Starmer holds roundtable talks at Solihull mosque

LONDON: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited The Hub Mosque and Community Centre in Solihull, West Midlands, where he met with Imam Mohammad Aasim Mirza and participated in a roundtable discussion, wherein the government was urged to react more swiftly in times of crisis and hold continuous dialogue with Muslim leadership.

The discussion was also attended by Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood MP, Mayor of Solihull Shahin Ashraf, and Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Worker. The discussion participants called for ensuring usage of language and phrases accurately in order to reflect the reality of situations.

They highlighted the necessity of moving towards legislation that provides protection to Muslims facing Islamophobic attacks with particular reference to the challenges faced by Muslims during the recent riots.

They also called for recognising the work that Muslim leaders had done, and continue to do, to calm tensions in Muslim communities across the UK.Speaking about Gaza, PM Starmer emphasised that a two-state solution was the only way forward to achieve long-term peace in the region, adding his government was taking practical steps to realise this goal.It was also decided that lines of communication will remain open to allow further discussions to take place on a rolling basis.