In particular, comments that are made by passing vehicles and against individuals waiting at bus stops, seem to come up again and again in cases of anti-Muslim hatred reported to Tell MAMA.

Since 2016, we have been aware from data that we have collected over years, that the levels of aggression and the types of threats and anger shown to British Muslims (or those perceived to be Muslims), has grown in its intensity and in the geographical spread of cases.

Many of the comments include are based on issues of migration and aggressive instructions to ‘go back to your country’, allied with comments about the Hijab, the Niqab (the face veil) as well as statements around paedophilia. The latter may well have some connection with the ‘grooming gang’ issues, or narratives that have developed about under-age marriage or comments pushed online that child-marriage is a part of Islam – which it clearly is not.

We would urge anyone who has been targeted by anti-Muslim hate or prejudice, to report into Tell MAMA, or to call 101, to ensure that you can access support.

Read More: Tell MAMA recorded 1,202 anti-Muslim cases in 55 days.

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In particular, of concern to us are physical threats and forms of assault that are being reported in by visible Muslims – mainly women. These women wear the Hijab and the Niqab and with the latter repeating that they endure a higher frequency of threats and assaults and ongoing anti-Muslim hate incidents.

This is of particular concern to us given the social context of what is taking place in the United Kingdom. Far right rallies and demonstrations, incendiary language online through social media platforms and polarising political discourse may well be having impacts and effects at a street level on how British Muslims are being targeted.

Which is why reporting in anti-Muslim hate is so important. We within Tell MAMA provide the following services to victims of anti-Muslim hate; (i) casework support and advocacy for clients with police forces (ii) evidence collection where possible (iii) form filling and administration services for clients (iv) providing advice, information and signposting (v) support and help with attendance at court (vi) mental health counselling and emotional support. These services are provided in line with our organisational values and which are person centred and experiential based.

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Historical Context

➢ Between 2012-2024, over 51,000 British Muslims have utilised the services of Tell MAMA.
➢ Since 2012-2024, Tell MAMA has seen a 2,253% increase in street based anti-Muslim hate cases reported in.
➢ Significant, tangible and large increases in anti-Muslim hate cases reported to Tell MAMA between 2023-2024.

Key Findings – Between 2023 and 2024
Total Number of Cases Reported to Tell MAMA Between 2023-2024:

➢ Between 2023 and 2024, Tell MAMA received 10,719 cases out of which 9,604 were verified cases of anti-Muslim hate that were overwhelmingly reported in by British Muslims in the United Kingdom. (Note – the term ‘verified’ means that cases have been diligently checked and as being ‘anti-Muslim’ in nature and with supportive relevant evidence that confirms this finding).
➢ 2024 saw the highest number of anti-Muslim hate cases recorded by Tell MAMA in any year, since the founding of the project in 2011/2012. This amounted to 6,313 cases of anti-Muslim hate reported to Tell MAMA, a rise of 165% of verified cases reported in since 2022 and in just 2 years.
➢ Tell MAMA recorded a 120% increase in street based cases since 2022.
➢ Data shows an 103% increase in targeted anti-Muslim hate towards people who are visibly Muslim when comparing 2023 and 2024 data sources.
➢ There has been a large rise in the categorisation of ‘threatening behaviour’ in street based cases. This amounts to a 715% increase in such cases between 2023 and 2024.
➢ In summary, cases of anti-Muslim hatred are becoming more threatening towards victims, higher in volume and much more prone to significant peaks because of a higher frequency of national and international events.

The Online World

➢ Post October 7th 2023, Tell MAMA received the highest number of online anti-Muslim hate reports with a 1,619% increase, when compared to online cases received prior to October 7th. The Middle East conflict super-fuelled online anti-Muslim hate. (Verified online cases recorded in 2023 – 1,719)
➢ In 2024, Tell MAMA recorded 2,307 (verified) cases of online anti-Muslim hate that were reported in, the majority of which were reported in after the 29th of July 2024 and after the brutal murder of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguias.
➢ This demonstrates a 34% increase in online anti-Muslim hate cases reported to Tell MAMA when comparing 2023 and 2024. In both years, significant national and international events spiked online reports of anti-Muslim hate into Tell MAMA.
➢ To date, ‘X’ remains the most toxic online platform in the dissemination of anti-Muslim hate. The platform far outstrips any other social media platform in the volume, aggressive language and the targeted nature of anti-Muslim hate towards other users, which the Tell MAMA report highlights.
➢ Tell MAMA is deeply concerned about how Artificial Intelligence generated anti-Muslim pictures are being generated and circulated online and which have been reported in by British Muslims who have been targeted by them online. This phenomenon became marked and noticeable in cases in 2024.
➢ Tell MAMA continues to see an overlap between the online and offline (street-based) worlds. Tell MAMA continues to collate information that is reported in by British Muslims on how far right extremist groups continue to harass and target vulnerable refugees in temporary accommodation with anti-migrant and anti-Muslim hate.

2024 Key Findings on Anti-Muslim Rhetoric and the Targeting of British Muslim Members of Parliament

➢ Anti-Muslim tropes in both street based and online anti-Muslim hate cases reported in stress anti-Muslim tropes of a ‘take-over’ of Europe, demographic surges in ‘numbers of Muslims’ with an associated preconceived plan to Islamise the United Kingdom, and to ‘outbreed’ the local ‘indigenous’ population.
➢ There has been a stark rise in the intensification of language calling for the banning and removal of British Muslims from the political life of the United Kingdom.
➢ Tell MAMA has recorded disproportionate amounts of anti-Muslim hate targeted towards the following British politicians who happen to be Muslim and in the following order of frequency, with the most targeted politician listed first:

1. The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan,
2. The former Scottish First Minister – Humza Yousaf MSP,
3. Zara Sultana MP,
4. Apsana Begum MP,
5. Naz Shah MP

➢ Racist posts have also been reported into Tell MAMA that have targeted Diane Abbot MP, Suella Braverman MP and the former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP.

Commenting on these findings, the Director of Tell MAMA, Iman Atta OBE said:

“We have had the largest volume of cases reported to us in Tell MAMA in 2024 and since we started our work in 2012. As anti-Muslim hate continues to be felt by a greater number of British Muslims, both at a street and online level, our work and support for victims of anti-Muslim hate is needed now more than ever. We are at a nexus point where it is clear that anti-Muslim hate needs a coordinated action by His Majesty’s Government.”

“The rise in anti-Muslim hate is unacceptable, and this is deeply concerning for the future. We should never allow such hatred and intolerance to take root in our communities. We urge the public to stand together against hatred and extremism and we urge those in positions of influence and public authority to consider how their language risk stereotyping communities and how it unduly influence discussions online and offline”.

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Speaking to Tell MAMA, she described how she felt targeted due to her niqab and the added vulnerability she experienced as he blocked the path of her wheelchair before abusing them, and agreed for us to tell their story anonymously.

He stopped in the street, blocking their path, before flailing his arms and disparagingly shouting: “Allah, Allah, Allah!” at her and her children, who also wore Islamic clothing.

After the perpetrator left, she contacted the police, and soon Tell MAMA got in contact with her to offer support.

The anti-Muslim abuse occurred in early November and she described the perpetrator as a white male of an unspeficied age.

She told our Casework Team that this was the first example of anti-Muslim abuse she had reported, recognising its importance after someone told her ‘this is a hate crime, you need to report it’, believing previously that you had to ‘live with such abuse and accept it’.

Her children, she added will gain resilience from the experience, as she wants them to continue being proud of their Muslim identities.

“Everyone should be treated with respect, no matter what your identity is, and it’s no one else’s business,” she said.

Tell MAMA also sent them a self-assestment form for our free counselling service which sits within our existing support structures.

Over the years, we documented various examples of the disproportionate abuse, threats, violence and discrimination Muslim women who wear the face veil experience.

The Met Police investigation remains ongoing.

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. Alternatively, please leave us a WhatsApp message at 0734 184 6086.

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The 49-year-old filmed the bonfire, made siren noises, and said, “that’s what happens when you don’t pay the rent” before distributing the video over WhatsApp.

Bussetti received a 10-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, according to the Press Association.

He was previously found not guilty at a trial in 2019 before the High Court quashed that verdict, ordering a retrial.

The fire claimed the lives of 72 people – survivors and those who lost loved ones have provided powerful, devastating testimonies in the pursuit of accountability and justice.

The video of the bonfire, captured on an evening in November 2018, made headlines and wide condemnation – including from the then Prime Minister Theresa May and the former home secretary Sajid Javid, who said survivors of this immense injustice deserved to be treated with the “utmost respect”.

An impact statement read in court on behalf of the Grenfell Tower victims said: “The overall reaction of the Grenfell community was one of shock, horror and outrage.”

