Manchester Council Backs Motion to Tackle Racism Against Arabs and Palestinians
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, the city of Manchester witnessed an unprecedented step to address the rising racism against Arabs and Palestinians through an official initiative within the city council, directly supported by the Palestinian Forum in the UK – Manchester branch. This initiative was proposed by council member Aminah Saad Omar Abdel Latif, a British politician of Libyan descent, in collaboration with several council members from different parties, including the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and the Workers’ Party led by George Galloway.
Growing Concerns Over Targeted Attacks
The proposal highlighted the alarming increase in discriminatory practices against Arabs and Palestinians in recent years, particularly in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza and biased media coverage. This has led to the spread of various forms of racism, including Islamophobia, Orientalist stereotyping, and discrimination in employment, housing, and services. The memorandum emphasized that thousands of people demonstrate weekly in Manchester in support of Palestine, while many who raise their voices for Gaza face harassment and discriminatory measures, either due to their identity or their political stance.
Required Practical Measures
The proposal called on the council to adopt several practical measures, including:
- Official recognition of the need to combat racism against Arabs and Palestinians.
- Adoption of clear definitions of racism against Arabs and Palestinians, as outlined by the Canadian Arab Institute and the Canadian Arab Lawyers Association.
- Addressing senior authorities such as the Home Secretary and the Attorney General, demanding an official stance on these phenomena.
- Encouraging educational and parliamentary institutions to adopt awareness and educational policies that promote respect for diversity and protect the freedom of expression supporting the Palestinian cause.
The Palestinian Forum in Manchester attended the council session, with representatives present to follow and participate in the discussions regarding the proposal.
Labour Party Dilutes the Proposal’s Content
Despite the support the proposal received from several parties, the Labour Party – which holds the majority in the council – amended the original text, significantly diluting its content. The amendments weakened the clauses related to Palestinians, arguing that the laws on freedom of expression and protest were sufficient to protect everyone without the need for specific provisions. The Labour Party’s confusion was further evident when some of its members left the room during the proposal’s discussion and voting, in an attempt to avoid approving an initiative led by the opposition and independent members.
Continued Engagement and a Commitment to Persist
After the session, several members from the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties met with representatives of the Palestinian Forum and expressed their understanding of the importance of the campaign. They promised to maintain further engagement with the Palestinian and Arab communities in Manchester.
For their part, the Palestinian Forum and council member Amina Abdel Latif emphasized that this step marks the beginning of an ongoing campaign. They stressed that they would continue to work and would not back down from demanding clear legal measures to protect Palestinians and Arabs from racial targeting.
The “Arabs in Britain” platform appreciates this significant initiative and considers it a model to be followed in activating political action for the benefit of Arab communities, especially the Palestinian cause. Combatting racism is not done through slogans, but through institutional stances and fair legislation. What occurred in Manchester – despite the obstacles – is seen as an initial step towards establishing an Arab and Palestinian voice capable of influencing local councils and British decision-making centers.
The platform calls on all members of the Arab communities to support these efforts and actively participate in political discussions to ensure the protection of rights and to raise their voices against injustice and discrimination.
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