The first Muslim member of the FA Council has told Sky Sports News that “football has a blind spot when it comes to Islamophobia” amid a four-fold increase in the number of incidents reported to Kick It Out in the first half of last season.
Yunus Lunat, who is the former chair of the FA Race Equality and Advisory Board, pointed to a spate of incidents over the last 18 months – and how they have been dealt with – which he believes illustrates how Islamophobia is not being treated as seriously as other forms of discrimination.
It comes after a Player Care consultant for Burnley Football Club received a warning from the Football Association for liking a number of Islamophobic posts on social media.
Burnley and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) have been approached by Sky Sports News for comment.
‘A stain on the English game’
Lunat, who served on the FA Council in 2013, told Sky Sports News: “It’s a stain on the English game. I’ve been saying for many years now that, sadly, football has a blind spot when it comes to Islamophobia.
“Whilst it has made improvements in its processes and dealing with complaints of discrimination, that includes Islamophobia, there seems to be almost a double-standard or a lack of seriousness when it comes to complaints of Islamophobia.
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