The video included anti-Muslim and Islamophobic language – where a Muslim woman in the effigy, depicted as wearing a niqab, was called a “ninja”. Tell MAMA has long-documented how such dehumanising language harms Muslim women.

Other comments from the footage included, “Who’s jumping?”; “Don’t worry, stay in your flats”; and “Jump out of the window”.

We have refrained from showing footage or stills of the bonfire in the story so as to not re-traumatise those impacted, and urge the media to be mindful of what footage they use when reporting on this verdict.

When news of the guilty verdict broke we tweeted, “We welcome this verdict – the content was grotesque, deeply distressing, and certainly not something to do let alone share.”

We welcome this verdict – the content was grotesque, deeply distressing, and certainly not something to do let alone share https://t.co/W77KlEc0R3

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) April 20, 2022

Bussetti, through his solicitor, spoke of their intent to ‘mock’ his friends privately, and not intended to cause offence.

Responding to the verdict, our Director Iman Atta said: “We welcome the verdict against Paul Bussetti today, in what’s been a long, painful journey for accountability in the justice system. We are proud to have provided the courts with our expert knowledge on the trends of anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia – given how dehumanising and racialised terms like “ninja” impact Muslim women on our streets and online – including in that abhorrent effigy of Grenfell Tower where the video Bussetti took himself and shared, included such hateful language.”

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The assault occurred on the morning of August 17 in Tooting, south London.

Wishing to maintain her anonymity, the woman consented to have her story told to raise awareness.

She described how upon leaving a Superdrug store, a grey-haired male, aged in his mid-to-late fifties and slim build, had approached her before dropping his lighter, adding that he had a flushed appearance.

The man remained silent, even after the Muslim woman said, ‘you just spat at me,’ and soon walked away.

She soon removed the abaya and was thankful for wearing layers, as a member of the offered to help her wash the garment at a nearby shop, assisting her further with hand washing.

Speaking of her restraint, she wanted to set a good example and refrained from responding with profanities and felt blessed that the saliva had not hit her face. Reflecting on past experiences of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic abuse, she described how two men had referred to her as ‘Batman’.

Tell MAMA continues to document the disproportionate targeting of Muslim women who wear the face veil.

In 2018, six per cent of Muslim women reporting to Tell MAMA wore the niqab or the face veil in combination with the abaya.

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.

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The incident occurred on August 15.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, a witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, described how the perpetrator also said: “you, Muslim, why are sitting next to me? Why are you wearing that?”

The witness also described how the abuse left the Muslim woman tearful, and that she was comforted by a white female passenger, who challenged the perpetrator who then left the train one stop later.

She described the perpetrator as being a black female in her mid-to-late sixties.

Tell MAMA has long documented the discrimination, abuse, threats, and violence Muslim women who wear the face veil experience.

In 2018, 13 per cent of verified reports to Tell MAMA occurred on public transport networks, and in the first six months of 2019, Tell MAMA verified 374 offline reports, with almost one in 10 reports occurring on public transport.

You can get free advice from our confidential 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.

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Speaking to Tell MAMA, the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the moment a group of 7 to 8 youths, all in helmets who stood next to their mopeds, threatened her as she returned to her car.

The incident took place on April 26.

The Metropolitan Police investigated the Islamophobic incident but then closed the case, citing a lack of evidence and witnesses.

Tell MAMA has continued to document the often-disproportionate abuse, discrimination and violence directed at Muslim women who wear the niqab, which is an affront to their fundamental right to freely practice their religious beliefs and wear religious clothing, regardless of how conservative some interpret it.

This abuse and acts of discriminatory behaviour have impacted Muslim women at open-days for schools or in their interactions with Transport for London (TfL) staff. One Muslim woman told Tell MAMA that a TfL driver said: “I can’t hear you, I don’t want to speak to you with that thing on your face”, after enquiring if her child could also board the bus despite losing their Oyster card.

Other recent examples include threats or abusive comments following the comments made by the former Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, last year.

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.

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Speaking to Tell MAMA, the Muslim woman, who wears the niqab, spoke of her shock at the employee’s Islamophobic statement and sought clarification. To which, the TfL employee added with a smirk: “You can carry them as long as you don’t bomb them up”. All three women were left upset that such comments had ruined a morning of personal celebrations.

The incident occurred hours after a neo-Nazi terrorist murdered 50 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15.

She described the employee as being female, black, but was unsure of their age when speaking with Tell MAMA.

Tell MAMA will raise this case further with Transport for London, and in writing, given the discriminatory and Islamophobic attitudes displayed. The woman has already submitted her complaint to TfL.

Tell MAMA has continued to document the often-disproportionate abuse, discrimination and violence directed at Muslim women who wear the niqab, which is an affront to their fundamental right to freely practice their religious beliefs and wear religious clothing, regardless of how conservative some interpret it.

Examples of discriminatory behaviour directed at women who wear the niqab have included being denied entry onto buses and told to remove their niqabs over ‘security concerns’ at school open days with their children. Disproportionality in the use of counter-terror policies impacts upon Muslims more broadly. Others have been subjected to abhorrent racist abuse and called ‘suicide bombers’.

Tell MAMA recorded a temporary rise in reports following Islamophobic comments made by the former Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, which included a Muslim woman being called ‘postbox’ as they walked to work.

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.

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Speaking to Tell MAMA, the Muslim woman, who agreed to remain anonymous, described her anger, and challenged the driver, accusing her of being a ‘racist’, adding that she can indeed speak English. When she asked the driver to repeat her discriminatory statement, but she refused.

She recalled how the driver had attempted to shut the doors of the bus on her, and then refused to provide her with any details.

The woman, however, was able to note down the vehicle registration and time of the incident.

The bus driver, described as being in her 40s, spoke with a European accent.

Tell MAMA will be writing to Transport for London (TfL) on her behalf.

Reports of discrimination to Tell MAMA has risen by 111.76% in just two years, with 34 verified reports of discrimination in 2015, compared to 72 reports in 2017. In the interim reporting period of 2018, Tell MAMA verified 40 reports of discrimination.

Tell MAMA has continued to document the abuse, discrimination, and attacks Muslim women, who wear the niqab experience.

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.

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During a phone-in interview on LBC, on January 14, Ghassam, from Lewisham described the moment his niece, who is now sixteen, and wears the niqab, was assaulted on a bus when a man attempted to remove her face veil, and then strangled her mother when she tried to intervene.

Mr Ferrari then asked the former Foreign Secretary: “Do you agree that you brought about an unfortunate rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric?” to which, Boris Johnson replied: “I don’t, and I would be appalled if that were the case.”

Mr Johnson was asked if Ghassam’s niece was either a letterbox or a bank robber, to which, in some confusion, he replied that she was neither, because of her niqab, such a statement again demonstrates how the niqab and burqa, whilst distinct in the practice of veiling, are often seen as interchangeable forms of clothing.

The former Foreign Secretary, expressed, in no uncertain terms, that he disagreed with the notion that politicians should ‘watch their words’, having banged his hand on the desk to emphasise the point. He did, however, admit that he would seek to avoid offence if ‘possible’.

During the exchange, Mr Johnson added that ‘many’ Muslim women had expressed for his Telegraph column, published on August 5, 2018. At Tell MAMA, we saw a temporary spike in reports following its publication.

The Times newspaper highlighted, how, our service saw 21 reports, of which, 14 women wore the hijab, and seven wore the niqab, compared to five reports in the previous week.

On August 9, 2018, we published an article headlined, “Pensioners loudly echo Boris Johnson’s niqab comments in doctor’s surgery”. Days later, on August 15, we highlighted the Islamophobic abuse directed towards two Muslim women in the Exeter area. The two women, who are sisters, were shouted at and called ‘letterbox’ days apart, despite both women wearing the hijab. A Muslim woman, who wears the niqab, was called a ‘post box’ by construction workers, on August 22.

The threats against a Muslim woman last May, who wears the niqab, was fearful that Johnson’s comments would embolden some to make similar threats again.

Given the disproportionate and intersectional impact, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred have on Muslim women, the need for politicians and media outlets to consider how inflammatory coverage and rhetoric can have a negative impact on political discourse is a concern we have continued raise, notably in our annual report for 2017.

An independent panel later cleared Boris Johnson of breaching the Conservative Party code of conduct last month, despite calls from the party hierarchy to apologise, which included the chairman Brandon Lewis and PM Theresa May.

Even before Mr Johnson’s comments, we called on the Conservative Party to hold an inquiry into Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in June 2018, a position we made clear following the London Mayoral Election in 2016.

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The sign, which reads, “All hoodies, burkas and motorcycle helmets must be removed before entering the shop”, was spotted in the North Warwickshire area last week.

The witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, informed Tell MAMA that the sign had been there for ‘several weeks’ but no complaints, to their knowledge, have been lodged.

