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Tackling Islamophobia

Time for a proper debate on anti-Muslim violence and intimidation.

By Robert Lambert Published 05 December 2010 12:18

The new all-party parliamentary group investigating Islamophobia will need to encourage the coalition government to tackle anti-Muslim violence and intimidation as a matter of urgency. Too many victims have suffered in silence and without remedy since the phenomenon became widespread after the 11 September 2001 attacks to allow even a day's delay.

For the best part of a decade, the violence – ranging from murder, grievous bodily harm, petrol bombings and political violence through to death threats and vandalism – has remained largely hidden and unremarked outside of the communities where it occurs.

What motivates the violence? Just as a minority of journalists feel licensed to denigrate Muslims in a way they would not dream of doing to any other faith or any ethnic-minority community, so too a minority of gangs and individuals commit violence against Muslims and their places of worship and congregation, in the mistaken but often honestly held belief that they are attacking "Muslim terrorists" or "extremists". Invariably this motivation can be traced back to influential media commentators and politicians – not solely to the British National Party and the English Defence League.

Street violence once known to attackers and victims as "Paki-bashing" has given way to "Muslim-bashing". From the late 1960s until the early 1990s, "Paki-bashing", motivated and sanctioned by widespread racism, was widespread and under-reported in towns and suburbs in the UK. In contrast, since 9/11, "Muslim-bashing" has been motivated and sanctioned by a popularist narrative that links Muslims with the terrorism of al-Qaeda.

In addition, Muslims are also the victims of ongoing racist and anti-immigrant street violence. As research by the Institute of Race Relations makes plain, Muslim taxi drivers, restaurant workers and other low-paid workers often face violence in public that is aimed equally at other minority targets.

However, as new research by the European Muslim Research Centre (EMRC) at the University of Exeter demonstrates, since 9/11 Muslims have also been singled out for violence that is aimed specifically at them and not at others. For instance, as a member of the EMRC research team, I have noted several violent attacks on Muslims carried out by members of ethnic-minority communities. Often in these cases, the assailants' abuse that accompanies the violent assaults is no different – variations on the "Muslim terrorist" theme – from those cases where the attackers are described as being white British.

Pigs' heads

We recommend that the all-party parliamentary group pay particular attention to two kinds of anti-Muslim hate crime that have harmed innumerable citizens and eroded community safety and confidence in several towns and suburbs in the UK: street violence against Muslim men and women of distinctively Muslim appearance; and violence and intimidation targeted against mosques, Islamic institutions and Muslim organisations.

How widespread has the problem become since 9/11? In respect of anti-Muslim street violence, we will probably never know for certain, owing to a high level of attacks that have gone unreported to police or which have been recorded as racist crimes or random attacks with no recognition of an anti-Muslim motivation. To illustrate, we have so far collected preliminary data on more than 100 anti-Muslim hate crimes that have either not been reported to police or not been investigated as having an anti-Muslim motivation during the period 2001-2010. Every reasonable indication suggests this is the tip of the iceberg.

In contrast, in respect of violence and intimidation targeted against mosques, Islamic institutions and Muslim organisations, it will be possible to gain a clearer picture of the extent of the phenomenon. By compiling and analysing data arising from completed questionnaires we sent to mosques, Islamic institutions and Muslim organisations and interviews with their officials and congregations, we are steadily building a comprehensive research picture. At present we can offer only a preliminary guide, because many mosque officials are as reluctant to report violence to researchers as they are to police.

How many out of approximately 1,600 mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations in the UK have been attacked since 9/11? So far, we have collated partial details on more than 250 hate crimes at over 150 venues (mainly mosques, but also Islamic centres and Muslim organisations) since 9/11. Attacks include petrol bombs thrown into mosques, serious physical assaults on imams and staff, bricks thrown through mosque windows, pigs' heads being fixed prominently to mosque entrances and minarets, death threats, other threatening and abusive messages – sometimes verbal, sometimes written – and vandalism.

Although much painstaking research lies ahead before we can provide an accurate picture, every early indication suggests that between 40 per cent and 60 per cent of the mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations in the UK have suffered at least one attack that has or could have been reported to police as a hate crime since 9/11.

Interestingly, while a significant number of mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations have suffered no violence since 9/11, it is already perfectly clear that an equally significant number have suffered repeated attacks and ongoing vandalism and antisocial behaviour that amounts to intimidation.

