We have received a case in the Greater Manchester area where a couple were targeted for anti-Muslim abuse that specifically referred to terrorism, which can be linked to the recent Paris murders.
A couple who had completed their shopping were accosted in a car park by a white female who launched into an anti-Muslim tirade calling the couple ‘terrorists’ and which led to an assault on the female Muslim who was wearing a Hijab. The white female perpetrator tried to tug at the Hijab of the Muslim female as the assault continued.
According to the victims, to add further insult to injury, members of the public came to the aid of the perpetrator and started to film the event saying that they would be witnesses for her.
The Muslim couple were left feeling intimidated, isolated and bereft of any support from local individuals. Having left the site, they reported into Tell MAMA and we will be providing support to the family and ensuring that Greater Manchester police are aware of this incident.
More recently, Greater Manchester Police released figures showing a doubling of Islamophobic hate crimes between November 2014 and October 2015.