This sign may contravene the Equality Act 2010, which stipulates that indirect forms of discrimination, which concern the actions of a service provider, who, in applying a rule for all its customers disadvantages people because of their identity (protected characteristic), according to the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Harassment, be it in written or verbal forms, targeted at a protected characteristic of an individual or group, would also be unlawful if covered by the Equality Act, including when receiving goods or services, per the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

There are, however, exceptions in the law, if there are genuine, proportional, necessary, and legitimate reasons behind the discrimination.

Tell MAMA has observed a rise in reports of discrimination since 2015, with an increase by 111.76% in just two years, with 34 verified reports of discrimination in 2015, compared to 72 reports in 2017, with 40 verified reports of discrimination in the first six months of 2018.

In partnership with the GMB trade union, Tell MAMA has produced an anti-discrimination toolkit to address discriminatory behaviours and practices in the workplace.

Examples of such discriminatory actions include school staff informing two Muslim women, wear the niqab, to remove their niqabs when attending school open days with their children for ‘security reasons’. A clear example of how ‘othering’ can result in viewing Muslims through the lens of ‘securitisation’.

The burqa, often confused with the niqab, due in part to a reliance on stock imagery in the parts of the media, is worn by small minorities of Muslim women in parts of Europe, but legislation in several countries, including France and the Netherlands has placed restrictions on wearing such clothing in public. The United Nations Human Rights Committee found that France had violated the human rights of two Muslim by fining them for wearing the niqab in public in October. We believe in the fundamental right to practise religious beliefs, suffice that they are not actively harmful to others, free from bigotry, hatred, or violence. This freedom extends to the right to wear religious clothing, the right to speak openly about your beliefs or to partake in religious worship.

Tell MAMA saw a sharp and temporary spike in reports from Muslim women, who wear either the hijab or niqab, following the comments from the former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson concerning the niqab. In one example, a Muslim woman, who wears the niqab, was called a ‘postbox’, as another Muslim woman was told she should ‘be shot’ because of her niqab.

You can get advice through 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.

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The incident occurred in the Lancashire area on October 10, Tell MAMA has declined to reveal the precise location of the incident to protect their identity.

One of the men called her a “f*cking terrorist” as she began to climb a stairway into the car park.

The gendered nature of the abuse, coupled with their physical prowess – with each man standing at around 6ft, compared to her smaller stature – at around 5ft, only added to her sense of fear and intimidation which resulted in an increased walking pace.

Before reaching the safety of her vehicle, however, one of the men shouted, “f*cking P*ki b*stard” at her.

The woman, who wears the niqab, is a white convert, and such abuse demonstrates how racialisation is less about the biology of race and more to do with a ‘radical’ form of othering, which, can go beyond hate crime and verbal abuse, and into acts of discrimination that curtail the fundamental rights of Muslims in the UK. For example, in 2017, Tell MAMA documented two cases where Muslim women who wear the niqab were told to remove their face veils when attending school open days with their children as staff cited ‘security reasons’. A clear example of how othering can result in viewing Muslims through the lens of ‘securitisation’.

It’s also a further example of how racialised abuse directed at Muslim women often relates to their outward Islamic identity and reinforces what academics have argued: that some perpetrators make no distinction between Muslims and their faith.

Tell MAMA has continued to document the often–disproportionate abuse, harassment, and violence Muslim women face for wearing the niqab.

The woman has not reported the incident to Lancashire Police but wanted to report to Tell MAMA in confidence, adding, that since wearing the niqab, has experienced more abuse and harassment: including being sworn at when in supermarkets; such is the everyday ‘low-level’ nature of abuse.

She described the perpetrators as being white males in their late thirties.

A rising number of reports to Tell MAMA – of threatening behaviour, abuse, violence, and discrimination has prompted the release of an interim report, covering the first six months of 2018, further demonstrates the gendered and intersectional nature of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.

You can get advice through 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.

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The abuse began when the man disparaged her appearance, shouting “does your breath stink that much that you have to cover it?” as she passed him.

Ignoring the personal abuse, he continued in a more threatening tone, again, shouting: “I fought in the war for this country, go back or I’ll lynch you” multiple times.

When she turned to photograph the man he had raised his middle finger at her.

She shared the photograph with Tell MAMA after contacting our service for support, and, after giving her consent, agreed to let us contact the police on her behalf.

The incident occurred on September 13 at around 15:42 GMT.

Tell MAMA continues to document the often disproportionate abuse, discrimination, and threats directed at Muslim women who wear the niqab. We saw a large uptake in reports following Boris Johnson’s comments about the niqab last month, with over 20 reports from Muslim women since Mr Johnson’s column appeared online, compared with five reports in the previous week.

In 2017, 62 per cent of Muslim women reporting to Tell MAMA were wearing Islamic clothing when anti-Muslim and Islamophobic incidents took place, and, of that figure, almost one in ten had worn a niqab.

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.

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The men continued to make disparaging remarks about her niqab and abaya, asking her if they were ‘expecting a delivery’.

The incident occurred on August 22.

Tell MAMA reported the Islamophobic incident on her behalf to the Metropolitan Police.

Following Boris Johnson’s now infamous ‘letterbox’ comments earlier this month, we saw a temporary increase in reports to our service, including examples where Muslim women had been called ‘letterboxes’ irrespective of their choice of Islamic veil or clothing, demonstrating how racialised abuse often targets Muslims in public spaces.

A petition demanding an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in British political parties has gained almost 40,000 signatures in just four days.

“There is a real need to challenge anti-Muslim hate or Islamophobia and this is borne out by statements made by politicians at a local and national level.”

-Iman Atta OBE, director of Tell MAMA

Read the statement in full https://t.co/737T00Ub9W

— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) August 22, 2018

After speaking with Tell MAMA, the woman added that she intends to make a complaint to their employer.

She described the men as being white, in their early twenties, who spoke with local accents.

Over half of all offline incidents reported to Tell MAMA in 2017 involved abusive behaviour. The gendered element of Islamophobia continued to be a trend in this report, as a clear majority of perpetrators where white males (where data was available).

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.

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The incident took place on May 15.

She was returning home from work but found herself stuck in traffic, given the proximity of her home, she decided to attach her niqab, which she would otherwise not wear when at work.

It was during this traffic stop that a man approached her vehicle, noting her open window, and said to her: “My gosh look at you, you’re white too. Someone should get a gun and shoot you,” as he made a gun gesture with one hand, the other hand contained a can of open alcohol.

He then gestured to a man, who the woman believed to be a friend, to stand with him. The man continued to insult the Muslim woman, as she remained frozen in fear.

The man again suggested that she should be ‘shot’ and told her to “go back to your own country”.

Alone, feeling trapped, and unsure what else to do, she waited until the men left.

Despite the assumption that she was white, he racialised her religious identity with xenophobic language regardless.

Tell MAMA continues to document, how Muslim women experience racialised abuse because of their Islamic veils, including examples of white converts being called ‘p*kis’. Often, as academics like Dr Chris Allen have argued, the hijab can become a become a universal symbol of ‘Muslimness’.

The abuse has now made her fearful of being outside alone without her husband, adding that racism was already problem in her part of the West Midlands.

She described the perpetrator as white, male, and in his forties.

Her anxieties and fears of a future attack, of being outside without husband, have only intensified since Johnson’s comments.

Police had investigated the incident but were unable to locate the man responsible due to CCTV issues.

Tell MAMA saw a large uptake in reports following Johnson’s comments, with over 20 reports compared to 5 in the previous week.

Examples of abuse, including cases where women were called ‘letterboxes’, irrespective of their religious clothing, were published on our website this week.

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.

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The incident occurred on August 8 and comes days after the former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, had said that Muslim women wearing burqas and niqabs “look like letterboxes” and compared them to “bank robbers” in a Telegraph article published over the weekend.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, the woman, who wears the hijab, described how the two pensioners, a mother and daughter, knew that she was sat behind them, and how they chose to raise their voices, so she would hear the remarks, in a room where she was the only Muslim woman in Islamic clothing present.

The BBC News interview, broadcast on a television in the waiting area, featured a Muslim woman in a niqab. When the BBC journalist referenced Johnson’s remarks, the younger pensioner, described as being in her 70s, turned to her mother and said,  “she does look like a letterbox though” and both women began to chuckle.

Her mother responded to her daughter’s remarks by adding, “I can’t even understand what she’s saying coz her face is covered.”

The abusive comments were left unchallenged despite others hearing them.

The women were described as white and in their 70s and 90s.

In 2017, 62 per cent of Muslim women reporting to Tell MAMA were wearing Islamic clothing when anti-Muslim and Islamophobic incidents occurred. Of that figure (353 women), almost one in ten had worn the niqab.

