Anti-Muslim crimes spike in London after attacks

Sadiq Khan calls on Londoners to unite and show the world that the city will not be divided

Anti-Muslim hate crimes in the British capital have surged since the London Bridge Attacks last week, figures released by the mayor of London Sadiq Khan show.

In a Facebook post, Khan called on Londoners to unite and show the world that the city will not be divided.

“I’m calling on all Londoners to pull together and send a clear message around the world that our city will never be divided by these hideous individuals who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life,” he said.

[fbpost link="https://www.facebook.com/MayorofLondon/posts/475492676130228"]

He urged people to report a hate crime when they see one. “If you witness a hate crime please report it to the police. If you commit a hate crime, you face arrest.”



A five-fold increase in Islamophobic attacks was noted since last Saturday while racist incidents increased by 40 per cent compare to daily average for the year, according to the The Guardian. The spike is higher compared to the amount of hate crimes reported after 2015 massacre in Paris and the murder of Lee Rigby in 2013.

Police sources said the trend in rise of such incidents is greater different than after last year’s Brexit vote. Metropolitan Police recorded hate crime incidents rose to 54 incidents per day compared to a daily average of 38 for 2017 – with anti-Muslim motive recorded behind 20 vs daily average of four for the year.

Tell Mama had 66 incidents between Sunday and Tuesday reported to it than the police. The independent group said it saw a rise of 500 per cent in hate crimes after the attack in Manchester with 141 incidents compared to its daily average of 25. After dropping 37, the incidents rose to 63 after Saturday’s attacks. The group believes if the trend doesn’t stop, the number may surpass that of Manchester attacks.

If extremists seek division, we rise above. If extremists cause harm, we rise above. If you face hate, we rise to help: #WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/4O8R7TbNeE

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) March 23, 2017

“The spike of anti-Muslim hate cases that we have picked up in the three days following the London attack where 63 incidents have been reported to Tell Mama, show a substantial number of street level incidents (and online), when compared with a normal three-day period in early May where [there would be] 10 reports. The type of incidents reported range from assaults, threats, physical violence and online hatred,” said Fiyaz Mughal, the director of Tell Mama.

Brother of a man who received three fractures to his face after being attacked by two-three men, Furhaan Altaf said his brother “was verbally and racially abused and then physically assaulted.”

“My brother is very shaken up,” Altaf added.



Secretary of Al Madina mosque in Barking, East London, said a several women have been harassed on their way to the Muslim place of worship.

“We’ve had a number of ladies who have been verbally abused and a number of ladies who have been spat on. We’ve had a couple of telephone calls, physical threats – ‘we are going to attack you’ – and that sort of thing,” said Ash Siddique.

Sufia Alam, manager of the Maryam centre at East London Mosque reported Muslim women to have been verbally abused in public transport.