Race and Religious Hate Crime 

Racist and religious crime is particularly hurtful to victims as they are being targeted solely because of their personal identity: their actual or perceived racial or ethnic origin, belief or faith. These crimes can happen randomly or be part of a campaign of continued harassment and victimisation. 
Antisemitism

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:
  • Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
  • Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
  • Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
  • Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
  • Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
  • Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
  • Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
  • Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
  • Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis.
  • Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
  • Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.
The Community Security Trust (CST) has published a number of useful resources on their social media feeds, including guidance on how to communicate about Israel in a non-antisemitic way. A host of other resources can be found on their website here: Educational Resources – CST – Protecting Our Jewish Community.

CST also has a national emergency number which should be used to report antisemitic attacks, alongside calling 999: 0800 032 3263.

Islamophobia

Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness. 
 
Islamophobia is any distinction, exclusion, or restriction towards, or preference against, Muslims (or those perceived to be Muslims) that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

The scale and severity of hate crimes perpetrated against Muslims is illustrated by the following examples of physical attacks and/or threats targeting Muslims: 
  • stabbing of an Muslim man to death on his way home from a mosque. The killer stated the man was killed because he “was a Muslim”
  • assault of a Muslim woman who’s veil was forcibly removed with verbal anti-Muslim abuse
  • attempt to kill a Muslim woman and 12-year-old girl as ‘revenge’ for terror attacks - choosing a Muslim woman who was wearing a headscarf
  • a man armed with a knife went on a rampage in London hunting for Muslims to stab
  • terror attack outside Finsbury Park mosque,  where the assailant drove a van into Muslim worshippers because of his “ideology of hate towards Muslims”
  • a gang beat a Muslim man to death in Nottingham, while shouting Islamophobic abuse and calling him “Taliban”
  • a man went on a rampage in Surrey, armed with a baseball bat and knife injured one man, shouting “Kill a Muslim” before the attack
  • women tied up and tortured a Muslim man whilst making anti-Muslim verbal declarations of hate
  • a Muslim man was beaten unconscious before racist graffiti was painted on his walls
  • a Britain First supporter told police “I’m going to kill a Muslim. I’m doing this for Britain. This is the way I am going to help the country” before making a Nazi salute and driving his car into an Indian restaurant.
  • a man kicked a pregnant visibly Muslim woman in the stomach, causing her to lose her unborn twins.
  • a man offered awards for attacks carried out against Muslim people, mosques and Mecca, as part of orchestrated “Punish a Muslim day” campaign. 
The above examples are cited in " Defining Islamophobia: A Contemporary Understanding Of How Expressions Of Muslimness Are Targeted" published by the Muslim Council of Britain (March 2021). Further resources are available at: https://mcb.org.uk/resources/islamophobia/

Tell Mama is a confidential support service for those suffering from anti-Muslim hate and discrimination across the UK. Their website features a number of different ways to report anti-Muslim incidents, including via phone or WhatsApp: Report in Anti-Muslim Hate or Islamophobia (tellmamauk.org). The site also hosts useful resources, including on mosque security.

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