Slow mo

In the past two years, a number of mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations have also been subjected to intimidatory demonstrations and campaigns by violent protesters belonging to or associated with the English Defence League and other Islamophobic groups.

Attacks and violent demonstrations against mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations are just one part of an established and widespread, decade-long phenomenon in which many Muslims have come to feel under siege in their own country. Yet, to date, the government and police chiefs have been slow to assess the extent and nature of the problem.

Several imams and officials at mosques in the UK have expressed deep sorrow when asked to recount the circumstances in which their own place of worship had been attacked and damaged. One imam spoke movingly about the tangible hurt Muslims felt when the "House of Allah" they attended every day was attacked by a petrol bomb or desecrated by a pig's head or in some other way.

Over and above the damage, disruption and fear is a profound sense of violation and religious sacrilege, which devout members of other faiths will readily comprehend but which may require an effort of empathy from non-believers.

Robert Lambert is co-drector of the European Muslim Research Centre at the University of Exeter. Together with Jonathan Githens-Mazer, he is co-author of "Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate Crime: UK Case Studies".

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Tags: racism Parliament Islam media

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29 comments

Mon, 2010-12-06 01:23 — Alex (not verified)

@Marcella

'Islamophobia is the new anti-semitism' followed by slander of 'Zionists' and 'Israel lobbies' Yawn! But of course you aren't anti-semitic wink wink. Please tell me who you are to decide weather your're anti-semitic or not? How much do you know about anti-semitism, tell me about life in the Thrid Reich, name me some anti-semitic canards? Are you a lecturer in anti-sem? And then please tell me how anti-semitism and Islamophobia are at all similar, Islamophobia has exploded since events such as 9/11 and idiots holding Muslims collectively responsible, it's not right, agreed, but anti-semitism is not even comparable. No-one is accusing Muslims of controlling banks, media or politics, thats what anti-semitism is and oh wait its you thats doing that. And the link between the EDL and the 'Israel Lobby'?? whoa! some Jews belong to the EDL as other English people do, and others are members of the Labour party, others are members of the Green Party, many Jews as well as non-jews also like Israel the Jewish State believe it or not? On the subject of unholy alliances, are you a homophobe with regard to the fact that the Palestine lobby is so closely related to the RESPECT party? Whos members frequently make a slip of the tongue and their real beliefs come through. Adam Yosef par example. You're judgements are amateurish. There is no intelligence to your assertions, and you do not think critically, I'm afraid you've been moulded into the classic anti-semite, although you'll never realize it. Bit ironic that the Jews were 'controlling' the banks, media and government in 1930's Germany and now their children the 'Zionists' are doing the same thing a century later. food for thought...

Looks like the cat has slipped out of the bag's picture

Mon, 2010-12-06 01:26 — Looks like the cat has slipped out of the bag (not verified)

Islamophobia is now used as a blanket excuse for the most part to put people off from questioning and examining the more dubious of activites coming from sections of the Islamic Community in Britain.

Real cases of 'Islamophobia' are now becoming more ignored because of this knee jerk reaction which plays into the extremists hands as it gives them a rallying call to moderate muslims and fog to conceal there extremist activites under.

I know one thing for sure, the EDL and BNP aren't widespread recruiting and handing out propaganda in UK universities but radical sects of Islam defintely are.

The Qu'ran is the new vogue, replacing the Communist Manifesto as the must read book......

Mon, 2010-12-06 02:30 — historybuff

As a complement to this committee, is Mr Lambert going to organise a Committee on Misogyny in Riyadh, a Committee on Homopphobia in Tehran and Committee on Christianophobia in Cairo?
These would be very appropropriate, considering that,, although Muslims enjoy full legal equality and police protection from persuctors in Britain, women, non-Muslims and gay people have no such rights in the Muslim World.

Mon, 2010-12-06 05:37 — scampy

Could it be that muslims are not wanted in christian countries?
What do you think the result of an EU referendum on whether muslim immigration should be stopped would be?
Ask the people and carry out their wishes you gutless politicians who have surrendered.

