Islamophobic incidents in the United Kingdom tripled during the Israel-Hamas war

(Patria) - Hate incidents against Muslims in the United Kingdom have more than tripled since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, a monitoring group said on Thursday, AFP reported.

Tell MAMA recorded 2,010 such cases in the four months since October 7. This is the highest number of cases recorded in a four-month period, according to a statement from the organization established to monitor and report such incidents. The latest figures rose from 600 incidents in the same period in 2022-2023, an increase of 335 percent.

"We are deeply concerned about the impact the Israel-Gaza war is having on hate crimes and social cohesion in the UK," said Tell MAMA director Iman Atta.

"This rise in anti-Muslim hatred is unacceptable and we hope that political leaders will speak out to
send a clear message that anti-Muslim hatred, as well as antisemitism, is unacceptable in our
country," he added.

Tell MAMA says 901 cases occurred offline, while 1,109 were online. Most offline incidents occurred in the British capital London, it added. They included abusive behavior, threats, attacks, vandalism, discrimination, hate speech and anti-Muslim literature.

Women were targeted in 65 percent of cases, the group said. Earlier this month, a Jewish charity reported that antisemitic incidents in the UK reached record levels last year, with a rise following the Hamas attack.