- Reports of anti-Muslim hate have more than doubled over a decade, as documented by Tell Mama, a prominent monitoring entity focused on tracking such incidents in the UK.
- Tell Mama’s data reveals a consistent annual rise in instances of anti-Muslim hatred, reaching 1,212 cases in 2021, with the virtual realm experiencing a surge in online abuse, and lockdowns exacerbating conflicts within households and neighbourhoods.
Reports of anti-Muslim hate have seen an alarming surge of more than twofold over the course of a decade, as unveiled by Tell Mama, a vigilant monitoring entity renowned for its meticulous scrutiny of such attacks within the UK.
Tell Mama, an organisation dedicated to monitoring and combatting anti-Muslim sentiments and mistreatment, has disclosed that the substantiated instances of anti-Muslim hatred have exhibited a consistent annual escalation—from a count of 584 in 2012 to a concerning tally of 1,212 cases in the year 2021.
While this escalation has always been known by many, Tell Mama’s increased prominence as a platform for reporting has certainly helped shed light on the matter. The willingness of individuals to report incidents of hatred and intolerance enables the organisation to posit the following unsettling conclusion: a rising number of anti-Muslim hate incidents are indeed transpiring rapidly.
Iman Atta, the Director of Tell Mama, underscored the intention behind sharing this data, hoping that it serves as a catalyst to focus attention on this critical sphere of concern, thereby conscientiously confronting, monitoring, and mitigating anti-Muslim hatred, wherever it emerges.
Since 2012, Tell Mama has rendered support to over 16,000 cases involving reported anti-Muslim hostility and bigotry, extending assistance to more than 20,000 individuals engaged in reporting.
The virtual realm, unfortunately, did not remain immune to this unsettling trend. Online vitriol reached a zenith in 2020, with the organization identifying an “accelerated” propagation of such abuse across the digital landscape, a phenomenon perhaps fueled by the unique circumstances of the pandemic.
Interestingly, the year also bore witness to a notable surge in incidents that originated as disputes amongst neighbors but escalated into anti-Muslim conflicts—a staggering 25% of street-based, offline cases fell under this category.
Tell Mama also highlighted the intriguing role lockdowns played, acting as a catalyst that exacerbated conflicts within households and neighborhoods, giving rise to such cases.
In the annals of 2020, both online and offline confirmed cases totaled 1,318—an alarming figure that underscores the breadth of this challenge.
The study by Tell Mama also brings to light a curious temporal correlation, as the highest prevalence of verified offline cases clustered around 2016, 2017, and 2019. These years coincided with a cluster of terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom, the Christchurch terrorist strikes in New Zealand, and the reverberations of the Brexit referendum outcome.
Numerous factors contributed to these disturbing spikes, with the activities of far-right groups, global anti-Muslim attacks, political discourses and targeted anti-Muslim campaigns all playing pivotal roles.
Campaigns like the infamous “Punish a Muslim” initiative in 2018 have undoubtedly triggered alarming upticks in reported cases of anti-Muslim hatred.
Other instances of spikes emerged around attacks against asylum seekers and facilities offering them refuge, as well as when cricketer Azeem Rafiq highlighted the racist abuse he endured.
Iman Atta, the Director of Tell Mama, succinctly encapsulated the organization’s endeavor by remarking, “We have generated one of the most comprehensive studies within the UK, replete with actual case numbers and classifications of anti-Muslim hate incidents spanning a decade—from 2012 to 2022. This compilation signifies a decade of unwavering commitment to assisting, supporting, and ensuring that British Muslims access justice.”
Atta further underscored the critical need for collective action to confront this menace, emphasising that challenging and countering anti-Muslim hate is an indispensable part of nurturing societal harmony and unity.