Mon, 2010-12-06 09:00 — Winniethepooh

What a vile lot the NS readership is. Well done to Lambert on highlightng a road that my Jewish friends have told me was evident in pre-world war 2/pre-Holocaust Germany. Anti-Islamism has been a rich vein in British and European culture prior to 9/11. Some Muslims (ably supported by US/GB government friends, Saudi Arabia - now exactly what is the link between the CIA and Taliban and extremism - oh is it that they were funded? How did that happen? And how come Blair stopped an investigation into BAE bribery of Saudi officials... pot calling kettle..
Well one good thing - after the Muslim holocaust which Shabir Akhtar predicted in the 1990s, to apologise, the Muslims will be given the whole of Southern England as a'sorry' and then your great great grandchildren will experience what the Palestinians are experiencing now due to the last outbreak of barbaric, Christian/secular/ racism in Nazi Germany. LOL

Mon, 2010-12-06 10:23 — marcella (not verified)

@Alex

So criticising Zionism is now anti-semetic. By stating that Muslims are being victimised and scapegoated as Jews were in the past seems to rankle.

Hence the need to raise the holocuast and good old traditional Northern European christian anti-semetism. Perhaps a desiire to cling to rightous victimhood, rather than think about how another religious group is now being persacuted.

Mersheimer and Walt in there analysis of the power of the Israel lobby in the US were also labelled anti-semites, again talking about Jewish influence at the centre of power seems to cause anxiety.

Tue, 2010-12-07 09:37 — LibertyPhile (not verified)

You will find a pretty good explanation of the causes of "Islamophobia" here

http://libertyphilewhy.blogspot.com/2010/11/this-is-why-part-2.html

Sun, 2010-12-05 13:13 — JP (not verified)

We don't need to tackle islamophobia. The Muslim community needs to tackle those from within their community feel it's acceptable to blow up their fellow citizens to make a political point. Do this an islamophobia will disappear

Sun, 2010-12-05 13:16 — Aristotles23

Will you,Mr Lambert, investigate the teaching of British Muslim children that they can recognise Jews because they look like monkeys and pigs, and that they should not mix with or befriend "Kuffar" ie. non-Muslims, that the penalty for the "crimes" of Homosexuality, Atheism,Apostasy,Adultery and sex before marriage is death, by stoning or burning alive ? This shocking revelation was on UK television recently and an undercover Muslim reporter found the damning evidence, Michael Gove was interviewed for the programme and Private Eye have published an article about the funding from UK taxpayers for these "Islamic" schools, using the Saudi Arabian official textbooks to promote Wahabbist "Islamic" ideology?

Sun, 2010-12-05 13:25 — Adrian C (not verified)

I've read Lambert's report, and it's the most tendacious, ill-supported, propagandistic pile of crap masquerading as "research" I've ever come across. It is a major embarrassment to Exeter University, and to academia generally.

Sun, 2010-12-05 14:06 — Dan (not verified)

I think it's time to get a grip and realise the Uk had hone grown terrorists , extremists preachers of hate and organisations which are a threat to national security.it's time to abolish faith schools which are devisive and facilitate the teaching of values separate from a liberal secular society , it's time to integrate the Muslim community to liberal secular values as the means to create a stable cohesive society which reduces the threat of terrorism n the Uk. The threat to the Uk does not come from the middle east wear sensible policies have been used to deal with extremists ,but from within the Uk. The universities ate the recruting base for terrorists. It's time for tough effective measures to deal with terrorism for the majority if muslims that cone to
Who loath these monsters that seen to have an impact in the uk. Lets bring a communities together which British Asians not Muslims separated from liberal secular Britain.if people don't want to subscribe to British values they should be asked to leave and live in Iran which is an ISlamic state where they will be a happy because the state refelects. a different set of values

Sun, 2010-12-05 14:36 — saltyseadog1

Well said Dan.

If people want to live in a country or culture they must accept the values of that society. The Muslims attitude to the rest of British society and indeed the western world they choose to live in is the problem and until they accept this and state loudly and clearly that these terrorists are nothing whatsoever to do with Islamic teachings and that they will not go to paradise and get their reward then they will continue to feed the hatred of the BNP and EDL and all the other headbangers who are just as bad as the terrorists really.

Sun, 2010-12-05 16:21 — Luke - USA (not verified)

What about anglophobia? Clearly FIFA hates anglos.

Sun, 2010-12-05 17:05 — historybuff

Will the committee also be discussing the murder, grievous bodily harm and routine discrimination against gay people, women and non-Muslims both within the British Muslim community and throughout the Muslim World?

