A handwritten anti-Muslim and Islamophobic note taped to a park bench depicted the prophet Muhammad as a suicide bomber and as a ‘paedophile’ (but had misspelt the word).
A member of the public spotted the note when walking through Victoria Park in Tipton yesterday evening and alerted both Tell MAMA and West Midlands Police.
The crude cartoon recycles imagery which depicts a bomb in Muhammad’s turban with a suicide vest, where the racialised facial features, including bushy eyebrows, an elongated nose, and wild beard project ‘an image of danger and fanaticism’, according to some academics.
Tell MAMA continues to document how such examples, whether online or offline, intend to cause deep upset and harm to Muslims, given that many seek to emulate Muhammad’s teachings in daily life.
In 2018, Tell MAMA verified 58 reports of anti-Muslim literature, and in the first six months of 2019, documented 22 such examples.
You can get advice from our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or contact us via WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086.