Muslim Rights Advocate Says She Was Refused Service Amid Rising Everyday Islamophobia
Akeela Ahmed, chief executive of the British Muslim Trust (BMT), described how she was ignored by shop staff who served others around her but not her. “First you feel helpless, and then you second guess yourself,” she said, adding that she realized she was the only visibly Muslim person there, The Guardian reported on Friday.
The BMT, selected in July to receive government funding through the “Combating Hate Against Muslims” program, is preparing to launch a national hotline and online platform for reporting anti-Muslim hate incidents. The initiative is intended to collect reliable data on Islamophobia and support victims through outreach and research.
Ahmed said during her visits to Muslim communities in cities including Bradford, London, and Manchester, she heard repeated stories of “microaggressions” — from being refused service to receiving hostile stares — and of a growing sense of disconnection from central government.
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“People described feeling like they were experiencing levels of hate that their parents had experienced in the 70s and 80s,” she said.
She noted that many British Muslims now feel targeted despite being well integrated. “They’re accomplished, educated, and contributing to society,” she said, “but still face questions about their loyalty or whether they belong.”
Ahmed also warned of the increasing overlap between online hate and real-world hostility. “The gap is closing between hate speech and inflammatory comment online and anti-Muslim hatred in real life,” she said, stressing that the problem remains “underreported and underrecognised.”
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The BMT plans to analyze how online rhetoric fuels discrimination and intends to urge the government to hold social media platforms accountable if they fail to comply with hate speech laws. Ahmed emphasized that the group is “not asking for any special favours,” only that existing laws be upheld.
From October 30, the public will be able to report Islamophobic incidents to the BMT via its new hotline and website, as part of efforts to build a more accurate picture of anti-Muslim hate across the UK.
Source: Agencies
