Verified incidents of anti-Muslim hate in the UK have doubled in a decade, a new report found.
The report by Tell Mama, which is one of the most comprehensive on the topic, found that there were 584 verified incidents of anti-Muslim hate in 2012, and this number had increased to 1,212 in 2021.
Tell Mama, a UK-based monitoring group working to counter anti-Muslim sentiment and abuse, warned that this trend could point to a real increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate incidents taking place, and not just an increase in reporting.
The report also found that online abuse reached an all-time high in 2020, and that neighbour-related disputes that turned anti-Muslim in nature also increased significantly during the same year.
Over the past decade, Tell Mama has provided support for more than 16,000 reported cases of anti-Muslim bigotry, serving over 20,000 individuals. The group found that online abuse reached an all-time high in 2020, a surge they believe was propelled by the pandemic.
In addition to this online spike, the group also observed a significant rise in neighbour-related disputes that turned anti-Muslim in nature during the same year. Over a quarter of all reported offline incidents fell into this category.
Tell Mama noted that lockdowns during the pandemic seemed to exacerbate household and neighbour-related incidents, acting as a bottleneck for such cases.
In total, 2020 saw 1,318 combined online and offline verified cases.
The highest frequency of verified offline cases occurred between 2016, 2017 and 2019. The group identified these years as periods corresponding with multiple global and domestic events such as the United Kingdom's terrorist attacks, the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand and the Brexit referendum result.
Tell Mama pinpointed that factors contributing to these peaks in anti-Muslim hate included activities of the far-right, global anti-Muslim attacks, political discourse, terrorist activities, grooming scandals and targeted anti-Muslim campaigns.
They highlighted the 2018 “Punish a Muslim” campaign as a major concern, which had caused significant alarm within British Muslim communities.
The continuing Israel-Palestine conflict was reported to have resulted in an sharp rise of anti-Muslim cases in 2021.
Other triggers for spikes in incidents were associated with attacks on asylum seekers and their supporting centres, as well as public figures such as cricketer Azeem Rafiq speaking out about the racist abuse they had suffered.
Iman Atta, the group’s director, asserted that the purpose of this decade-long study was to make people aware of the anti-Muslim hate issue and inspire them to take action.
She emphasised: “This is a decade's worth of data from assisting, supporting and ensuring that British Muslims get access to justice.”
Ms Atta expressed her hopes that the data would motivate more focus on this area of work.
She added that if social cohesion is to be strengthened, anti-Muslim hatred must be challenged, monitored and countered peacefully, requiring collective effort.
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1
Man City: Agüero (25', 35', 75'), Jesus (31'), Silva (48'), Kongolo (84' og)
Huddersfield: Stankovic (43')
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
