UK: Muslim Council Calls for Stronger Measures Against Rising Islamophobic Hate Crimes
In a statement released Monday, the MCB highlighted alarming statistics from police reports. Greater Manchester Police recorded a surge in Islamophobic offenses, rising from an average of 39 per month to 85 in August. Similarly, West Yorkshire Police reported an increase from 39 to 94 incidents during the same period.
“These figures highlight the systemic neglect of Islamophobia as a form of racism and underscore the urgent need for decisive government action," the statement noted. The council also voiced its "serious concerns" regarding the government's overall strategy for combating hate crimes and racism.
MCB Secretary-General Zara Mohammed said, "These figures are shocking and deeply distressing. Islamophobic offenses continue to escalate, impacting real lives and entire communities. We have been warning about the rise in hate crime targeting Muslims for the past year."
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She emphasized the need for a comprehensive, cross-government strategy to address Islamophobia alongside other forms of racism.
Mohammed stated, "While the previous government introduced a Hate Crime Action Plan in its early years, we urgently need a cross-government approach that tackles Islamophobia alongside all forms of racism, moving beyond previous efforts to make meaningful progress. We are hopeful this will align with community groups on a clear definition of Islamophobia."
The council urged the government to strengthen existing hate crime laws, implement targeted measures to address Islamophobia, and allocate resources to support victims and prevent further incidents.
It also highlighted the importance of collaboration and investment in education to promote understanding and ensure safety for Muslim communities.
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Iman Atta, head of the anti-Muslim hate monitoring organization Tell Mama, shared similar concerns, stating that her organization has assisted over 5,000 British Muslims this year alone, with numbers continuing to rise.
She explained, “Anti-Muslim hate or Islamophobia spikes repeatedly when there are international issues and when there is far-right agitation, extremism, continued finger-pointing at a political level against Muslims, and even post the Brexit vote. So these figures are not surprising.”
Atta added, "Yet we are not seeing the action needed to tackle this problem. In fact, we are seeing anti-Muslim hate or Islamophobia being treated as though it is not the significant problem it is."
Islamophobic hate crimes have increased significantly in some Western countries, including the UK and the US, following the start of Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023.
Source: Agencies