As with previous annual reports, we have warned that politicians and media outlets must consider their choice of language around high-profile events, as associated media coverage often stimulates public discourse on issues such as terrorism, religious expression, and immigration, which can legitimise racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic prejudice.

Individuals with underlying prejudice, therefore, may feel emboldened to target those they feel to be deserving of abuse to defend the status of the dominant ‘in-group’, when forms of rhetoric are normalised, and the unacceptable becomes acceptable.

Boris Johnson now faces a possible investigation into breaches of the Conservative Party code of conduct.

Fifteen senior Conservative Party figures have demanded an apology from the former foreign secretary.

Tell MAMA has continued to document the abuse, discrimination, and sometimes violence directed at Muslim women who wear the niqab.

Discrimination: In our 2017 report, we highlighted how two Muslim women, who both wear the niqab, were told to leave school open days with their children due to ‘security concerns’.

Read our full report https://t.co/7pbLbkiw3T pic.twitter.com/hEO9DR91g2

— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) August 8, 2018

Last June, the ethnonationalist and ethnopluralist far-right group, Generation Identity, carried out a ‘ban the burqa’ protest in England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

Nor is this dehumanising rhetoric new. Back in 2015, an Islamophobic mural which appeared in London read, “Muslim women, postbox. The only difference is the colour.”

The far-right have long deployed the burqa and niqab in hateful online memes. One such meme, posted by the far-right group Britain First, was later shared by an Australian senator in September 2014.

France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia, the Netherlands and the German region of Bavaria have all implemented restrictions on wearing full-face coverings in public in recent years.

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.

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The group covered statues of women with makeshift niqabs in London, Manchester, Bath, Folkestone, Canterbury, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Dublin. Signs which read ‘Is this the future you want?’ were placed on each statue.

Local Muslims condemned the stunt in Belfast, with Naomi Green of the Belfast Islamic Centre arguing that the ‘dangerous stunt’ was proof of their ‘paranoid nonsense’ about Muslims and Islam. She added that the group sought to cause division where none had existed before.

Deprived of a voice on Facebook, Generation Identity continues to use Twitter without much censure, a tweet about its latest stunt gained hundreds of retweets and ‘likes’.

Credit: @GID_UKIRE

The platform has been slow to respond to criticism and has, in recent months, suspended the accounts of more high-profile users from the far-right.

Facebook confirmed to the i newspaper that it had permanently banned the group, citing its policy on extremist content but Twitter has not taken a similar stance despite the fact that the @GID_England account tweeted last year, “Islam rears it’s ugly head in Barcelona, many innocents injured or dead. Reconquista now more important than ever. #BarcelonaTerrorAttack.”

The Reconquista (reconquest) reflects a dark period of Spanish history, where the crown sought to violently expand its empire by reclaiming parts of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim hands. This conflict gained religious papacy in the eleventh and twelfth centuries and morphed into a crusade against Islam. As the historian, Joseph Callaghan argues, there was a continuation of ‘territorial aggrandisement’ throughout twelfth-century Spain. Others point out how the ideology of the reconquest united the Iberian Christians against a fragmented Muslim leadership.

The forced expulsion of Jews by the Spanish crown in 1492 was repeated centuries later with the expulsion of 300,000 Moriscos – Muslims who had nominally converted to Christianity after the surrender of Granada in 1492, after more than a century of discrimination and marginalisation which included the banning of the Arabic script by royal decree in 1508. For Dr Elizabeth Drayson, at the University of Cambridge, the completion of the Reconquista had “ended seven centuries in which Christians, Jews and Muslims had, for the most part, lived peacefully and profitably together.”

Some have also questioned the historiography which surrounds the reconquest in Spain. But the radical and far-right are often guilty of creating their own historiography in an effort to reshape public memory by placing certain events in a modern and misleading narrative about Islam and Europe. So, it should come as no surprise that Generation Identity sought to link this historical event and anti-Muslim violence and discrimination to the modern era.

Generation Identity’s use of food banks and stunts aim to occupy a space in a far-right scene where the likes of Tommy Robinson and the leadership of Britain First are in prison. The proscription of National Action (and its affiliates) along with the jailing of its key members for criminal offences has also created a vacuum for neo-Nazi groups like the System Resistance Network to occupy. Ukip, meanwhile, has accepted the membership of individuals linked to the so-called ‘alt-right’ and ‘alt-light’, a marked shift from the outwardly Islamophobic posturing of the party under the leadership of controversial MEP Gerard Batten, who continues to argue that Islam is a ‘death cult’. Some are concerned that the far-right will seek to re-organise around the ‘Free Tommy’ movement

Generation Identity in the UK and Ireland has a small base benefits from slick social media and ease of media coverage about its activities. Others have been critical about the coverage of Generation Identity in the Sunday Times last month, with the print edition wrongly using the headline, ‘Heil Hipsters’.

The Home Office has denied entry to four activists from Generation Identity. One member, however, who remains banned from entering the UK, Tore Rasmussen, has now found a base in Dublin, Ireland, according to a report in the Times. On June 12, Rasmussen tweeted, “You can’t make this sh*t up; Inbreeding is now the number one killer of Pakistanis in London.” He used the hashtag ‘#CulturalEnrichment’ to attack multiculturalism. This ironic use of the hashtag is popular among the broader far-right online to chastise multiculturalism and demean marginalised groups as inherently violent or culturally menacing.

An online petition, made by the Generation Identity, makes the racialised and offensive claim, “Eventually, you would be able to mistake some places In the UK for areas of Saudi Arabia or Iran.”

The ideology of Generation Identity is rooted in ethnopluralism. In short, this old idea rejects multiculturalism and instead favours segregation along ethnic and cultural lines through geographic distance, in the belief that mixing of groups will result in cultural extinction – hence their obsession with the ‘great replacement’. This belief is grounded in the construction of various threats to their group identity, which is reliant upon not just the ‘othering’ of Muslims and refugees, but in its rejection of political elites and institutions like the European Union, believing that such entities hinder their ethnopluralist aspirations.

A key aim of ethnopluralism, as argued by other academics, is one of expulsion, which may explain their obsession with a racialised framing of demographics under the hashtag ‘#StopTheGreatReplacement’. Others argue that ideas around ‘ethno-identity’ are replacing traditional concepts of nationalism.

Again, activists claim the group is not opposed to individual Muslims, citing that it remains hostile to the nebulous concept of ‘Islamification’ or ‘Islamisation’. But again, other activists shatter this claim, with some using social media to blame Muslims for child sexual exploitation.

The concerning restrictions on religious freedoms when it concerns the niqab or burqa have expanded to other parts of Europe in recent months. Denmark, Norway, and now the Netherlands now have some form of public ban.

This provocative series of stunts from Generation Identity aims to reframe an ongoing debate, a debate the current government has always rejected, with Theresa May, who said last year: “what a woman wears is a woman’s choice”. And to boost its media profile despite its small base of support. The nature of the co-ordination, however, in this latest series of stunts is concerning.

The post Far-right group targets famous statues in ‘ban the burqa’ protest appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The Muslim woman, who wears the niqab (face veil), was told that she looked ‘ridiculous’ and ‘stupid’ in an abusive rant which included the statement ‘your religion is stupid, no wonder you people are killing each other’.

She challenged the abusive comments, however, and told the pensioner: “Excuse me, don’t speak to me like that in front of my child, it’s not acceptable.”

To prove a point, she even removed part of her face veil to show the pensioner that it was just fabric, but the pensioner moved her face away.

A member of public then walked through the aisle and gestured to the Muslim woman in a small show of support.

Tell MAMA reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police on her behalf after speaking with her days later. She added that she felt more vulnerable as she was alone with her young child when the incident occurred.

Almost one in five cases reported to Tell MAMA in 2016 identified a female perpetrator but the overwhelming majority of perpetrators (where identified) were male (66 per cent).

You can get advice through 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.

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[This post contains video, click to play]

“You should not allow your wife to go around like that”, says the female to a Muslim couple shopping at Aldi supermarket. A Muslim couple simply doing the mundane things in life are subjected to an intolerant tirade of abuse.

The incident is alleged to have happened on the 31st of July in the Feltham area and the female can also be heard to say the following:

“You know the Quran, and you are supposed to be a peaceful loving person”.

This as she points to the people that she has been abusing. She is then heard to say:

“You should not be going around like that, you look like a pillar box.”

The rant continues as she suggests that the Niqabi wearing woman’s dress sense is “disgusting”, all the while making a scene of her abusive actions. The only thing “disgusting” thing is the scene that she is making in front of members of the public.

Sadly, we know that women who wear the Niqab are targeted on numerous occassions in their lives for such intolerance and bigotry. The only thing in this instance, is that the victim’s husband caught it on camera.

