This Sunday 15 March 2026 marks the UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The rising threat of attacks on British Muslims by the far right has had devastating ripple effects. After the announcement of the UK Government’s ‘anti-Muslim hostility’ earlier this week, the Muslim Council of Britain has worked with organisations on the frontlines of tackling Islamophobia to set out a roadmap of 4 key actions the UK Government can take. You can read more in our latest press release here.
The UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia was initiated following the Islamophobia related terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday 15 March 2019.
The terrorist, white supremacist Brenton Tarrant tragically murdered 51 Muslim worshippers that day, aged between 3 and 77 years old. 40 other worshippers were injured. Brenton Tarrant is now serving a life sentence in jail. His racist and Islamophobic motivations were laid bare in his own 74-page manifesto entitled “The Great Replacement”.
Last year, the MCB joined Muslim representative and advocacy organisations worldwide to co-sign a joint statement calling for urgent action by leaders and governments to address the role of online social media platforms in fueling anti-Muslim hatred.
This year, we are highlighting recent interventions on tackling Islamophobia elsewhere across the Anglosphere, including in Canada, Australia and the United States respectively.
Canada
Check-out this guide produced by Amira Elghawaby, appointed by the Government in Canada in 2023 as the Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia
The guide is intended to support the objectives of Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028.
The Canadian Guide to Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia: For a more inclusive Canada
Australia
In 2024, the Australian Government appointed Aftab Malik as it’s Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia.
His most recent interventions include opinion pieces last month entitled:
How can the healing begin? Islamophobia, antisemitism and social cohesion after Bondi
United States
The Centre for the Study of Organised Hate (CSOH) found the onset of the US-Israel war on Iran on 28 February 2026 accelerated the sending of Islamophobic content targeting Muslim Americans to new extremes.
CSOH Report: The US-Israel War on Iran and the Rise in Hate Against Muslim Americans
[ENDS]
[FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES, CONTACT [email protected]]
Photo credit: Eric Prouzet (Unsplash)