Tackling Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred: practical guidance for universities

Last updated on Tuesday 20 Dec 2022 at 10:27pm

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred are wrong, and should not be tolerated at universities, or anywhere in society.

Evidence suggests that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred are widespread, and perhaps even normalised, in the UK. But by addressing this, universities have an opportunity to not only make a difference to the hundreds of thousands of Muslim students and staff in the sector, but also to positively shape the minds and attitudes of the next generation.

We strongly urge universities to do all they can to address Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.

About this briefing

The purpose of our briefing is to raise awareness of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in higher education, and suggest practical actions that universities can take in response.

We build on the recommendations of our Changing the culture framework, including our guidance on tackling racial harassment in higher education. Universities may also wish to note our guidance on tackling antisemitism in higher education.

Our briefing:

defines Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in the UK
highlights the issues faced by Muslim students and where universities can act
offers case studies to illustrate the approaches taken by universities
provides links to further information, training and resources

How can universities act?

Our guidance calls on universities to act in response to three key areas:

Welcoming Muslims on campus

Issues Muslims on campus face include:

Barriers to practising religion
Events not being inclusive
Issues in class, for example how Muslim people or terrorism are covered in academic settings
Feeling watched

Understanding, prevention and response

As in wider society, many students at UK universities are poorly informed about Islam or Islamophobia: over half report having no or limited knowledge of Islam.

Muslim students have reported that much of the Islamophobia they experience results from a lack of understanding of Islam, leading to stereotyping and discrimination.

The Prevent duty

Like many other public bodies, universities in England, Wales and Scotland are subject to the Prevent duty. This is a statutory duty under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.

Many prominent organisations representing Muslims in the UK have expressed significant concern about Prevent, including that it disproportionately affects Muslims, perpetuates Islamophobia, and contributes to an atmosphere that views Muslims as objects of suspicion.

Preventing people from being drawn into terrorism is of critical importance, and we recognise that Prevent is a statutory duty which universities must continue to comply with. In doing so, we encourage universities to consider how they engage with and implement Prevent. Research has indicated that the nature of the impact of Prevent varies considerably, according to how it has been implemented.

Publications