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Citing integration and security risks, his focus on the niqab is a cheap ploy to play on the fears of some within communities, as an easy way to win votes.

The reality is that the number of women who wear the niqab in the United Kingdom is unknown and may well be very small. Yet, at a time when the nation needs to heal divides, such policy making is unwelcome and highly divisive. Furthermore, in the end, is it the place of the State or Government or political parties, to judge what a woman can and can’t wear? The answer to that is simply, no.

Our data and our information has also shown time and time again, women who wear the niqab or the face veil, suffer more aggressive anti-Muslim hate incidents and more incidents. Surely, now is the time to stop focussing on these women and try and ensure that we bring people and communities together, rather than building up grievances?

We believe that now is the time to steer away from the politics of what women wear and focus on the policies and principles that can provide opportunities to communities. In the end, what someone wears is their choice. If through their choice, they self-limit their futures then that is something that they have decided for themselves. Ensuring that there are employment opportunities, housing and access to goods and services are where the real policy battles are to be had. Let us stick to those areas which require focus and attention.

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There are clear indicators of support for a burqa ban: by age, political affiliation, and those who voted to ‘Leave’ in the EU referendum. The same is true for a similar YouGov poll in August 2016. A majority (70 per cent) of the latter in the December 2016 poll, for example, want a legal ban. Among Ukip supporters, 74 per cent favour the ban, as did 61 per cent of Conservative voters. Around half of Labour and Lib Dem voters opposed a ban. But sizeable minorities in both parties favour a ban.

Those of pension age (65+) were overwhelmingly in favour of a ban (72 per cent). In comparison to the 36 per cent of 18-24 year olds who back such a ban.

In August 2016, YouGov posed the question: “To what extent would you support or oppose a law that bans people from wearing the burka in the UK?” Support for a ban from Leave voters stood at 78 per cent.

Support among Conservative voters remains broadly the same in both polls (66 per cent in August 2016 and 61 per cent in December 2016). Once again, Ukip voters remain the most in favour of a ban.

This intensity from Ukip voters appears in earlier polls. In September 2013, YouGov asked: “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The burkha should be banned in Britain,” of which, 93 per cent of Ukip voters agreed. A clear majority of Ukip voters favoured a burqa ban in universities, schools, courtrooms (as defendant or witness), and for security checks at airports. The 2013 data found near unanimous cross-party support for a ban when it concerns security and criminal justice.

In the 2011 data, however, Ukip voters were not represented. But YouGov’s data found that more than half of Conservative (77 per cent), Labour (60 per cent) and Lib Dem (55 per cent) voters favoured a burqa ban. Older generations were also most likely to favour a ban (71 per cent).

The data sets show a consistent reservoir of support in favour of a ban. This support, be it sizeable minorities or sizeable majorities of voters do cross party lines. Yet, there’s also the role of current affairs in shaping public opinion. This may prove negligible, but we should keep in mind that the 2011 poll came off the back of the public niqab and burqa ban in France.

In 2013, the field data was carried out on September 16 and September 17. The first date is important. On September 16, Judge Peter Murphy ruled that a Muslim woman can stand trial wearing a niqab but must remove it to give evidence. A month earlier, the woman was asked to remove her niqab by the judge. She was eventually jailed for witness intimidation in March 2014. Another political debate was brewing during this period. The one-time Home Office Minister Jeremy Browne calls for a public debate on banning certain Muslim veils in public institutions drew a response from Downing Street. A spokesman for former Prime Minister David Cameron made clear that: “The Prime Minister doesn’t believe Parliament should legislate on what people do and don’t wear on their local high street.”

In July 2013, Philip Hollobone MP put forth a Private Members’ Bill on face veils. It would, however, fail to make its passage through parliament before the end of the session.

The fieldwork for the August 2016 poll took place towards the end of the month. On August 8, 2016, Lisa Duffy, a prospective Ukip leadership candidate, called for a public ban on the face veil. This story appeared in all major media outlets. The Independent version of the story received two thousand shares. Readers of MailOnline shared the story 797 times.

Now, it’s possible that the Independent story shares were not from individuals favouring a ban, but it demonstrates how easily such stories on this topic permeate discussions. In a broader sense, some stories about the burqa lose perspective. In September 2016, for example, Leicestershire Police made the rare decision to express their ‘disappointment’ at press coverage regarding their uniform policy, which at no point had taken a position on the burqa.

On December 6, 2016, German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed a public ban on the burqa in schools, courts and state buildings. This is not a policy the Prime Minister Theresa May seeks to pursue. A Downing Street spokesman told the Daily Express: “It is not something that’s being considered in this country.” Theresa May ruled out a burqa ban in 2011 when Home Secretary. The Express story went viral in the weeks before YouGov carried out their polling fieldwork.

Not all European states have issued a sweeping ban. In Barcelona, for example, there have been restrictions on face veils in libraries and some public institutions since 2010. In the Netherlands, MPs backed a ban in public places such as schools and hospitals, and on public transport. In Belgium, however, as with France, has seen a ban since 2011.

The post Why a ‘burqa ban’ remains popular in Britain appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Three Mediterranean towns – Cannes, Villeneuve-Loubet and Sisco on the island of Corsica – have banned the burkini, and Le Touquet on the Atlantic coast is planning to do the same.

The mainly conservative mayors who have imposed the ban say the garment, which leaves only the face, hands and feet exposed, defies French laws on secularism.

The burkini debate is particularly sensitive in France given deadly attacks by Islamist militants, including bombings and shootings in Paris which killed 130 people last November, which have raised tensions between communities and made people wary of public places.

The socialist government’s minister for women’s rights, Laurence Rossignol, said municipal bans on the burkini should not be seen in the context of terrorism but she supported the bans.

“The burkini is not some new line of swimwear, it is the beach version of the burqa and it has the same logic: hide women’s bodies in order to better control them,” Rossignol told French daily Le Parisien in an interview.

France, which has the largest Muslim minority in Europe, estimated at 5 million, in 2010 introduced a ban on full-face niqab and burqa veils in public.

Rossignol said the burkini had sparked tensions on French beaches because of its political dimension.

“It is not just the business of those women who wear it, because it is the symbol of a political project that is hostile to diversity and women’s emancipation,” she said.

On Saturday, a brawl broke out between Muslim families and a group of young Corsicans in Sisco after a tourist took pictures of women bathing in burkini. The mayor banned burkinis on Monday.

Apart from the Paris attacks, a Tunisian deliberately drove a truck into crowds in Nice on July 14, killing 85 people, and a Roman Catholic priest priest had his throat cut in church by two French Muslims.

The string of attacks have made many people jumpy. On Sunday, 41 people were injured in a stampede in the Riviera town of Juan-les-Pins when holiday makers mistook the sound of firecrackers for gunfire.

Villeneuve-Loubet mayor Lionnel Luca, member of the hardline Droite Populaire faction of the conservative Les Republicains party, said the burkini was an ideological provocation.

“Since the Nice attack, the population is particularly sensitive,” he told Le Parisien.

He said the burkini raised hygiene issues and could make rescue at sea more difficult.

The Collective against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) on Tuesday filed a complaint against the bans with the Conseil d’Etat, France’s highest administrative court, which is expected to hand down a ruling in the coming days.

A CCIF spokesman said the bans restricted fundamental liberties and discriminated against Muslim women.

“This summer we are witnessing a hysterical political islamophobia that pits citizens against one another,” he said.

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Natalie said that the man stopped short of assaulting her in front of her two children and he said that someone “should rip that thing off our face.” He also said that Natalie, (who was born in the UK and whose family is English), should, “leave our country and go home.” All of these comments were heard by the young children who were crying as they saw their mother being abused.

The abuse continued with no respite as the perpetrator stated that Natalie was a “foreign bastard“, “looked like Hitler“,  and that she “was good at breeding.”

Natalie said nothing, fearing for her safety and did not move until he gave up and she ignored him until his bus arrived. She waited for another bus and by that time other people had arrived.

After the perpetrator had gone, Natalie’s 3-year-old asked her why he was so mean. She talked a little with her son and he started praying for the man by saying ‘Allah’ a few times in a child ‘sing-song’ manner and Natalie noticed that a woman at the bus stop started to back away on hearing her child and with a look of fear on her face.

Natalie’s words also express the impacts on families and on children who see their mother humiliated and targeted in front of them. These are her words and her story of the daily ritual of humiliation and abuse she receives.

“When we got off our bus and into Leeds bus station, another woman passed us and as she did so, she looked me in the eye and called me stupid with much scorn in her face. My lad was very confused by this. He tried asking me questions and talking about it, but he is 3 years old, he’s expressive skills are a little lacking.

