RIYADH: In a major move to fight hostilities and prejudices toward Muslims and Islam globally, the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has joined forces with three other organizations to hold a regional forum in Dakar on Monday.
The two-day forum on Islamophobia will map out a comprehensive strategy to address intense spikes in anti-Muslim sentiments and hate crimes.
“There will be sessions to present the media strategy to address the phenomenon of Islamophobia and discuss the training curriculum for journalists and media professionals to deal with stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in the Western media prepared by the Rabat-based Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO),” said an SPA report on Saturday.
ISESCO has teamed up with the OIC standing committee on information and cultural affairs, and the Senegalese National Assembly to organize the forum, said the report.
“Muslims are facing serious challenges because of the growing hostility, but they are also enthusiastically ready to confront them,” said Mohammed Solaiman Al-Othman of King Saud University, commenting on the forum.
Asked about the growing trend in Islamophobia globally, and how it can be addressed, Al-Othman said that “a large number of Muslims, not only in the Western countries, but also in other parts of the world are experiencing discrimination … Muslims in the US and the West continue to be the most negatively rated religious group … Hence, there is a need to set up more and more advocacy groups to fight Islamophobia,” he added.
He said that the OIC and many other national and regional organizations of the Arab world have been “working and lobbying for the protection of Muslims and the cessation of religious and racial profiling.”
The OIC also organized a similar forum in London in July this year. The two-day event concluded with recommendations and possible projects for implementation.
In April 2017, the OIC held yet another workshop and meeting in Istanbul to discuss the OIC Islamophobia Observatory’s works in dealing with the rise of anti-Muslim sentiments in the West. The Istanbul forum, while seeking radical and real solutions for Islamophobia, called on all global organizations, including UN agencies, to fight anti-Muslim racism, hostilities, and unacceptable discourses about Islam and Muslims.
According to the latest OIC Islamophobia Observatory report, “the growing trend of Islamophobia has not subsided in any tangible way … Muslims have been terrorized and discriminated against. Islamic sacred symbols have been insulted. People with Islamic attire were targeted with hatred. Women with hijabs were abused on streets and in public spaces. Certain governments outlawed Islamic attire or restricted Muslims from having prayer facilities.”
OIC, ISESCO to hold forum in Dakar to fight Islamophobia
OIC, ISESCO to hold forum in Dakar to fight Islamophobia
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
