Muslims in Britain Fear for Their Safety as Hate Crimes Soar
A London-based charity, the Islamophobia Response Unit, said it received 365 percent more reports of anti-Muslim incidents in October than in the previous month, many of them related to the display of Palestinian flags or symbols.
One of the victims was a 17-year-old student in London, who said he was questioned by his teachers about his religion and his knowledge of Hamas after he wore a badge with the Palestinian colors on his school bag. He said the experience triggered an anxiety attack and affected his exam performance.
“The numerous instances of being pulled out whilst studying to remove my badge made me feel like I was targeted because I was a Muslim, which made me feel like I was doing something wrong,” he said. “This feeling of being targeted intensified following the intimidating interrogation, which I was subjected to.”
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Another was a 32-year-old doctor in Manchester, who said he was awakened by a loud noise and found a rock had smashed through his window, where he had hung a Palestinian flag.
“This event has been extremely traumatic and has had a significant impact on my wellbeing,” he told The Independent. “I am not sleeping; I just pace around until 4 or 5am because I am too scared to sleep in the property. I no longer leave the house after sunset, as I am too frightened.
“I will soon be returning to work after two weeks off sick with stress but I am very concerned about the impact this event will have on my professional performance as a doctor. I do not know how I can work with patients whilst I am this sleep-deprived.”
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IRU’s chief executive, Majid Iqbal, said the increase in reports was part of a “long-term trend” of rising Islamophobia in the UK, fueled by negative media coverage and political rhetoric.
“IRU calls on the press and politicians to not demonise legitimate Palestinian activism and, by extension, British Muslims, to avoid feeding into the serious societal problem of Islamophobia,” he said.
The issue of Islamophobia also became a political controversy last week, when a Conservative lawmaker, Lee Anderson, was suspended from his party for making derogatory remarks about London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim.
Source: Agencies