On our final bus home, he had a huge tantrum. The likes of which he’s never had before, with screaming and crying and kicking and trying to bite me. After he calmed down he said sorry and that he didn’t know why he’d done that and he was scared of getting into trouble. He’s a good boy, Mashallah, and I understood that he’s built up emotions from the days dramas had exploded out of him in that instance. I then showed him that not all people are mean, as he apologised to the people on the bus, they were all smiling at him and thankful for his apologies, one even praised me on my parenting, which worked some way towards relaxing him. He didn’t sleep well that night, but he’s fine now.

I’m reporting this, not for attention or to cause trouble, but in the hopes that by making a report, it might go some small way towards improving the standards of education in the Yorkshire area (and the whole of the UK insha’Allah). I do not dislike these people who have upset my son, rather I feel for them as their education in their youth has likely not worked to help their understanding of diversity. Even these days, diversity studies are normally focused on the younger generations. Heck, even my education in secondary school of Islam was bias (and I’m 27), so I can fully understand some people’s prejudices.

I am used to people giving me abuse because of my faith and how I dress, even my colour to some extent, (I’m white British), but my children don’t deserve that. It’s left me feeling unsure about taking them out again. We’ll certainly not be going far from home anytime soon.

I hope that by sharing experiences, good might occur. Insha’Allah.”

The post The Story of Natalie and How Muslim Women Are Targeted for Hatred appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We have received this leaflet from a member of the public showing how fear is whipped up and manipulated to divide communities. The leaflet was sent out with no public policy stance but to promote the view that supporting the BNP would effectively mean that they would discriminate against Muslims. In this instance, the Muslims caricatured are ones covered by a Niqab and shown to be swearing. Hardly, the Muslims who are law abiding citizens that we come across on a daily basis and the Niqab is once again shown to be something that is to be scared off in the leaflet.

We have highlighted time and time again that women who wear the Niqab suffer more anti-Muslim hate incidents and more aggressive incidents. They are sadly, targeted on many occasions and such material further adds to them being seen as being ‘problematic’ or the ‘other’. The BNP know full well that this material cannot be prosecuted, yet, we as communities can send out a powerful message that such campaigning material is unacceptable.

If you come across such material from groups like the BNP, please ensure that you send it into us. We will be logging and reviewing this material as we receive it.

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We have said before that anti-Muslim bigotry crosses race and religions. In this instance, the perpetrator is a black male and can be seen in the video. We have also listed the comments of Umm Aqsa underneath the video to highlight her thoughts, but we must also add that she subsequently has received lots of positive messages from the public supporting her and this needs to be highlighted. When we highlight such issues, it is important to remember that there are lots of people who reject such bigotry and lots who believe that Muslims are fellow citizens. This is always important to remember.

Comments from the Facebook Page of Umm Aqsa

I can not believe what I had to endure today. Honestly couldn’t believe it. Thank you to the uncle and brother who came in and had a go at the man.

I was minding my own business so I had to pop into the shop down in Shepherds Bush to grab something. As I entered, this guy who I’ve seen around the area decided to call me ‘ batman’ he even sang the theme tune to his little girls and told them to guess if I’m a man or a women. He told his girls that people like me don’t speak English etc.
I tried to hold it all in but I couldn’t after everything he was saying. I told him he is ignorant and that his kids will be ignorant also if he doesn’t change his way and attitude . He kept going on so i decided to record him and he was aware of this. How ironic he called me ISIS
Please keep in mind his daughters are scared and crying! !

The post Video Shows the Bigotry That Women Who Wear The NIqab Have to Face appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Muslim women who were at the stand outside the Strand campus were there to try and break down misconceptions about Islam and to respond to questions members of the public may have around Islam and Muslims.  They were approached by two men who disrupted the stall and the activities of the women, leading to an assault on a Muslim woman, where her niqab was pulled.

We have spoken to a witness on the Strand Campus of King’s College London and Roar News also reported that two men have been arrested for “using racially aggravated threatening words and behaviour.”

The incident has caused some anger with Muslim students who approached us at Tell MAMA and who stated that the security on campus did not intervene when the hate incident was taking place and that in their view, the inaction emboldened the perpetrators. According to witness, a handful of students had to intervene to stop the anger and abuse against Muslim women that was targeted by two males who approached the stand. Furthermore, Roar News also has highlighted the following comment from a student called Fatima Ali:

“security only called the police when the animal rights activists said the men were being aggressive but not when someone complained about a Muslim woman’s niqab being pulled down”.

The student news site also highlighted the following statement that King’s put out earlier on Friday evening. They stated:

“two security managers and a senior member of staff arrived on the scene and positioned themselves between both parties and attempted to defuse the situation. The two men were asked to leave the area but they refused. The police were called by security at 1.10pm and arrived at 1.50pm.”

Tell MAMA will be writing to King’s College London on this incident to provide further re-assurance to Muslim students on campus and to provide guidance to students both on and off campus around personal safety and security. Given the rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents over the last few years and a more visible set of anti-Muslim hate incidents nationally, it is imperative that university campuses work with ISoc’s or other agencies in ensuring that students get basic advice and support to reduce the risk of being targeted.

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In light of this, very rarely do women who wear the veil have the chance to speak about the impacts of people’s prejudices against them. How many newspaper reports, when reporting on political developments about the Niqab, have then interviewed women who choose to wear the veil. Very few have and in fact, we can’t recollect seeing a Niqab wearer being approached by news outlets when discussing the topic recently.

We want to highlight the other side of the coin – the fact that women who wear the Niqab are subject to prejudice, aggression and open hatred at points. It is also important to note that over the last 4 years of work within Tell MAMA, it is clear that women who wear the Niqab suffer more incidents of anti-Muslim hatred and more aggressive incidents of anti-Muslim hatred, including assault.

These are the words of a Muslim woman who wears the Niqab and who recounted her experiences for us.

“I’m worried about the day my very young daughter suddenly tunes into the daily abuse, realises it’s her mother that these respectable-looking strangers – maybe parents of her schoolfriends during pick-up or drop-off, maybe the people behind us in the supermarket queue – are talking about / to.

“And what do I tell her? I’ve brought her up to believe people of all faiths are equally worthy of respect; the majority of her schoolfriends are Hindu or Christian. How can I explain to her that these people hate me because of the visible clues to my faith – particularly my outfit? Me, who taught my little girl that she should never care what other people thought about her appearance, to be proud of her mixed-race looks and unique dress sense.

“What if she’s ashamed to be seen with her mother? What if she’s angry with these strangers for hating on her mother, starts believing non-Muslims are abusive bad people who hate Muslims? What if she develops a fear of white strangers instead of her beautiful trademark confidence and friendliness? What if she’s present when the trolley-shoving, the jostling, the swearing, escalates into a more vicious kind of physical violence? There’s only so much verbal abuse and sly jostling/ shoving I can take passively before I turn round and tell them to have some manners.

“I’ve had women my mum’s age making explosion sounds at me and calling me ISIS, men my age telling me I’m disgusting, women younger than me telling me to f*** off back to Saudi. I’ve been called terrorist, dirty scum, f***** freak, Islamic whore, brown c********, Arab f****, Jihadi b*****…… All in front of my 7-year-old daughter. I had a trolley rammed into my belly when I was pregnant; it was after a bunch of skinheads made knife gestures at me that I stopped going out by myself until I gave birth and no longer felt like a walking target as a pregnant niqabi. I’m pretty confident that I could defend myself but I couldn’t risk the life of my unborn baby.

“If I’m out with my husband I get dirty looks and hissed insults at most; people only become audibly abusive or openly confrontational when I’m out without my husband – unfortunately the presence of my little girl doesn’t seem to silence them in the same way.”

The post With the Niqab Being a Political Football, Let’s Listen to the Voice of One Who Wears It appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The witness to the assault was on the 333 bus from Tooting and she was travelling towards Elephant and Castle when a white male aged between 50-60 years old made his way towards the exit of the bus and where a woman who was wearing a Niqab was standing. Overweight and scruffily dressed, the white male suddenly assaulted the female and punched her twice in the back as the bus doors opened and he calmly walked off the bus and muttered something to the victim. Individuals on the bus witnessed the assault, yet no-one helped the victim.

Seeing this violence, the witness who reported in this incident asked if the Niqab wearing female was ‘ok’ to which she nodded and she later got off at her stop and walked off into the distance.

Time and time again, women who wear the Niqab have told us that they suffer numerous anti-Muslim hate incidents and crimes against them, many of which involve assaults.

Rightfully, as a society, we abhor violence against women, yet, why do some males in our society think that it is appropriate to target, humiliate and harm a female who covers her face and body? Such actions are unacceptable and deserve nothing but our contempt as a society. No individual should be targeted for their identity though assaults against females should rouse us into action since it touches on the core of our values, the protection of women’s rights. The non-action of members of the public on the bus yesterday may well have given the green light to this woman beater that it is acceptable to target Niqab wearing women. It is not acceptable and we need to make that clear to thugs like him.

