Jamie McGrigor, Highlands & Islands MSP, has condemned the recent Islamophobic graffiti attack on the new Sikh Gurdwara in Glasgow. Jamie was speaking this evening in a Member’s debate on the subject in the Scottish Parliament about the attack and the reported rise of Islamophobia in Scotland.Speaking in the debate Jamie said:“ Let me begin, on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives, to join in the strong condemnation of the perpetrators of the racist graffiti on the Central Gurdwara Glasgow and indeed to condemn any incidents of racist or religiously-intolerant graffiti on any religious building. I note from the news yesterday the dreadful anti-Catholic graffiti that has been sprayed on St Andrew’s RC Church in Livingston. MSPs from across the political spectrum can rightly unite in our condemnation of this type of behaviour. The police should be robust in trying to apprehend those responsible and ensure their crimes are subject to due legal process. I also agree with the sentiments of Hanzala Malik’s motion in relation to the particular victimisation of those in our Sikh communities who are targeted by ignorant extremists who assume they are Muslim.“ I recognise the concerns about growing Islamophobia in Scotland and note many organisations, including the Church of Scotland, the Muslim Council of Britain and the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities have spoken out against this. All of us as MSPs also have a role to play in speaking out and informing our constituents that those extremists who give Islam a bad name and in doing so attract significant media coverage are a tiny, unrepresentative minority who simply do not speak for or represent the vast majority of peace-loving Muslims who live and work in our communities.“ We also need British Muslims at all levels to continue to speak out in support of democracy, moderation and tolerance, as the Muslim Council of Britain consistently seeks to do. I am pleased that at the recent general election in the UK we saw an increase in the number of British Muslims being elected as MPs and significantly more Muslim women elected; they have a really important role as we go forward.“ Tackling the causes of Islamophobia will involve many approaches and long term strategies including education- which is crucial- and, of course, international co-operation and working to resolve the many international challenges we continue to face in the Middle East and elsewhere. These are massive challenges with no quick or easy solutions and Hanzala Malik is right in his motion to call for community cohesion and for outreach events which can be really important in local communities. His motion talks of growing Islamophobia and that is all the more disappointing that this should be the case when we Scots now have our own Scottish Parliament whose basic principles are all about fairness, tolerance and equal opportunities. In the past the UK has had a world-wide reputation for religious tolerance compared to much of the rest of the world and so in the new Scotland we should be enhancing and improving things rather than the reverse.”
- Please see below a copy of the motion from Hanzala Malik MSP which was the subject of this evening’s debate.
- For any further information on this news release, please call Jamie’s office on 0131 348 5616