The revelation that Muslims in England and Wales endure the highest rate of religious hate crimes—evidenced by 3,866 anti-Muslim incidents recorded by police, reflecting a 13% increase—comes as no surprise to a community that has tirelessly campaigned for action. As a result, Muslims now constitute the most targeted group, representing nearly 40% of all religious hate crimes. This troubling trend is starkly illustrated by the Women’s Muslim Network UK’s recent survey, which found that a whopping 80% of victims of anti-Muslim hate crimes following the UK’s summer riots chose to suffer in silence, refraining from reporting their traumatic experiences.
Before these riots, only 17% of Muslims expressed deep concerns for their safety; however, in the aftermath, that number shockingly surged to 73%. This is not a new phenomenon; it reflects a painful reality that Muslims have faced for decades. They have endured a relentless barrage of Islamophobic attacks, with most remaining unreported. This data merely scratches the surface, obscuring a much broader and deeper national crisis.
Yet, despite a staggering number of anti-Muslim hate crimes, successive governments have remained alarmingly indifferent, ignoring the suffering of the Muslim community and neglecting to investigate the root causes or take meaningful action for protection. Muslims have called on various governments to adopt the APPG British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia, a crucial step that would enable authorities to effectively identify and tackle anti-Muslim prejudice, discrimination, and violence.
While pre-election Labour, Scottish Conservative Party, Liberal Democrat Party, and Scottish National Party have accepted the definition, the Conservative government has stubbornly refused to accept it. Now, as the Labour Party steps into power, it has yet to officially adopt the definition. Instead, the Prime Minister’s spokesman has repeatedly stated that the government is “considering” it. It remains to be seen whether Starmer will adopt the APPG definition of Islamophobia and appoint an independent government adviser on the pressing issue.
The government must adopt the definition without delay. During the summer’s far-right riots, which predominantly targeted mosques, Muslim businesses, and immigrant communities, Starmer and his ministers failed to acknowledge the true nature of the violence as Islamophobic, underscoring the urgent need for a clear definition and a decisive response to anti-Muslim hatred.
(Archive pic attack on mosque)
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