Latest news with #ImanAtta
ITV News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
British Muslim women feel less safe than a year ago, poll suggests
Almost half of British Muslim women feel less safe than they did a year ago, blaming a rise in Islamophobia, according to a new poll. Research carried out by pollsters Survation found that 30% of Muslim respondents said they did not feel safe going out at night, while more than half said politicians in the UK had made them feel less welcome. Hina Khan, 27, told ITV News she regularly encounters Islamophobia online, including accusations that she supports extremism. The Londoner said the experience has made her feel unwelcome in the UK. ''I will never understand how this kind of hatred can exist in the world,'' she said. 'You have to shut yourself off from it, and build a kind of wall to separate the emotion from the facts. But even with that wall up, it still chips away at you. Over time, it makes you feel small. You start to question how safe you really are in this country — or whether you truly belong here. 'I sometimes feel loathed and unwelcome just walking through the streets of London — not because of anything I've done, but simply because of who I am – a Muslim woman.' The poll follows a warning earlier this year from Tell Mama, an organisation that monitors anti-Muslim hate, which reported that anti-Muslim hate in the UK had reached record levels. Tell Mama recorded 6,313 incidents of anti-Muslim hate in 2024, representing a 43% increase on the previous year. Of those, 5,837 were verified by the organisation. Its Director, Iman Atta, said the findings of the poll, along with Tell Mama's own data, highlighted the growing problem of Islamophobia and its influence on daily decision-making for British Muslims. 'This sense of a collective self-enforced sense of restraint of what they can do and when they can go out is troubling since it has mental and emotional impacts, as well as economic impacts that are acutely felt by British Muslim women,' Iman Atta said. More than a quarter of Muslims surveyed said they had stopped using social media entirely as a result of the abuse and harmful content they had encountered online. Experts say this been driven by changes to social media algorithms, the Southport murders last July and the Israel-Gaza conflict. Tufail Hussain, UK Director of Islamic Relief, which commissioned the poll, said that too many people were increasingly feeling emboldened to post harmful content and that more needed to be done to protect minority communities. 'Our charity has also felt the brunt of a worrying rise in Islamophobia online, and particularly across social media. People increasingly feel they can post malicious and hateful content without any consequences,' Mr Hussain said. 'Social media has become a dangerous space for false news in which organisations such as Islamic Relief, who are committed to helping and saving people's lives across the world including the UK, are instead subjected to hateful abuse. 'This survey is a wake-up call for the UK government to do everything it can do make the Muslim community safe and for tech companies to tackle hate speech and protect users online. We cannot tolerate abuse, harassment, or discrimination based on religion.' Dr Naomi Green, Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the findings were 'more evidence of the mainstreaming of Islamophobia'. 'Online spaces and weaponised algorithms like Musk's X/Twitter have become wastelands of abuse and misinformation towards Muslims and other vulnerable groups that is dragging our society into an ever darker space,' Dr Green said. 'Responsible digital regulation frameworks are essential to keeping our society safe both mentally and physically.'
The National
10-03-2025
- Politics
- The National
Anti-Islamophobia charity loses UK funding even as incidents soar
The UK government has cut future funding for a charity that monitors anti-Muslim hate, despite record high incidents being reported. Tell Mama runs a reporting service for hate incidents directed at Muslims and the charity has been funded since its creation in 2012 by the Department of Housing, Communities and Levelling Up. But the charity's director Iman Atta told The National its funding, from next month for the year ahead, has not been renewed, meaning it could be forced to close. "This Labour government informed us that they will not be grant funding Tell Mama after 12 years of work," she said. "Given the timescales and pressures on funding, we are unable to raise funds to keep working on countering anti-Muslim hate and supporting our communities." Only weeks ago, the charity announced it had received almost 11,000 reports of hate incidents across 2023 and 2024 through its reporting service, and warned of a surge in anti-Muslim sentiment stoked by last summer's far-right riots and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. "We are at a time when anti-Muslim hate reached record levels in 2024," she said. "A time when the government needs to walk the talk on tackling anti-Muslim hate." Ms Atta also claimed that "to date no payment has been made" from the £1 million ($1.3 million) it was granted by the department in April 2024 but this is disputed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which said the money had been "made available". The Labour government wrote to the charity in September to warn of changes in how funding would be allocated. A disagreement followed after the charity declined to submit work records containing sensitive data. "Despite these challenges and the totally unacceptable and unethical asks to hand over our work, we continued to support those affected by anti-Muslim hate and continued our work with partner agencies ensuring the safety of all communities," Ms Atta said. The UK police describes the charity's role as 'invaluable" in tackling hate crime. The police have had an information sharing agreement with Tell Mama since 2015, which it said became all the more crucial in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel in 2023, after which "marked increases in hate crime and tensions" were reported. 