London: There has been a 300 per cent spike in Islamophobic hate crimes in Britain since IS’ horrific Paris attacks with most victims being Muslim women wearing traditional Islamic dress.
A report to the British government’s working group on anti-Muslim hatred 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, The Independent reported.
Muslims living in Britain have suffered more than 100 racial attacks since the terrorist atrocities in Paris, the daily said citing figures prepared for ministers. 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 to 35, it said.
The figures were compiled by the Tell Mama helpline, which records incidents of verbal and physical attacks on Muslims and mosques in the UK. They are likely to be a significant underestimate of the total, as many victims are too frightened to contact police or community groups, the report said.
The report said a large number of the reported attacks were in public places, including on buses and trains. Thirty-four victims were women wearing the hijab, while eight involved young children.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
