Non secular hate crimes in England and Wales are at file ranges. New House Workplace statistics reveal that though hate crime total noticed an annual lower of 5% within the yr to March 2024, there was a 25% improve in non secular hate crimes.
Hate crimes in opposition to Jewish folks greater than doubled from the earlier yr, making up 33% of religion-based hate crime within the new figures. These in opposition to Muslims rose by 13%, making up 38% of the overall.
There was a pointy improve in reported incidents in opposition to each Jewish and Muslim folks after the Israel-Hamas battle started in October 2023. Whereas the overall variety of offences has since declined, it’s nonetheless increased than earlier than the battle started.
These figures replicate police-recorded hate crime, however different organisations additionally monitor these incidents. The organisation Inform Mama, which tracks anti-Muslim hate, recorded a 335% improve in circumstances within the months after October 7 2023 in comparison with the yr earlier than. And the Group Safety Belief tracked a 147% rise in anti-Jewish hate in 2023 in comparison with 2022. Of those incidents, 66% have been on or after October 7.
The October 7 assaults are an instance of a set off occasion that often precedes a spike in hate crime. These occasions can “galvanise tensions and sentiments in opposition to the suspected perpetrators and teams related to them”.
Set off occasions could be one-off occasions or final solely a brief time period, however the persevering with excessive ranges of hate crime that the UK has seen over the previous yr remains to be seemingly because of the ongoing scenario within the Center East.
These traits had been rising worldwide, and never solely for the reason that newest battle. A UN report in 2021 discovered that Islamophobia had reached “epidemic proportions”. Moreover, as my colleagues and I’ve present in our analysis, such racism can also be skilled by a various vary of ethnic teams and never solely Muslims. An increase in antisemitism has been recorded around the globe too.
Unreported hate
Not solely are the most recent statistics within the UK alarming, they’re solely the tip of the iceberg. As my work on the inquiry into Islamophobia in Scotland discovered, many incidents go unreported.
We discovered that many didn’t report incidents resulting from considerations about institutional racism within the police and a insecurity in policing and within the legal justice system. Added to this have been worries about not having sufficient proof, the incident not being “severe sufficient”, and worry of reprisal. Some even felt that it occurred so typically that there was “no level” in reporting it.
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The long-term impacts of hate crime are deeply regarding. Victims who expertise fixed discrimination are more likely to expertise poor well being outcomes and untimely ageing.
The rising numbers additionally promote a tradition of worry that may discourage members of ethnic or non secular minority teams from taking part absolutely in society.
My colleagues and I’ve present in our analysis that Islamophobia and prejudice has stopped some Muslims from taking part in politics and going out to socialize.
Encouragingly, nevertheless, others selected to turn into extra energetic of their communities so as to problem stereotypes about Muslims.
Making prejudice mainstream
Along with the set off occasion of the Israel-Hamas warfare, there are a selection of things that contribute to rising hate crime, significantly in opposition to Muslims.
First is the prevalence of organisations and people, together with media shops, on-line influencers, far-right think-tanks and political figures who promote anti-Muslim messaging and hatred.
The rise of far-right politics around the globe performs a task. The election of Donald Trump, in addition to
current electoral beneficial properties by Marine Le Pen in France, the Freedom Get together in Austria and Reform UK present how such politics are seeping into the mainstream.
However even supposedly centrist politicians unfold narratives that contribute to Islamophobia and racism. For instance, former prime minister David Cameron decried the failure of multiculturalism and this message was repeated by Suella Braverman when she was dwelling secretary.
This perpetuates the concept it’s not attainable for various ethnic and non secular teams to reside in concord. I might argue this offers a perfect platform for the promotion of Islamophobia.
Mainstream media shops and social media additionally form the narratives that contribute to a tradition of worry round Muslims. Excessive profile acts of non secular hatred, such because the atrocities dedicated by Anders Breivik in Oslo in 2011 or by Brenton Tarrant in Christchurch in 2019, are usually put all the way down to a “lone wolf” or to be considered “fringe incidents”, fairly than a part of a wider drawback to be addressed. Each Breivik and Tarrant promoted white supremacy and have been explicitly anti-Muslim.
The unfold of inaccurate data on social media has stirred up Islamophobia, antisemitism and racism, and led to violence in opposition to migrants. This was seen within the far-right riots in summer time 2024 following the deadly stabbing of three younger women in Southport, close to Liverpool.
In keeping with a report by the Heart for Countering Digital Hate, a false identify and disinformation suggesting the attacker was Muslim reached round 1.7 billion folks throughout a number of platforms.
The lengthy historical past of Islamophobia in Britain could be traced again to the response to the 9/11 terror assaults and the “warfare on terror”. The UK’s counter-terrorism programme Forestall has made life insupportable for Muslims by selling the concept all Muslims are potential terrorists and a risk to safety.
The obsession with this method persists internationally regardless of the existence of a number of alternate options, but it urgently must be changed alongside the pondering that helps it.
The results of all that is that Islamophobia has flourished within the UK with out being known as out by these in energy. This have to be challenged if we need to see a discount in racially and religiously motivated hate crime.