Sun, 2010-12-05 17:59 — Dan (not verified)

What upsets me is universities are a great way to recruit young converts to Islamic fundamentalism as has been seen with the Detroit bomber who was president of the islamic society at UCL . Universities such as Leicester were showing videos glorifying terrorism to young students at an islamic awareness week. I will quote what a few extremists said:we have a great opportunity to mobilise effectively in the Uk which we can't do in Arab states which have limited democratic structures. I was shocked by the glorification of terror . We must deal with the universities effectively to prevent home grown terrorists from developing . Young people are more likely to be radicalised at Queen Mary Westfield or Manchester uni than Amy Arab country. The preachers of hate must have their social benefits taken away and thrown out the country .the money can be used for those poor ex soldiers that need somewhere to live .the BBC documentary was shocking and reflects the nonsense of promoting diversity when in fact it's promoting medieval barbaric behaviour which will culminate in terrible terrorists atrocities. We must create a united kingdom not a Taliban society .liberal civilised valued for a humane Britain . This does mean the burka must be banned because we are not Saudi Arabi. I say to any one who wants to oppress women ? Why do you come to a country that embodies a different set if values. Please except the British way and we can move forward to create harmony together as s United kingdom . I also think the stupid wars across the world are offensive to muslims which means the Uk and the United Stated should pull out of Iraq . I think a balanced foreign policy would help promote liberal values.

Sun, 2010-12-05 19:35 — marcella (not verified)

What often muddies the water in this debate is how neo-cons and zionists like Melanie Phillips hijack the debate to enclude their support for the war on terror and Israel's bloody excesses against the Palestinians.

The right wing media and in particular the Murdoch rags certainly have an anti Islamic agenda and pour fuel on the flames of prejudice.

I agree with Dan's last point about having a more balanced foreign policy that did not involve the recent colonial adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan . There is also rank hypocricy of condemning the Mullahs in Tehran while selling hitech weopanary to that bastion of freedom and democracy in Riyadh
This would make it far easier for those of us on the left to align ourselves with those confronting radical Islam and that we were not colluding with the above mentioned reactionaries and idealogues.

Sun, 2010-12-05 20:46 — Liz (not verified)

Great article Robert. Islamophobia is definately an issue that needs to be investigated much deeper. There is way too much prejudice and stigmatisation towards muslims by our british society. It's disturbing and disgusting to see how much hatred there is towards british muslims.

Tue, 2010-12-07 01:14 — Hans Castorp (not verified)

There's an Israel lobby in the US. So what? Marcella is addicted to conspiracy...

Mersheimer and Walt have been completely schooled. Referencing them as somehow authoratative now shows you are either (a) completely incurious on the issue or (b) sticking to work shown to be ruinously flawed because you want to believe in what they say.

And yes, "Zionism" as you use it is a shibboleth that enables anti-semitism. No-one is industrially gassing and burning Muslims by the millions, so get some bloody perspective.

And learn to spell!

But this is all classic distraction stuff. Best not to talk about how this crappy study has completely invented and presupposed results on research not yet undertaken, and how, despite his best efforts, Lambert has only found 100 unrecorded hate crimes nationally in the last 9 or so years. Not exactly the stuff of holocaust.

Instead we have a community ready, on the merest provocation, to wail "offence!", to portray itself as a community of homogenous victims whose humiliation demands propitiation from the the state that allows it to flourish, and to cry before it is hurt. All abbetted by cod-academics and pseudo-academia.

And let's not forget the funder's (Cordoba) links to dodgy imams and so on, and the miserable performance of Lambert when he was a plod.

Sun, 2010-12-05 21:40 — Julian2

There is no significant 'prejudice and stigmatisation towards Muslims' today. It does not exist in reality. Everyone knows this.
What we do find is:
1) fear and loathing of stupid kids who want to blow themselves up on tube trains;
2) Suspicion of the weaselly evasions of the London reps of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Jamat-e- Islami;
3) Utter and total contempt for the pretend-research of opportunistic chancers like Lambert. They are taken as seriously as the populists like the Mail and the Express.

