first business awards, to celebrate and showcase the diversity and success of Muslim businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK. The awards ceremony was hosted by BBC London’s Asad Ahmad and winners ranged across many business sectors from fashion to investment, travel to real estate, taking in businesses of all sizes. Ahmad was quoted as saying: “I am glad to support the Islam Channel Business Awards, which recognise leading Muslim businesses serving Britain. Their contribution is invaluable, employing millions of people and generating billions of pounds for the UK economy." Global Peace and Unity Islam Channel organised Global Peace and Unity events in London. The events were held over two days in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2013. They were the largest such Muslim, interfaith and multicultural events in Europe, and in 2010 was attended by around 50,000 Muslims and non-Muslims. The aim of the event, according to the organisers, is to bring together people from all spheres of British society to inform and educate them about Islam and Muslims, and through this help to bridge the gaps between Muslims and non-Muslims. Islamophobia: A Dilemma in the West The Islam Channel convened a televised conference on Islamophobia held in Copenhagen on 13 May 2006. The conference was attended by 150 participants from countries around the world, with an audience of about 1,000, mostly Muslims. Speakers included Mohamed Ali Harrath, CEO of Islam Channel, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, political analyst and journalist Yvonne Ridley, Yusuf Estes and Jamal Badawi. Controversy Islam Channel founder awarded damages of £140,000 In 2017 Mohamed Ali Harrath, founder of Islam Channel, was awarded £140,000 in libel damages against the Stand for Peace website and its director, Samuel Westrop, over false allegations that Mr Harrath was guilty of terrorism. The judge, Sir David Eady, stated in his judgment that: “there was simply no evidence to support the allegation of terrorism” and that “the sum awarded should be such as to leave interested onlookers in no doubt as to the baselessness of the Defendants’ charge against [Mr Harrath]” The poor treatment of Harrath by the British establishment and media was highlighted by Peter Oborne, chief political commentator of the Daily Telegraph in a 2012 article in the New Statesman. Political impartiality In 2007, Ofcom fined Islam Channel £30,000 for breaking the broadcasting code by having Yvonne Ridley present news programmes while standing as a candidate in local