Earlier this week, an imam was left "terrified" after finding pork and an Israeli flag affixed to the entrance of a mosque in Oxford. The police are investigating the incident, which was described as "heartbreaking" for the local community.
This incident is just one example of a worrying rising tide of hostility against Muslims. Islamist activity and terrorist acts often lead to a notable rise in violence and hatred toward Muslims, exacerbated by a climate of suspicion fuelled by negative stereotypes and narratives spread on social media. The ongoing migrant crisis, the grooming gangs scandal and the Hamas-Israel conflict further complicate perceptions of Muslims, contributing to a toxic environment which leaves many British Muslims feeling unjustly vilified and targeted.
In the past year, nearly two in five religious hate crimes targeted Muslims, with anti-Muslim incidents in the UK reaching record levels. Nearly 6,000 reports were confirmed as anti-Muslim acts, according to one tracking organisation.
This climate of hostility doesn't just jeopardise the safety and well-being of individual Muslims; it also undermines the very fabric of community cohesion.
This incident is just one example of a worrying rising tide of hostility against Muslims. Islamist activity and terrorist acts often lead to a notable rise in violence and hatred toward Muslims, exacerbated by a climate of suspicion fuelled by negative stereotypes and narratives spread on social media. The ongoing migrant crisis, the grooming gangs scandal and the Hamas-Israel conflict further complicate perceptions of Muslims, contributing to a toxic environment which leaves many British Muslims feeling unjustly vilified and targeted.
In the past year, nearly two in five religious hate crimes targeted Muslims, with anti-Muslim incidents in the UK reaching record levels. Nearly 6,000 reports were confirmed as anti-Muslim acts, according to one tracking organisation.
This climate of hostility doesn't just jeopardise the safety and well-being of individual Muslims; it also undermines the very fabric of community cohesion.
Continue @ NSS.
I agree with main argument of this article but would go a little further: I find it offensive to be dismissed as islamophobic because I firmly oppose all forms of violence, abuse, or coercion carried out under the guise of religion, and categorically reject religious dogma and indoctrination. Every person deserves the fundamental human right to freedom of thought. Religions are more inclined toward Indoctrination, particularly targeting children through their parents. Religious instruction can, at best, limit critical thinking and development and at worst create fanatics. I do not think religion should possess any special status in law. For real equality, the term 'religion' ought to be removed from Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, so that freedom of thought and belief are protected universally, without privileging religious ideology over other convictions. By elevating religion, the legitimate convictions of the non-religious are given less weight or credibility.
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ReplyDeleteDoesn't help when Muslim MP's are now wanting blasphemy laws reintroduced in the UK ( and Europe) so you dare not critique Islam.
"Labour’s Tahir Ali (Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley) called for action as he warned “division and hatred” can be fuelled in society by “such mindless desecration”."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWpfKqDjCtU