9 September 2024

MEDIA STATEMENT

MWNUK Report shows that 80% of Muslims do not report hate crime incidents

Muslim Women’s Network UK (MWNUK) published a report today, ‘Anti-Muslim Hate – Concerns and Experiences.’ The research sought to understand concerns and experiences related to Islamophobia / anti-Muslim hate, both prior to and following the widespread riots that followed the Southport stabbings on 29 July, 2024.

Of the 191 Muslims that responded to the survey (which was conducted in August), 67% said they had experienced some type of online / offline hate incident in the previous five years. However, 80% of those who had these experiences did not report the incidents anywhere. This is worrying because it is important to capture incidents even if they do not meet the criminal threshold for prosecution so that the scale of anti-Muslim hate can be fully understood so that appropriate policies and legislation can be developed. Other findings included only 17% of Muslims being very worried about their safety before the riots, rising to 73% after the riots.

MWNUK CEO Baroness Shaista Gohir said: “The heightened fear and anxiety is leading to changes in daily behaviour of many Muslims, particularly if they are accompanied by their children, such as avoiding certain areas, changing routines with some even withdrawing from public life. Muslim women in particular are more likely to be set back which is disheartening given the progress they have made in recent years. The fear of hate crimes may deter Muslim women from pursuing education or employment opportunities, which will perpetuate economic disadvantages and limit social mobility.”

Today in the House of Lords Chamber, Baroness Shaista Gohir asked Lord Wajid Khan, Minister for Faith and Communities at the MHCLG about what assessment the government had made on the drivers of hate crime against Muslims in Britain and what steps were being taken to challenge anti-Muslim prejudice and anti-Muslim hate crime. Later this week, she will also be meeting Lord Wajid Khan, Minister for Faith and Communities at the MHCLG to discuss the findings and the recommendation of the report, which will also be disseminated across government departments.

Given the adverse impact on Muslims, the voices and experiences of Muslims must be central to government efforts to combat hate crime and inform new hate crime plans, policies and legislation. We hope that the government considers the recommendations made in the report.

If you or anyone you know has been affected by hate crime / prejudice, and want someone to speak to, you can contact the Muslim Women’s Network Helpline on 0800 999 5786 / info@mwnhelpline.co.uk

Additional Information

•Media enquiries can be directed to: contact@mwnuk.co.uk or 0121 2369000
•Muslim Women’s Network UK is a national charity, more info can be found on: www.mwnuk.co.uk
•MWN Helpline can be contacted on: Tel: 0800 999 5786 / Email: info@mwnhelpline.co.uk / Text: 07415 206 936 / www.mwnhelpline.co.uk