Online hate speech targeting Muslims in the UK has “soared” alongside inflammatory reporting about Muslims and Travellers in the media, according to a new report by the Council of Europe. The British justice system is ignoring race as a motivation in too many attacks, according to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (Ecri). Police are “unsure what the law is” and fail to understand the issues, according to a prominent criminologist.
The report found that targeting of Muslim women in particular has risen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Of 548 Islamophobic incidents reported to the anti-discrimination Tell MAMA group, 408 took place online. ‘Lack of understanding’ Dr Imran Awan, a criminologist at the Birmingham City University who has worked with anti-discrimination group Tell MAMA, welcomed the report, saying: “A lot of the online hate speech, especially anti-Muslim hate speech, isn’t dealt as seriously by agencies such as the police.” [inews.co.uk] Read more
