Tell Mama does vital work countering anti-Muslim hate crime
NEWS RELEASE: TELL MAMA
Wednesday 19th March 2014
British Muslim Awards – Charity of the Year (shortlisted)
CONTACT: Fiyaz Mughal OBE
(+44) 020 7935 5573 | [email protected]
www.tellmamauk.org | www.faith-matters.org
@TellMamaUK | @FaithMattersUK
Peter Tatchell, joins TELL MAMA as Patron
The TELL MAMA national campaign – which maps, measures and monitors anti-Muslim prejudice and supports victims of anti-Muslim hatred – is proud to announce that Peter Tatchell, the human rights campaigner and Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, has joined us as a patron.
Peter Tatchell has campaigned for nearly 50 years on human rights issues and has been one of the most important figures in the global fight against homophobia. He has also campaigned against tyranny in Zimbabwe and in Russia, where he was brutally assaulted when calling for LGBT rights.
Peter’s vision encompasses human rights for all communities. He has also been consistent in his opposition to extremist faith preachers who oppose equal rights for women, LGBT communities and people who do not share their perspectives on faith.
Commenting on his move, Peter Tatchell said:
“I am honoured to become a patron of TELL MAMA, which does vital work monitoring, reporting and countering anti-Muslim prejudice, discrimination and hate crime – and supporting the victims.
“I hope that by taking up this position I can help build bridges between the Muslim and LGBT communities. We share a similar experience of intolerance and victimisation. I want to see us working together for our common good, so that we can live together in a society without hatred, discrimination and violence.
“With the rise of anti-Muslim hate groups like the British National Party (BNP) and English Defence League (EDL), the work of TELL MAMA is more important than ever.
“While the tiny minority of Islamist extremists – and fanatics from all faiths and none – must be challenged, we also need to challenge the unjustified demonisation of the general Muslim population.
“Freedom of religious and non-religious beliefs are fundamental human rights that we must defend and promote. TELL MAMA does just that: it takes a stand against hate, in defence of Muslim people. My admiration and congratulations,” said Mr Tatchell.
Director of TELL MAMA, Fiyaz Mughal OBE, said:
“Peter has been a beacon for human rights for over four decades. He campaigns wholeheartedly against all forms of intolerance and discrimination, as do we, including anti-Muslim prejudice, homophobia, and antisemitism. He is an outstanding excellent addition to the TELL MAMA fold and we are proud to be associated with him.”
Notes:
TELL MAMA: is the UK’s largest anti-Muslim hate crime support and monitoring project. It was launched in February 2012 as Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks and supports the victims of anti-Muslim incidents or attacks and maps, measures and analyses hotspots where such attacks take place.
TELL MAMA is a project of Faith Matters (www.faith-matters.org), a not-for-profit organisation which was founded by Fiyaz Mughal OBE in 2005. Faith Matters works on integration, conflict resolution, preventing extremism and community cohesion projects and works primarily with faith communities. The key mission statement of Faith Matters is to facilitate faith communities in reducing intra-faith and interfaith conflicts in the UK and internationally.
Peter Tatchell: has been campaigning for human rights, democracy, LGBT freedom and global justice since 1967.
Through the Peter Tatchell Foundation, he works for human rights in Britain and internationally: www.petertatchellfoundation.org
Peter’s key political inspirations are Mahatma Gandhi, Sylvia Pankurst, Martin Luther King and, to some extent, Malcolm X and Rosa Luxemburg. He has adapted many of their methods to his contemporary non-violent struggle for human rights – and invented a few of his own, as his biography illustrates: https://www.petertatchell.net/biography.htm