Islamophobia in the UK has surged from the end of 2023 to now, with one anti-hate charity reporting more incidents in the last four months than it has seen since it was founded.
Record Surge in Islamophobic Incidents
Reports have found a significant increase in Islamophobic incidents in the UK between October 7 and February 7.
Tell Mama Records 2,010 Cases
Between October 7 and February 7, Tell Mama documented 2,010 cases, signalling a sharp rise from the 600 cases reported during the same four-month period in the previous year.
Highest Increase Since 2011
The researcher, anti-hate charity Tell Mama, argues it’s the highest increase in incidents since they founded the charity in 2011.
Individuals and Families at Risk
The director of the charity, Iman Atta, revealed that targets for Islamophobia are simply “walking down the street” while reports of discriminative graffiti has also been placed on some family houses.
Graffiti Targeting Houses
Atta noted that “households have been doodled with graffiti calling people ‘killers’, ‘terrorists’, ‘Hamas sympathizers’” referring to the current conflict in Gaza between Hamas and the Israeli Army.
Muslim Women Particularly Targeted
Most incidents targeted Muslim women, showing that those who practice Islamophobia can also be linked to misogyny.
Women a Visible Target
According to Atta, the attacks against the Muslim communities are “gendered,” which could be due to the fact they are easily visible when wearing traditional clothing such as hijabs.
Social Media Hate Speech Dominates
Tell Mama disclosed that slightly over half of the incidents, 1,109, involved hate speech on social media platforms but 901 counts of physical abuse/threats and acts of vandalism were also noted.
London Bears the Brunt
London experienced the highest number of incidents, with 576 cases recorded, despite being home to more Muslim communities than any other city in the UK, followed by Birmingham.
A Message to Politicians
“This rise in anti-Muslim hate is unacceptable and we hope that political leaders speak out to send a clear message that anti-Muslim hate, like antisemitism, is unacceptable in our country,” according to Atta.
Notable Incidents Show Severity
According to the research, examples of recorded incidents include assaults on Muslim women, written death threats to mosque worshippers, and instances of vandalism involving Nazi swastikas.
East London Abuse Revealed
One incident in particular involved a woman on a bus in East London who was abused with the words, “You Muslims are troublemakers.”
Anti-Semitism On The Rise
Since the conflict heightened between Israel and Gaza in October, both the Muslim and Jewish communities have seen a stark rise in Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism.
UK Anti-Semitism at Record High
In the UK, over 4000 incidents of anti-Semitism were reported in 2023, with the surge showing a huge increase after October 7th.
US Reports 75% Rise
The rise in hate speech can be seen not just in the UK but across the world. The US reported a 75% increase in anti-Semitism since the conflict escalated, as researched by the Anti-Defamation League.
Anti-Semitism Rise In Two Weeks
Since October, Jewish communities have been targeted in their homes, on the streets and in places of worship, with incidents rising from 127 to 222 in the space of just two weeks.
Europe’s Communities Living In Fear
In Europe, a study exposed that 90% of Jewish individuals feel like anti-Semitism had increased in their countries, meaning they experience fear on a daily basis.
Both Sides Punished
Atta acknowledged both sides are being punished, “The war unfortunately is impacting our communities here in the UK,” she said.
An Agreement Against Discrimination
Atta acknowledged that “Muslim communities, Jewish communities are picking up the brunt of the war,” but both communities agree that they should not “be targeted for who we are.”
Discrimination Becoming Unbearable
Despite the conflict overseas, Muslims and Jewish people across the country are being held responsible for actions out of their control at an intensity that has never been seen in recent years.
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