Independent investigations into Islamophobia reveal a troubling trend: rising hate crimes, systemic discrimination, and enduring stereotypes. Here’s what the reports say.
The word Islamophobia has become part of our daily discourse, reflecting broader societal concerns. A research paper, Defining and Researching Islamophobia, suggests the word was initially developed as a concept in the late 1990s by political activists to draw attention to rhetoric and actions directed at Islam and Muslims in Western liberal democracies. In recent years, Islamophobia has evolved from a primarily political concept toward one increasingly deployed in racist and anti-migrant rhetoric and actions.
There is no widely accepted definition of the term Islamophobia, though the Runnymede Trust popularised the term in 1997 and, in 2017, developed a simple definition – Islamophobia is anti-Muslim racism. According to a new Runnymede Trust report, Islamophobia, The intensification of racism against Muslim communities in the UK, published in November 2024, following extensive comprehensive reviews and discussions, the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims suggested the following definition in 2018:
Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.
Islamophobia Statistics
Whatever the definition, Muslims living in the UK encounter racist and anti-Islam slurs and actions daily, with Muslim women targeted in two out of every three recorded incidents. TellMAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), an independent non-governmental agency working on recording and tackling anti-Muslim hatred, has recorded 4,971 incidents of anti-Muslim behaviour in the year since the 7th October 2023 attacks, the highest total in 14 years. In its report, A Decade of Anti-Muslim Hate, published in 2023, it confirmed that “of the 2,010 cases post-October 7th 2023, 901 occurred offline with 1,109 online cases. In comparison with the same timescale a year earlier, this demonstrates a 335% increase in anti-Muslim hate cases”.
The same report stated that anti-Muslim incidents recorded included:
- a Muslim woman in Islamic clothing being assaulted on a bus in east London and told, “You Muslims are troublemakers.”
- a written death threat to worshippers at a mosque
- a woman whose car was vandalised with a Nazi swastika
- cases of Muslim women being called “terrorists”
Mindset
The rioting and violence aimed towards those perceived to be Muslims or migrants following the tragic fatal stabbing of three young children in Southport in July 2024 was fuelled not just by misinformation on social media but by a mindset of anti-Muslim sentiment developed over decades. There is a school of thought that apportions blame for this mindset not just on Far-Right organisations but also on British media and politicians who regularly vilify Muslims to divert attention away from policy failures or to gain votes. Both the Runnymede Trust and the TellMAMA reports validate these opinions with evidence and both reports are highly recommended reading to get a more detailed understanding of Islamophobia and its prevalence in British society. What was particularly disturbing about the Southport riots was the way Far-Right organisations and some media hijacked the tragedy and manipulated public grief to strengthen their anti-Muslim and racist agendas.
Prevent
According to Gov.UK, the aim of the government-led, multi-agency Prevent programmes, is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It aims to tackle the ideological causes of terrorism, intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation and enable people who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate. And while it has a vital role to play in keeping the UK safe, the programmes can be abused by some to the disadvantage of minority groups, for instance, the Runnymede Trust reports that in the latest published data for 2022/23, “Muslims were still being referred to Prevent ten times more frequently than non-Muslims.” Terrifyingly, as the Prevent duty is a statutory obligation for education and public sector institutions, “a third of Prevent referrals are of individuals under 14 years old,” making children endure “state-sanctioned Islamophobia.” Prevent Watch, an organisation providing free support to those who have encountered any aspect of Prevent, shares the lived experiences of many Muslims who have concerns or have been impacted directly, and they make harrowing reading.
Religious Freedom and Terminology
The Human Rights Act 1998 protects human rights in the UK. The Act gives effect to the human rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.
Article 9 – the right to freedom of religion and belief is one of the rights protected by the Human Rights Act. Article 9 also protects your right to manifest your beliefs – for example, your right to wear religious clothing, talk about your beliefs or participate in religious worship. The right to manifest your beliefs is qualified, which means it can be interfered with in certain situations – for example, to protect the rights of others. However, the Runnymede Trust report, Islamophobia, The intensification of racism against Muslim communities in the UK, gives evidence of how this right is disregarded in many unqualified incidents. In the report, Raheel Mohammed, founder and director of Maslaha, speaks of how Muslim prisoners are frequently denied the fundamental right to worship and are often banned from Friday prayers (Friday Jummah prayer is extremely important to Muslims) for minor infractions of prison rules with prisoners sharing stories of how prison authorities threatened them with the loss of this right.
Many non-Muslims in British society, fuelled by Far-Right Organisations and a large proportion of the tabloid press, see the prayer “Allahu Akbar” as controversial and extremist. The expression, which translates to “God is the greatest”, can be compared to the Christian expression, “Thank God”. Both are prayers, yet they can also be used in appreciation when we see a beautiful view, when the plane lands safely, or even when our favourite football team wins. It is an expression of joy and praise; it is not an expression of violence or extremism.
Summary
Addressing Islamophobia requires collective action from all spheres of British society to dismantle prejudice, foster understanding, and promote inclusivity. We need to challenge stereotypes and work toward the vision of TogetherintheUK, amplifying marginalised communities’ voices. Recognising that Islam is a religion, not a race, is crucial for fostering a nuanced understanding of Islamophobia and combating prejudice effectively.
Muslim Support Organisations
To read more about the lives and impacts of migrants on UK society, go to TogetherintheUK.
