The majority of British Muslims say they have witnessed discrimination against followers of the Islamic faith and that a climate of hate is being driven by politicians and media, a study has found.
Six out of 10 Muslims in Britain surveyed by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) said they had seen Islamophobia directed at someone else, up from four in 10 when the survey was first conducted in 2010. Then, half of Muslims said they had not witnessed Islamophobia – a figure that has now crashed to 18%.
Furthermore, feelings of being increasingly demonised and discriminated against are rising, according to the report, which says Muslims suffer physical and verbal abuse, as well as discrimination in the workplace.
The study is based on interviews with 1,780 people and repeats questions asked in 2010.
.... More than two-thirds of Muslims told the survey they had heard anti-Islamic comments by politicians, and half thought politicians condoned Islamophobic acts. Nearly nine out of 10 thought discrimination was driven by the way Muslims are portrayed in media coverage. [The Guardian] Read more
