Cases of anti-Muslim hate ‘have more than doubled’ in a decade: Report

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• Jul 20, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Instances of Anti-Muslim hatred have more than doubled in a decade, according to a...

Digital Desk: Instances of Anti-Muslim hatred have more than doubled in a decade, according to a monitoring group that claims to have conducted one of the most thorough assessments of such attacks in the UK.

Tell Mama, which monitors and works to combat anti-Muslim sentiment and abuse, reported that verified incidences of anti-Muslim hate have climbed annually from 584 in 2012 to 1,212 cases in 2021.

While the increase may be due in part to Tell Mama becoming a more recognizable organization to report to and more individuals believing they can report such hate and prejudice, it also "may indicate that greater numbers of cases of anti-Muslim hatred are taking place."

Tell Mama claims to have helped and supported more than 16,000 reported cases of anti-Muslim hatred and prejudice since 2012, with over 20,000 people filing reports.

According to the organization, online hate reached a new high in 2020, implying that "the pandemic accelerated" such abuse on the internet.

In the same year, there was a "significant rise in neighbor-related disputes that turned anti-Muslim in nature," with the organization recording more than a quarter of all street-based (offline) instances falling into this category.

Lockdowns "acted as a bottleneck for household and neighbor-related cases," according to the organization.

Tell Mama estimates that there were 1,318 online and offline verified cases in 2020.

The group stated that the largest frequency of verified offline incidents occurred between the years of 2016, 2017, and 2019, which it observed linked to "a cluster of terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom, the Christchurch terrorist attacks in New Zealand, and the Brexit referendum result."

Tell Mama stated that the far right's activities, anti-Muslim attacks around the world, political discourse, the Brexit referendum result, the activities of the so-called Islamic State and terrorism and extremism, grooming scandals, and targeted anti-Muslim campaigns "have all led to spike points in anti-Muslim hatred."

It mentioned the 2018 "Punish a Muslim" campaign as "raising alarm in parts of British Muslim communities," and stated the Israel-Palestine conflict has "once again spilled over into reports with an increase in anti-Muslim cases" in 2021.

Other spikes occurred around the time of attacks on asylum seekers and assistance centers, as well as when cricketer Azeem Rafiq exposed racial abuse he received, Tell Mama said.

"We have produced one of the most detailed studies in the UK with actual case numbers and classifications of anti-Muslim hate cases covering a decade from 2012-2022. This is a decade's worth of statistics from assisting, supporting, and ensuring British Muslims have access to justice," said Iman Atta the group's director. 

"We hope that this data inspires others to focus on this area of work and raises the awareness of many that anti-Muslim hatred must be peacefully challenged, monitored, and countered wherever it manifests itself," he added.

"If we are to ensure a society where social cohesion is strengthened, then combating anti-Muslim hatred is an important area of work that requires our collective effort," he said.