"Visit My Mosque": Exploring Religious Activism to Help Tackle Islamophobia and Negative Perceptions of Muslims in Britain

Abstract: Islamophobia and misconceptions or negative portrayal of Muslims have led Muslims in Western societies being discriminated by people who hold religious and racial prejudice. Against this backdrop, Muslim communities in Britain run a national campaign called “Visit My Mosque”. This thesis explores whether the campaign follows the three variables of social movements: political opportunities, mobilising structures, and framing processes to take shape and emerge. Close examination to data, collected from interviews with four Muslim activists, reveals themes which point to the variables. The regional political context in Europe following the terrorists attack at the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris triggers activists in Britain to launch the “Visit My Mosque” campaign. The political climate provides an opportunity for Muslims to take collective action. The pressure on Muslim communities, as a result of Islamophobia and negative portrayal of Muslims by some sections of the media, provides narratives to transform grievances into action. And finally, the campaign emerges due to the presence of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) which facilitates the campaign and provides support to networks of participating mosques. These findings may offer more understanding into the study of social movements in general and religious activism in particular.