Of course, they are losing the argument. Their position is weaker. It's easy to see that from the pathetic debating poses they take up, like these: anyone who disagrees is a neocon; anyone who disagrees is paid to do so; any fact which they find unpleasant is 'unfounded'; any revelation about one of their allies is a 'smear'.
As to islamophobia, there is a hilarious passage in this document where the 'researchers' give an account of interviews with British Muslims where none of the intervewees apparently have any personal experience of actual Islamophobia! They then attribute this to some kind of failure of consciousness. Great stuff.

Sun, 2010-12-05 22:01 — Hans Castorp (not verified)

Interesting that this article appears from a body assisted by Al-Jazeera, who have been shown by the wikileaks cables to be in bed with the Qatar government:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-al-jazeera-...

whose criminalisation of homosexuals Mehdi is defending elsewhere as a mere peccadillo:

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/mehdi-hasan/2010/12/world-cup-2022-qat...

WTF is going on?

Sun, 2010-12-05 22:14 — Hans Castorp (not verified)

Julian – I agree.

@Adrian C, where did you get the full report? Oddly, it’s not actually available via Lambert’s website (http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/emrc/publications.php). Link please.

Let’s take a closer look at what we are dealing with from the article for now.

Lambert says:

“As research by the Institute of Race Relations makes plain Muslim taxi drivers, restaurant workers and other low paid workers often face street violence that is aimed equally at other minority targets.”
This is a lie. The IRR research, and official crime figures just released, show no such “equality”.

By far the biggest form of hate crimes of this type committed in this country are against Jews. A balanced article might mention that fact. But then, Lambert’s centre also campaign for Gaza, so sympathy for Jews is out.

Over 700 anti-Semitic attacks reported to police last year alone: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11875321

out of a total of 2000 religious hate crimes. The total includes Northern Ireland, so we can sadly bank on a lot of cath/prod hate crime in there. The fact that ACPO sees fit to draw sole attention to anti-semitic hate crimes from the total religious hate crimes shows how conspicuously it dwarfs crimes against other religious minorities.

http://www.acpo.police.uk/asp/policies/Data/084a_Recorded_Hate_Crime_-_J...

Therefore, to say that street violence is “aimed equally at other minority targets” is manifestly untrue. Jews get it much, much worse than Muslims.

Sun, 2010-12-05 23:15 — marcella (not verified)

@Hans Castorp,

Islamophobia has replaced anti-semetism by the facist right. just look at the unholy alliance between the ADL and Israel lobby in this country.

Like many apolgists for the racism and colonial expansionism of Zionism. You are intentionally muddying the waters between anti Zionism and genuine jew hatred which is negligable in the UK.

This is a familar tactic of the lobby hurled at realistic, rational appraisals of Israel's political,military and social conduct.

Anti Zionism is on the rise. Anti-semetism is not

Sun, 2010-12-05 23:42 — Paw Keeter (not verified)

I'm a Muslim and the best way to tackle Islamophobia is by publicly burning the Qu'ran. Islam is an evil religion fuelled by hatred. The prophet Mohammed (death be upon him) was a paedophile. Most young Muslim men in the UK love raping white children and I totally support this. Anyway it's time for a bacon sandwich now.

Sun, 2010-12-05 23:59 — Hans Castorp (not verified)

I don't apologise for Zionism. In fact, unlike you, I never mentioned it. I reject your implication that the word is OK to use as a coded insult of some kind.

I don't call 703 acts of hate crime against Jews "negligible". But then, that depends on whether you think Jews are alright, which I do, and whether facts matter to you, which it seems they do not.

In your case, you are merely using 'Zionist' and 'Jew' as interchangeably. I can tell this because you just can't help paint a little conspiracy of secret Jew power. It seems I'm part of a "lobby"!

You want to change a debate on Lambert's crappy report into some sort of paranioac nonsence. It ain't gonna happen.

You should be ashamed. Also, your literacy level is very low. Accordingly, I'm ignoring you hereonin.

Mon, 2010-12-27 01:43 — Robert Barton (not verified)

What an hysterical article!
Given the behaviour of the Muslims (Satanic Verses, 9/11, 7/7, Madrid, Danish cartoons, Sudan teddy bear etc) what did they expect?

In fact the number of serious incidents has been remarkably low and these have been investigated and prosecuted.

Mon, 2010-12-06 00:07 — Hans Castorp (not verified)

Also, check this out folks:

http://trialbyjeory.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/another-dodgy-dossier/

How is Lambert regarded by the NS as even halfway serious? What the hell are editorial thinking?