'Over the years, we have cultivated a strong and effective relationship,' said a National Police Chief's Council representative. "Tell Mama and similar organisations that support other communities have provided invaluable insights and reporting data. These contributions have allowed for the effective analysis of community tensions and informed actions to reduce such tensions." The arrangement with Tell Mama and similar organisations was the result of a report in 1999 into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, which found victims of hate crimes were often reluctant to report them to the police. The charity supplies partial data from its reporting service to the police, while keeping victims' identities hidden. This exchange has allowed both organisations to develop heat maps of the main areas where anti-Muslim incidents occur and to identify the risks of far-right extremism. A total of 6,313 reports were made to the charity in 2024, up from 4,406 in the previous year and 2,651 in 2022. More than half of last year's reports (3,680) constituted 'offline or in-person hate', up by almost three quarters (72 per cent) since 2022, the organisation said. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was revising its approach to future funding. 'This year we have made up to £1 million of funding available to Tell Mama to provide support for victims of Islamophobia, and we will set out our approach to future funding in due course,' a representative said.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-Muslim hate at record level in UK, charity says
Anti-Muslim hate in the UK surged to record levels last year, a charity tracking Islamophobia has found. Almost 6,000 reports to Tell Mama were confirmed by it as anti-Muslim incidents, more than double the number two years ago, with men targeted more than women for the first time since the charity was founded in 2012. In its report the organisation said there had been a "surge in rhetoric that falsely portrays Muslims as terrorists or terrorist sympathisers" following the Israel-Gaza conflict and Southport murders. A government spokesperson called the findings "extremely concerning" and said it would "seek to stamp out anti-Muslim hatred and racism wherever it occurs". A total of 6,313 cases of anti-Muslim hate were recorded by Tell Mama in 2024, a 43% increase on the previous year - with 5,837 of the reports verified by the charity. The charity, which describes itself as the leading agency on monitoring anti-Muslim hate crime, said it had documented a steep rise in offline incidents, with 3,680 cases reported - a 72% increase on the number two years ago. The majority of the in-person cases were abusive behaviour, with Tell Mama also recording incidents of physical assault, discrimination and vandalism. Most of the attacks took place in public areas such as streets and parks, with a minority occurring in the workplace. For the first time since the charity's inception in 2012, more men than women were targeted by anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia, the organisation said. Tell Mama said the "shift towards Muslim men being targeted more than women reflects the deepening impact of harmful stereotypes that fuel societal divisions and reinforces false notions about Muslim identities". Police separate crowds of protesters outside city mosque £117m to protect mosques and Muslim schools Anti-Muslim attacks surged in the UK following both the Southport murders last July and the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict in October 2023. More than half of the online incidents of Islamophobia last year took place after three girls were murdered at a dance class in Southport. The majority of these occurred on the social media platform X - formerly known as Twitter. Following the murders, misinformation about the assailant's identity proliferated online, fuelling civil unrest that spread across the UK. Tell Mama said that there had been a "surge in rhetoric that falsely portrays Muslims as terrorists or terrorist sympathisers" since both the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the 2024 riots sparked by the Southport murders. Iman Atta, the charity's director, called for coordinated action by the government and said: "As anti-Muslim hate continues to be felt by a greater number of British Muslims, both at a street and online level, our work and support for victims of anti-Muslim hate is needed now more than ever." The public must "stand together against hatred and extremism", she said, and urged those in positions of influence to "consider how their language risks stereotyping communities and how it unduly influences discussions online and offline". In response to the findings, the government said that "attacks on and hatred against Muslim communities are completely unacceptable and have no place in our society". A spokesperson added: "We are absolutely determined to bridge divisions between communities and are working closely with community groups, charities, and public sector partners to tackle hatred in all its forms." Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate crimes rising More than 100 arrests as disorder after Southport attack spreads Did social media fan the flames of riot in Southport?
