Violence against Muslims has tripped in UK after Paris Attacks
Shares
LONDON: Islamophobic hate crimes have been tripled in London directly after 129 people were murdered in November’s terror spree in Paris, Scotland Yard data reveals. A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: “It is with regret, but something that we have come to realise, through experience, that hate crime can increase during these difficult times. “We know Muslim communities in London are feeling anxious and we are providing extra patrols and are speaking regularly with local mosques and community leaders to reassure and address concerns, while closely monitoring the situation.” In the week leading up to the Paris attacks London police received 24 reports of Islamophobic incidents. But in the week after Paris the number rose to 46 and in the week ending November 24 had shot up to 76. The Metropolitan Police said most were “harrassment”, which suggests the more than 900 specialist officers now working in Community Safety Units across the capital investigating hate crime are necessary. Research released earlier this year showed a worrying rise in hate crime nationwide, with many of the incidents involving religious or homophobic attacks. Analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) indicated that Muslims are more likely than people from other faith groups to be targeted in religiously-motivated crimes, though police figures also show a disturbing increase in the number of antisemitic hate crimes as well. Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that anti-Muslim hate crimes are to be recorded as a separate category for the first time (London 24).
