Has the scale of Islamophobic attacks since Woolwich been underrated?
Summary
Anti-Muslim attacks have increased since the Woolwich murder.
They are now trending down.
What should politicians do?
What should the Muslim community be doing?
Transmitted 23 September 2013. Posted 27 September 2013. Updated 29 May 2022
Since the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich on 22 May 2013, the UK has seen a marked increase in attacks against Muslim individuals and Muslim institutions such as mosques and schools. This has been measured by Tell MAMA, although sadly some journalists have sought to discredit the data gathered.
On 23 September 2013 the Islam Channel's "Analysis" show asked the question "Has the scale of Islamophobic attacks since Woolwich been underrated?" Accordingly, I have used their question for the title of this page, even though I normally avoid the word Islamophobia.
The presenter was Jonathan Steele who is also a Guardian columnist, and the panel comprised:
Amani El Sehrawey, Caseworker and Field Officer at Tell MAMA
Myself, appearing as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum. In the interests of full disclosure, Jonathan Steele also mentioned at my request that I am a Patron of Tell MAMA.
Some of the issues that came up in the discussion were:
There was a sharp rise in anti-Muslim attacks after the murder, which is slowly trending downwards.
The responsibility of the media. I stressed the wide divergence between different parts of the media.
How Muslims are portrayed by Hollywood.
The need for Muslims to learn from the experiences of the Jewish community in Britain and the work of the Community Security Trust.
The need for better education about the commonality of religions instead of focusing on the differences.
What is happening in social media.
You can watch the 23 minute discussion below. [Unfortunately, since this page was created, the video has changed status and can no longer be watched. I have left the page up in case it becomes available again in future.]
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