectify the underreporting and underacknowledgment of anti-Muslim sentiments and to support victims in fostering a unified and inclusive British society.
The selection process for the funding, which spanned over six weeks, aims to bolster the BMT’s capacity in its mission, reflecting the government’s commitment to countering the record-high level of religious intolerance. This progress comes amid concerns raised by figures like Muslim peer Shaista Gohir over the transparency and usage of public money by previous entities conducting similar work, highlighting an ongoing need for vigilant oversight and trust in these organizations.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/21/new-trust-to-monitor-anti-muslim-hatred-in-uk-after-funding-to-tell-mama-paused
