Emergence of Institutional Islamophobia: The case of the Charity Commision of England and Wales

This seminar is about the Charity Commission of England and Wales that provides assistance and regulate the charity sector.

This paper investigates the Charity Commission of England and Wales that provides assistance and regulate the charity sector whose emergence can be traced back to the early seventeenth century. She prides as being an independent body that is challenged here. It is argued since partnering with governments Prevent agenda – War on Terror - in the controlling of “ungoverned spaces” for “extremism” she has assumed a policing role. In addition, the paper highlights that the selection process of its chair and executive board to be politicised that undermines democratic accountability.

The impact of these changes have resulted in thirty-eight percent of all disclosed statutory investigations on Muslim charities despite Muslim charities representing only 1.21 percent of the total charities.

Drawing upon Parekh Report (2000) and the definition of institutional racism adopted from Carmichael and Hamilton the Charity Commission is found wanting of institutionalised Islamophobia. This paper provides vital quantitative data from Freedom of Information requests, annual Charity Commission and other reports, newspapers and interviews to support the qualitative analysis employing discourse theory.

 

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