The council has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling racism and hate crime during Islamophobia Awareness Month, which runs throughout November.

The awareness month, which is the 10th of its kind, is encouraging better reporting of incidents and challenge stereotypes.

Back in 2020, the council unanimously adopted the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia.

The definition states that Islamophobia is "rooted in racism" and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

This month highlights the importance of reporting Islamophobic hate crimes to authorities, so that accurate data is collected and policy changes enacted accordingly.

The theme for this month’s awareness month is tackling denial.

It is to recognise denial attempts to shut down conversations about recognising and challenging Islamophobia.

The council and Greater Manchester Police are working together to further develop hate crime awareness training, including featuring Islamic-related hate crime awareness for front line staff across public services and community leads.

Funding is available for voluntary and community organisations to apply for £1,000 to invest in activities to prevent and tackle hate crimes.

The deadline for funding applications is Monday, November 14. To apply click here.

Cllr Richard Gold, cabinet member for communities and finance at the council, said: “Bury is proud of its rich heritage which is built on being home to people of different cultures and faith.

“Our Let’s Do It strategy and approach has inclusion at its heart and recognises our strength in Bury is the cohesiveness of our communities which we strive to not just sustain but strengthen.”

The theme for this month’s awareness month is tackling denial.

It is to recognise denial attempts to shut down conversations about recognising and challenging Islamophobia.

Bury’s Community Cohesion sub-group of the Community Safety Partnership and Bury Faith Forum are both meeting during the month.

They will include a focus on such conversations and to reflect on the positive impact of Muslim life in Bury, such as its many community groups and Muslim community leaders.

In May, Cllr Shaheena Haroon became the first female Muslim Mayor of Bury and in Greater Manchester.

During mid-November it will be national Interfaith Week in which the Bury Faith Forum will meet and bring representatives together from across different religions in the borough to foster co-operation and promote cohesiveness.

As part of this, a session is being run with schools where pupils will be able to experience a showcase of different faiths to raise awareness and understanding.

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