The post Assault on Niqab Wearing Women Shows the Male Violence Many Suffer appeared first on TELL MAMA.

This is the story of Khadija. Whilst we have altered her name and identifying details, the rest of her testimony to Tell MAMA is outlined below. This is the real impact of the activities of these extremist groups who are a burden and nuisance to all of our communities and to the safety of our country.

Khadija’s Story

Khadija is in her 30’s and does not wear the Hijab (a religious headscarf), the Niqab (a face veil) or the Abaya (the body covering which is usually in black).

Khadija was verbally and physically assaulted in April 2015 by individuals sympathetic to the English Defence League and who were carrying EDL flags and identifying material. The perpetrators were white males.

Khadija was at an arcade at a seaside resort and she was with her children. They had come out for a family day and wanting to smoke, she exited the arcade and noticed that there were men and women holding flags which she could not initially make out, though they were chanting in support of the English Defence League.

Individuals in the EDL demonstration noticed Khadija as she stood by the entrance to the arcade and in a few seconds, she had a group of males around her saying, “we will burn your f****** Qur’an” and “we will pi** on Mohammed”. Scared and shaken she started to move away though at some point as she walked backwards, she felt that she was punched given the sudden pain she felt in her head. In a daze, she glanced and caught site of a female joining in on the assault and at some point, a male pulled off the female perpetrator and in doing so, said the following to Khadija; “you know why the lady was hitting you, because she got raped by a Paki, that’s why”. Completing the sentence, the male perpetrator spat in the face of Khadija.

Khadija eventually was taken to a police station where she made a statement. The actions of the English Defence League’s sympathisers show the brutal reality of its sympathisers who peddle nothing but hate and who use demonstrations in order to target citizens. They continue to be a menace to all of us and our collective safety and security.

This incident also shows how the EDL target anyone who is non-white. They could not have known that Khadija was Muslim – she wore no clothes that were attributable to being a Muslim. They picked on her simply because she was Asian and the attack also was anti-Muslim in nature.

So, next time you hear an EDL sympathiser saying that the EDL are not racist, take a few deep breaths and notice the pig flying behind them. No doubt, they will be telling porkies!

The post As the EDL Plan to Protest in Bradford, We Provide Testimony About Their Hatred appeared first on TELL MAMA.

On Saturday the 17th of October at 11 pm, the girls were waiting to enjoy some desserts in a restaurant and noticed a group of two white males and females. As they walked past the table of the sisters, one of the men was overheard saying, “why has she got that on her face,” at the Niqab wearing female. The sisters decided to ignore the comment and carried on looking through the menus.

A little while later the Niqab wearing female headed to the toilets and as she did, she noticed loud shouting coming from her table. She turned round and headed back to find the group harassing her elder sister and they stated, “get that f***** piece of s*** of your head you b****“. The group were swearing at the seated Muslim female and as the young sister approach the table, the group started abusing her. They stated, “and why has she got her f***** face covered.“

The women stated to Tell MAMA that none of the staff who heard the anti-Muslim abuse intervened. Both sisters did not react as the abuse continued in the restaurant with no bystander helping in any way.

The perpetrators it seems, decided to continue conversations with staff in the restaurant and as one of the females got up to order some food from the till, she was informed that the staff could not serve them. Hungry, angry and humiliated the young women left the restaurant and felt that the staff had acted in a manner which supported the actions of the perpetrators.

This case has been passed to Police Scotland for action.

The post Glasgow Based Hate Incident Shows Aggression Levels That are Concerning appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The intimidation and abuse of young Nazleen continued as the female perpetrator then said that Nazleen probably could not read or write and that she was being manipulated by men.

As Nazleen went to get off her stop, in a moment of empathy a passenger asked her if she was ok and Nazleen alighted from the bus.

In contacting Tell MAMA Nazleen stated, “I’m not hurt or upset by this incident. I’m used to it to be honest but with the rise in Islamophobic attacks I thought to report it so more awareness is created of incidents like this.”

The post “You Wearing That Niqab is Going Back to Traditions of the Victorian Era,” Says Perpetrator appeared first on TELL MAMA.

However, who would have thought that E-Bay would decide to sell the following?

The pictures show women wearing the burqa and with niqabs, underneath the title, ‘Burqa costume Burqua (sic) Halloween Fancy Dress Idea Sharia Burka.’ The idea that the burqa or abaya and niqab (the face veil), are somehow linked to Halloween is dehumanizing and has impacts on those women who choose to wear the over-garments for religious reasons.

Commenting on the E-Bay sale, the Director of Tell MAMA, Fiyaz Mughal OBE stated: “The ‘costumes’ are an affront to women who choose to wear the burqa to meet what they believe, are religious requirements. May Muslim women do not wear the burqa though to associate the burqa with Halloween, further stigmatises women who wear it and dehumanises them. Time after time, Muslim women who wear the burqa and the niqab suffer anti-Muslim prejudice and people who would not dare to attack or harm a woman, think that they can do so with those who cover up, as if the victim is dehumanized. We ask that E-Bay remove these so-called ‘costumes’ and understand the impact that it has on women, perceptions within wider communities and to the safety of some Muslim women.”

The post E-Bay Hosts ‘Halloween Burqa’ Costumes For Sale appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We received this text today from an individual who reported into TELL MAMA and this highlights the kinds of issues that some Hijab and Niqab wearing women go through. This is the anonymised text that was received which shows the threats that some Muslim women get just going about their daily activities.

“My sister and I were waiting in a long queue on the pier at Bournemouth beach to get hot chocolate drink from a shop when this man approached my sister and started doing some strange aggressive hand gestures towards her. The hand gesture was in the form of gun. He came very close to us and said I don’t like, I hate Muslims and what you are wearing. My sister and I was wearing Hijabs. I said to him why are you standing next to us? If you don’t like us them don’t stand next to us and go away.

He eventually moved away but was continually staring at us and made us feel very uncomfortable.

There was a second incident on the same day around 5pm when we went towards our coaches to prepare to board and come back to Birmingham. My niece alerted me that some men drove past in a car and made hand gesture in the form of a gun towards.”

Furthermore, we have received the following pictures from a Muslim woman who wears the Niqab and the Jilbab. These are pictures that she has taken of harassment at a street level from perpetrators. The perpetrator profile also fits the 15-35 white male bracket which shows itself through the data that we collect.

The post Bournemouth Incident Shows Aggression Towards Hijabis appeared first on TELL MAMA.

A few months ago, this young woman, who has transitioned and who is living her life as a woman, suffered the humiliation of being stopped and searched by law enforcement and felt that the experience was one which affected her identity as a person. A niqab wearer, she has struggled for support and is still coming to terms with her new identities as a woman and as a Muslim.

Today, it seems that she attended a Muslim women’s group for support and the response was one which was difficult and depressing. The support group broke up and she was left feeling that her choices in life and her identities were being rejected.

We know that such issues affect many communities, those of faith and of no faith in the United Kingdom. We understand the difficulties that some people have, though compassion, care and understanding are qualities that can make a real difference to the confidence and the mental health of such people.

This Muslim woman simply is asking to be respected for who she is – a Muslim and a woman. She has asked for nothing more and nothing less. Yet, this case also shows how attacks against the identity of individuals can have real and lasting impacts and effects on the mental health of individuals. Today, she talked about being suicidal and unhappy, yet at this low ebb, she still reached out for support.

Her case and her issues are precisely why we must all make the time to stop and think about how our words, deeds and actions can have life long consequences on people. From the Muslim women who could not work with and get to know and respect a transexual Muslim, through to young males who abuse visible Muslim women, it is imperative that we challenge our stereotypes and our pre-conceptions. In the end, we are all citizens, trying to live our lives together and where all of our lives and futures depend on being safe, respected and treated with dignity.

This is also why intersectionality of identity and being able to work with it matters. This is why we as people are complex, yet we crave acceptance and this is why, without being heard, we all feel that our value in life is minimal. Spare a thought for this young woman and next time that creeping thought comes into your mind, think about how you would want to be treated.

The post Intersectionality That Deserves Our Understanding appeared first on TELL MAMA.

According to the Collectif Contre l’Islamophobie en France (CCIF) on March 26, a Muslim woman had her headscarf torn off outside a school in Aulnay-Sous-Bois (in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris). The incident took place after school, the victim was attacked by a parent of another student who also tore at the Muslim woman’s hair after violently removing her headscarf.

Perhaps more worrying, is the alleged indifference of police. Police apparently refused to take the victim’s complaint seriously because the nature of the assault did not ‘involve a punch’. The CCIF are working closely with the victim to ensure the police log her complaint.

