The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) has joined the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in both condemning the recent violent assault and in blaming the U.K. media for the “islamaphobia” which was alleged to have fostered violence against Muslims. According to the BMI statement:
..overwhelmingly negative images of the Muslim community continue to predominate media coverage, serving to further fuel the myths and misconceptions that feed Islamophobic prejudice and provide ammunition for these abhorrent attacks on innocent individuals. We call on the media to take seriously their responsibility not to perpetuate these myths through inaccurate, distorted and inflammatory coverage.
Both the BMI and the MCB are associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and such groups often makes claims about Islamaphobia and unfair media coverage. The BMI is a relatively new group which split off from the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB). According to sources in the U.K, the breakup appears to be the result of a conflict between traditionalists in the MAB who were unhappy with the high level of involvement in U.K left-wing politics while those who who formed the BMI wished such activity to continue. Prior to the split, the MAB often joined in coalitions with far-left U.K groups such as the Stop the War Coalition and the Respect Party.