AhlulBayt News Agency : Muslim scholars, writers and activists attending the first “Thinking Muslim Conference 2026” in London have called for a stronger intellectual and social response to Islamophobia and the growing influence of the far right. Participants emphasised reasoned dialogue, community engagement and cooperation with non-Muslim supporters of Muslim rights.
The conference brought together religious figures, social activists and intellectuals from several countries to discuss the political and intellectual challenges facing Muslim communities, ways to confront injustice and strategies for strengthening Muslim participation in public and intellectual life.
Discussions addressed how online conversations could have a greater impact, how to bring about meaningful social change and how Muslims could develop effective responses to injustice.
Controversy and Pressure Surrounding the Conference
The event faced opposition from some figures and groups in the United Kingdom critical of Islam and Muslim organisations.
Nick Timothy, a Conservative MP for West Suffolk, wrote to the UK Home Secretary alleging extremist links involving some conference speakers and participants. He called for the event to be examined, the visas of foreign speakers to be reviewed and what he described as security concerns to be investigated.
Timothy also raised concerns in a post on X, referring to remarks attributed to some of the speakers. Conference organisers, however, rejected his characterisation of the event and disputed the allegations.
Timothy has previously faced criticism over his statements and positions concerning Islam and Muslims in Britain. These include his opposition to an official definition of Islamophobia and his description of Muslim congregational prayers as an attempt at “domination”.
Muslim Activists Call for an End to a Climate of Intimidation
Another major theme was the rise of Islamophobia and the growing influence of far-right movements in Britain, Europe and the United States. Participants discussed efforts by anti-Muslim groups to restrict Islamic activities and discourage Muslims from exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Muzzammil Begg, an activist associated with CAGE International, spoke about his two decades of work challenging counterterrorism laws that, he argued, have disproportionately affected Muslims.
He said the atmosphere within Muslim communities had changed, with fears of being labelled extremist or terrorist no longer preventing Muslims from participating more openly in social and political life.
Begg cited Muslim activism in support of Palestine, as well as humanitarian and media initiatives concerning countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, as examples of this shift.
Hassan Spiker, a British-American philosopher and writer, also stressed the importance of confronting Islamophobia through intellectual engagement. He advocated reasoned religious outreach and dialogue as ways to challenge anti-Muslim narratives.
Spiker argued that Muslims should demonstrate to British society that Islam offers a transformative and universal path whose teachings can benefit all humanity. Referring to the growth of traditionalist Christian currents in Britain, he described some of these developments as being driven partly by jealousy towards Islam.
Paul Williams, an Islamic outreach activist and presenter of the YouTube channel *Blogging Theology*, expressed hope that the far right could be challenged despite its growing influence.
He stressed that Muslims were not alone in defending their rights, noting that individuals and organisations outside the Muslim community also support the rights of Muslims and those of all people.
Williams urged Muslims not to lose hope and expressed optimism that such support would expand across Britain and other European countries.
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