This Ramadan, know this: I am me, a Muslim and a Briton. I am not a headline, a threat or a stereotype | Nazir Afzal

"Not a day passes without some overt expression of it in our national life. A crime committed by one Muslim becomes an indictment of all Muslims. A cultural practice is wrenched from context and weaponised to provoke anxiety. A theological concept is distorted to imply threat. And on the streets, and increasingly online, it can turn into violence, intimidation or exclusion directed at anyone who looks Muslim."

"I remember being introduced to the great and the good in New York by Niall Ferguson as the Muslim prosecutor that prosecutes Muslims. When far-right groups targeted me, my professional record did not matter. My religion did. Why is my faith incidental when I succeed in civic leadership, but central when I exercise authority? Why is it invisible when Muslims contribute, yet glaring when Muslims are accused?"

During Ramadan, anti-Muslim hatred in Britain becomes more pronounced, characterized by hostility, suspicion, discrimination, and abuse rather than mere fear. Individual crimes by Muslims are generalized to condemn entire communities, cultural practices are distorted, and theological concepts are misrepresented to provoke anxiety. This hatred manifests in street violence, intimidation, exclusion, and online abuse targeting anyone perceived as Muslim. The author describes a personal contradiction: his Muslim identity is irrelevant in civic leadership roles like university chancellor or Church safeguarding chair, yet becomes central when he held prosecutorial authority. His professional achievements in tackling grooming gangs were framed through his religion rather than his competence. Despite Muslims' substantial contributions as doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, soldiers, civil servants, and care workers, a persistent reflex treats Muslim participation with suspicion.

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