The United Kingdom has seen a 235% increase in anti-Muslim hate incidents since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
A report published by Sky News revealed that in the four months following the attack, 2010 incidents of hate, both online and in public life, were recorded, according to Tell MAMA, an organization dedicated to documenting and measuring anti-Muslim incidents in the UK.
This number of incidents within just four months is the highest recorded by Tell MAMA since its inception in 2011.
The organization also noted that the recent data starkly contrasts with last year’s figures, where 310 public incidents and 290 online incidents were recorded from October 7, 2022, to February 7, 2023.
This increase comes after a Jewish charity reported over 4,000 anti-Semitic incidents in the UK in 2023, the highest level ever recorded, also attributed to the October 7 attacks.
Community Security Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting British Jews against anti-Semitic incidents, described the “explosion of hate” as a “disgrace.”
“Unacceptable in Our Country”
The anti-Muslim hate incidents included 535 reports of abusive behavior, including 77 threats, 83 assaults, 79 acts of vandalism, 69 racial discriminations, 39 hate speeches, and 19 anti-Muslim publications.
Examples of persecution include the word “Hamas” being written on the front door of a Muslim family’s home and Muslims being targeted on public transport.
Tell MAMA’s statistics indicate that 65% of the targets were women and out of the total 2010 incidents, 576 were recorded in the capital, London, while Wales reported the lowest with 9 incidents.
Iman Atta, director of Tell MAMA, expressed deep concern about the impact of the war in Gaza on hate crimes and social cohesion in the UK.
Atta stated, “The rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents is unacceptable, and we hope political leaders will clarify that hate against Muslims is no different from anti-Semitism and is unacceptable in our country. There is no place for hate among us, and it is more important than ever to maintain and protect the bonds that unite us, so we all feel valued and safe in our communities and country.”