The Guardian
19-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK Islamophobic assaults surged by 73% in 2024, anti-hate crime charity reports
Now is the 'most dangerous' time to be a Muslim in the UK, the head of a leading anti-hate crime charity has warned, as she revealed that Islamophobic assaults surged by 73% in 2024. Iman Atta, director of Tell MAMA, said the normalisation of Islamophobic rhetoric in political discourse – as well as the spread of the far-right 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory on social media – meant the UK is entering uncharted territory regarding the scale of anti-Muslim hatred. She added that rightwing extremists 'share tips on how to target Muslim communities, attack mosques, evade police, avoid leaving forensic evidence – and even offer financial incentives for carrying out attacks'. Calling the current situation a 'nexus point', Atta said the intensity and regularity of incidents has shocked her team. 'You have families, and specifically women calling, saying I'm not going to take my kids to the park. I fear being attacked … people telling you, I'm not going to go out on my own, and specifically the ones that are visibly Muslim,' she added. Her comments came as new figures revealed 2024 saw the highest number of anti-Muslim hate cases recorded in the history of Tell MAMA, which monitors community safety and provides victim support. The team received 6,313 reports, a 43% increase on the previous year. A total of 5,837 cases were verified. The organisation, which shares its data with police, said its research had recorded 'disproportionate' hatred directed towards Muslim politicians, with the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, the former Scottish first minister, Humza Yousaf MSP, and MP Zarah Sultana most likely to be targeted, respectively. Despite the growing challenges, Atta said Tell MAMA's research showed Muslims were more likely to openly express pride in their identity. Meanwhile, the aftermath of the riots that followed last summer's Southport attack showed solidarity was thriving in Britain, Atta said, and she praised the criminal justice system's response to the violence. Meanwhile, the Community Security Trust, which monitors safety in the UK's Jewish communities recorded 3,528 antisemitic incidents in the UK in 2024. While this represented an 18% decrease from the record 4,296 antisemitic incidents recorded in 2023, it marks the second-highest total ever reported to the charity in a single year. Atta, who is Palestinian, called for solidarity between Muslim and Jewish communities in the face of the common threat from rightwing extremism. Between 2012 and 2022, Tell MAMA recorded more than 20,000 hate incidents. In the two years since, there have been 10,719 reports, of which 9,604 have been individually verified, representing an 'unprecedented' increase. The figures reveal that assault cases rose by 73% between 2023 and 2024, while incidents of vandalism increased by 60% (from 131 cases in 2023 to 209 in 2024). The most dramatic rise was in reports of threatening behaviour, which surged by 328% in the same period. The 7 October attacks, the subsequent war in Gaza, the riots of last summer and the increased rhetoric around grooming gangs have compounded the situation. 'It is the trickiest and most dangerous of times,' Atta said. 'We're moving into a new era where online and offline worlds are intersecting. The whole mobilisation in Southport happened online. It was misinformation and disinformation that triggered far-right groups across platforms like Telegram to mobilise and attack Muslim and migrant communities.' 'I'll never forget one of the attacks we managed to stop at Christmas when people posted blades online, saying they were going to kill Muslims. The police acted instantly,' she said.
The Independent
19-02-2025
- The Independent
Men targeted offline more than women for first time amid record anti-Muslim hate
An organisation monitoring anti-Muslim hate in the UK had a record high number of reports last year, with men targeted more than women in 2024 for the first time since it was founded. A total of 6,313 reports were made to Tell Mama (measuring anti-Muslim attacks), up from 4,406 in 2023 and 2,651 in 2022. After reports were checked by Tell Mama and verified as being 'anti-Muslim' in nature, the figures were 5,837 for last year, compared with 3,767 in 2023 and 2,201 in 2022. The shift towards Muslim men being targeted more than women reflects the deepening impact of harmful stereotypes that fuel societal divisions and reinforces false notions about Muslim identities Tell Mama report Of last year's total, 3,680 reports were of offline or in-person hate, up by almost three quarters (72%) since 2022, the organisation said. Its latest report noted that 'for the first time since Tell Mama's inception, offline cases of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia in 2024 have targeted men more than women'. The organisation said there had been a 'surge in rhetoric that falsely portrays Muslims as terrorists or terrorist sympathisers' since both the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the 2024 summer unrest in parts of the UK, sparked after the Southport murders. The report added: 'The shift towards Muslim men being targeted more than women reflects the deepening impact of harmful stereotypes that fuel societal divisions and reinforces false notions about Muslim identities.' Tell Mama said more than 51,000 British Muslims and others have used its services since it was set up in 2012. In terms of types of hate, abusive behaviour remained the most common form of offline hate, accounting for just over six in 10 (62%) of cases in 2024. Other forms included assault, which made up 171 cases last year; discrimination which accounted for 183 cases, and vandalism which formed 209 cases. We are at a nexus point where it is clear that anti-Muslim hate needs a co-ordinated action by (the) Government Iman Atta, Tell Mama director Threatening behaviour increased more than any other incident, up from 121 cases in 2023 to 518 in 2024. The most common locations for offline hate last year were public areas such as streets or parks, making up four in 10 of all incidents, while one in 10 were reported as having occurred in workplaces. There were 2,307 online cases of anti-Muslim hate last year, more than half of which (57%) took place after the Southport murders in July. X, formerly Twitter, was the main social media platform where anti-Muslim hate was reported to have taken place, with 991 cases verified by Tell Mama. This was followed by TikTok (317), Facebook (201), Instagram (131), Snapchat (57), WhatsApp (41), and Telegram (10). Iman Atta, the organisation's director, said: 'We have had the largest volume of cases reported to us in Tell Mama in 2024 and since we started our work in 2012. 'As anti-Muslim hate continues to be felt by a greater number of British Muslims, both at a street and online level, our work and support for victims of anti-Muslim hate is needed now more than ever. 'We are at a nexus point where it is clear that anti-Muslim hate needs a coordinated action by His Majesty's Government.' She added that the public must 'stand together against hatred and extremism' and urged 'those in positions of influence and public authority to consider how their language risks stereotyping communities and how it unduly influences discussions online and offline'. A Government spokesperson said: 'These findings are extremely concerning. Attacks on and hatred against Muslim communities are completely unacceptable and have no place in our society. We will seek to stamp out anti-Muslim hatred and racism wherever it occurs. 'We are absolutely determined to bridge divisions between communities and are working closely with community groups, charities, and public sector partners to tackle hatred in all its forms.'
