The Muslim community living in Britain have been victims of more than 100 racial attacks since the terrorist attacks in Paris, figures prepared for ministers reveal.
A report to the Government’s working group on anti-Muslim hatred, seen by The Independent, shows a spike in Islamophobic hate crime of more than 300 per cent, to 115, in the week following the killings on November 13 in France.
Most victims of the UK hate crimes were Muslim girls and women aged from 14 to 45 in traditional Islamic dress. The perpetrators were mainly white males aged from 15 to35.
The statistics were compiled by the Tell Mama helpline, a registry that records incidents of verbal and physical attacks on Muslims and mosques in the UK. These figures are most like to be an underestimate as many victims of violence are too frightened to contact police or community groups.
The report comes as Britain’s largest Muslim group said police cuts could hit trust and co-operation with communities. Miqdaad Versi, security and counter-terrorism spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “Cuts in policing budgets have affected the opportunity for community organisations to build links and relationships with the police as officer numbers have been drastically reduced. It is difficult to see how new cuts will not make the situation worse.
“To develop a more effective policy in combating terrorism that blights our society, it is key for police to engage, consult and build trust with communities as partners.”
Source: World Bulletin
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