Islamaphobia

Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:06 pm on 14 March 2018.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 3:06, 14 March 2018

Can I also join in the condemnation about this despicable hate mail? It was clearly designed to stoke fear in the Muslim community and, to some extent, I'm afraid it has been successful in that, and I think it's absolutely right that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Muslims here in Wales and across the UK in demonstrating our love and care for them in their communities. We've got to be able to overcome the prejudice and hate, and it's wonderful that we have an ambassador for the Muslim community here in the Assembly in Mohammad Asghar, who is passionate about these issues.

You referred earlier on, leader of the house, to religious education in our schools, and the role of our schools in helping to educate the next generation about the merits of tolerance and respect here in society. One of the things that has been raised in this Chamber in the past is a concern about the new curriculum reforms that are taking place in Wales and the status that religious education might have within the new curriculum in order that it can actually help to deliver these appropriate messages within our schools. So, I wonder to what extent you've discussed the risks that the current consideration of the new curriculum might have to ensuring that some of the good work that's already taking place in our schools isn't diminished by the changes and that it's actually enhanced.

Can I put on record as well that I had a very good friend, a Christian friend, who I used to work for, and he used to have this mantra that Islam should spell for everybody, 'I sincerely love all Muslims'—the letters of Islam? I think that we would do well to listen to his call to love all of our neighbours, regardless of their faith. For me, I think that the best that we can all do in this Chamber is, yes, to join in the condemnation, but also to take some positive action to love those Muslims in our community, to recognise the tremendous contribution that Muslim congregations in their mosques make, as well, to society in Wales at large, and to use this hate mail as an opportunity for good, so that we can help to recognise their achievements.