LONDON – Hate crime is on the rise. Official statistics released on October 16th from the Home Office show a 17% rise in hate crime offenses with 94,098 incidents recorded.

The worrying number has more than doubled since 2012/3.

Of these, 76% account for race hate crime, while 9%, that is 8,336, are religious hate crimes. More than 52% of these (2,965 offenses) were directed towards Muslims, while 12% (672) were directed towards Jewish people.

“For years Muslim communities have called for meaningful Government action against the rise of Islamophobia, yet this has been met by a tepid response at best,” said Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.

“No longer can the Government sit back and watch as the far-right rises, Islamophobia is mainstreamed and vulnerable Muslim communities are attacked.

“There has been little action against bullying of Muslim children, minimal funding for security for Muslim institutions (and only during specific periods) and no support to Muslim communities to encourage reporting of hate crime. And the list of inaction continues.”

Responding to the report, the Board of Deputies of British Jews sent a Tweet, ‘We cannot let Britain become a place where a Hijab or a Kippah marks someone out as a target.”

Meanwhile, Miqdad Versi, the media spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain shared a Tweet showing “A small selection of hate received in recent days – the life of a Muslim in the public space.”

A small selection of hate received in recent days – the life of a Muslim in the public space. pic.twitter.com/IQRJylD88b

— Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) October 16, 2018

Countering Islamophobia

At the launch of an EU program addressing Islamophobia last month, Jean Lambert, a Member of the European Parliament representing London said, “This is an issue that is poisoning our societies in the European Union and putting barriers between our communities… (where Muslims faced)… a new and acceptable hostility.. in many spheres of everyday life.”

Many efforts take place to build and grow a support network. The community group Nisa-Nashim, for example, brings Muslim and Jewish women together on a shared platform to address issues of culture, tradition, and safety.

This is not just about how Muslim and Jewish women can become better friends, but how Muslim and Jewish communities are the target of hate crimes. On how to share experience, and look for better ways of improving visibility and relationships with the wider community.

In the absence of more comprehensive leadership and action from the government, addressing the growth in hate crimes, we as citizens must be creative in our approach to improving relations between our communities.

As our Prime Minister has demonstrated, one minute you can be anti-Brexit the next you can be leading the case for Brexit. Integrity in our politicians comes and goes just as fast as their political positions.

We the people are however always here, and it is only when we work better together that the situation for all of us will improve.