At the turn of last month, in Saint-Etienne, a Muslim woman, who wears the jilbab was harassed while carrying her 11-month-old daughter in her arms. The female perpetrator expressed clear Islamophobic sentiments when she told her to ‘mind your outfit’ and ‘you do not have to wear that here’. The victim retorted that she had ‘no right to talk to her like this’ and she is allowed to wear the jilbab because it is not a face veil.

The perpetrator then violently yanked the arm of her 11-month-old daughter. When the victim contacted the police the initial call was dropped. In the meantime, the victim attempted to learn the perpetrator’s name (who refused to disclose). A second attempt to inform the police was met with an alleged indifference, who then asked her to lodge a simple complaint. Thankfully, during this upsetting incident, the victim photographed the perpetrator’s number plate.

When the victim eventually found herself at a police station, staff assured her that the incident was ‘nothing serious’ and that a complaint suffices. Concerned for her baby daughter and the trauma she suffered, she took her to a doctor so she can file complaint with a medical certificate to strengthen the case. The police did begin an investigation but the perpetrator gave a conflicting statement.

The visibility of all three Muslim women made them targets for verbal abuse and violence. In 2013, a pregnant Muslim was attacked in Paris for similar reasons. She later suffered a miscarriage (but there is no clear evidence that the loss was attributed to the attack).

If the visibility of Muslim women in France made them a target for abuse it also made access to employment harder. In 2010, France banned full-face veils in public. In 2004, school staff were banned from wearing religiously-inspired insignia or garments. Three years later and the rules extended to those delivering a public service. But there are presently no rules for private firms.

A consequence of these legislative measures pushed many visible female Muslims into self-employment.

All three incidents reflect a rising Islamophobic sentiment in France in the wake of the Paris atrocities. Two weeks after these acts of terrorism, 128 Islamophobic incidents were recorded by the National Observatory Against Islamophobia (but that figure excludes Paris and its suburbs). In 2014, the organisation recorded 133 such incidents. Like with the UK, violence against Muslim women is a worrying and common thread alongside the under reporting of Islamophobic incidents.

The post Assault Against Pregnant Muslim Woman In France Shows Gender Targeting appeared first on TELL MAMA.

An employee working for Primark for four months regularly went to work with her veil on and never had a problem before. In recent months, she was required to remove her veil before entering the store, a policy with which she refused to comply. One of her colleagues contacted CCIF for the same problem.

What is the reason for this change? The employee discriminated explained that difficulties around veiling were connected with a change of management to a French team. The store was previously run by foreigners. Is Islamophobia becoming a specifically French problem?

This is not the first time that Primark has shown signs of Islamophobia. According to our figures, the store is the only one to refuse clients in niqabs. On this subject, two women also contacted us about this same issue this August. They were refused entry into the store under the pretext that they did not comply with the store’s code of conduct [“charte de l’etablissement”]. For one of them, the manager on duty asked the police to intervene to check her identity, but this passed without incident.

In spite of this,  the manager refused to let the woman in the niqab in the store. This attitude has nothing to do with security measures; on top of all this, the manager asked the police to escort the women out of the store discretely. This discretion was intended not to upset customers, a majority of whom are Muslim, who are not aware that Primark has prohibited the niqab.

Primark would do well to review its corporate polices if it doesn’t want to lose customers. Recall that private enterprises are not immune to the law that guarantees freedom of religion of its workforce and this type of abuse is intolerable.

The post Primark Store and Allegations that it Refuses to Service Niqabi Women in France appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Michael O’Leary,
Ryanair Ltd.
Registered Office:
Ryanair Corporate Head Office
Dublin Airport
Co. Dublin
Ireland

Dear Michael,

RE: Comments on Women Wearing the Niqab and Minority Faiths

We hope you are well and we are saddened to write to you in such circumstances. We are writing in connection to your comments in which you suggested that the burqa should be banned and it was also reported that you stated that our country was ‘leaning over far too much,’ for minority religions like Islam.

We are saddened to read such comments and in particular, when it seems that such comments play to dog-whistle politics and where the impacts are predominantly felt by women in communities. As you will know, a minority of Muslim women wear the burqa and the niqab, though since we live in a liberal society, the decision what women should wear on their bodies is one that they should make. Whilst we understand that you have aligned Ryanair marketing to show youthful women dressed in bikinis since it sells an image that is aimed at your target market, this does not mean and should not mean denigrating or reducing the rights for other women to choose what they want to wear.

Over the last 2 years, we have had numerous reports from visible Muslim women who have been attacked, assaulted and abused, both on-line and at a street level and many have said that the ongoing debate about the niqab (face veil) and the burqa, have focussed attention back on them. Post Woolwich, we were instrumental in raising awareness on the backlash against Muslims after the heinous murder of drummer Lee Rigby and many in Muslim communities were sickened at the murder of a young man on our streets. Yet, it is sad to say that your comments on this area will unfortunately add to the continuing debate which is not helping in terms of a continued focus on Muslim women. Whilst we understand that any press in your opinion is free and valuable press, there are community ramifications to statements particularly when they come from someone who is adept at working the press and who is well-known in our country.

On a separate note, we were also concerned to see that you felt that our country supposedly favoured minority faiths like Islam. We wanted to find out how this is the case? Are there different laws and rules for Muslim communities? In what way do Muslims get favourable treatment? Do Muslims want more than equal rights or are you possibly conflating the actions of individuals who may come from conservative religious traditions and extrapolating them onto all Muslim communities? These are just some of the questions that come to mind and as a businessman, maybe you do not regard passengers who happen to be Muslim as your target market, though disregarding this growing market surely is a retrograde step?

We would be keen on having a meeting with you and if this is something that is not of interest to you, we hope that you may consider some of the points that we have raised in this letter. Additionally, some of our staff remember the days when many within the Irish community in England were seen as being suspect communities during the days of IRA bombings in London and on the English mainland. Such impacts lasted for decades and sometimes led to the worst police and prosecution excesses during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Today, Muslim communities as a whole are unfortunately considered by many as being suspect communities and comments that paint them out as being different, getting favourable treatment, inwardly looking or not a part of our country simply re-enforce this corrosive narrative. In the end, we all need to work for greater mutual respect, dialogue and shared values, which is what we try to work for.

We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for considering this correspondence.

Yours sincerely,

TELL MAMA National Campaign

The post Letter to Michael O’Leary – Ryanair appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Recent comments by Ryanair’s Chief Executive, Michael O’Leary, where he stated that the burqa should be banned, will no doubt leave many Muslims feeling that the controversial budget airlines chief has strayed into an area where he has little knowledge of. Members of the public who happen to be Muslim have also suggested to staff at the TELL MAMA project that his comments will not help the debate on this very sensitive of issues affecting a minority of Muslim women. Ryanair’s CEO also went onto say that the country is ‘leaning over far too much,’ for minority religions like Islam.

Previously, Michael O’Leary has also been on record as saying, “the French have never produced a great philosopher; great wine, maybe, but no great philosophers.” His equally offensive remarks have been targeted at Germans where he commented that, “Germans will crawl bollock-naked over broken glass to get low fares.”

Callers into the TELL MAMA project, many of whom have been women, regularly describe the abuse that they suffer at a street level due to their visibility, whether this is through wearing the Hijab (the religious head-covering), or the Hijab and the Niqab, (the full face veil). Some female callers specifically mentioned that such comments by the controversial Ryanair Chief Executive will simply add further focus on visible Muslim women at a time when many feel insecure after the post Woolwich backlash.

Commenting on the recent comments by the Ryanair CEO, the Director of TELL MAMA said:

“Michael O’ Leary really is scraping the bottom of the barrel for free press when he launches into a tirade against groups of people. Straying into a debate on what a woman can wear or not is a step too far or is he thinking of charging more for those who wear the Niqab?  We hope that he makes a speedy boarding and exit out of this debate.”

ENDS

1) TELL MAMA is a national project that supports victims of anti-Muslim prejudice. Further information can be found on www.tellmamauk.org

The post Ryanair Boss Does Not Need to Pander to Dog-Whistle Politics Just to Sell Cheap Airline Tickets appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Then there have been women who on the basis of liberal values, have decided that they must enforce their views on others irrespective of the voices and feelings of those Niqabi women that they are campaigning for. Anyone who suggests that this goes against the core of social liberalism is called an ‘apologist’ for ‘Islamism,’ (what a divisive term in itself) or worst still, a misogynist, if male. Anyone advocating for people to be free to wear what they want, is fine to do so as long as, so the narrative goes, it is not for the wearing of the Niqab.

So we thought that we give those women who wear the Niqab, the chance to voice their thoughts. For example, recently TELL MAMA posted this interview with a Muslim woman who wore the Niqab and we also came across other voices through the ‘At Home in Europe’ project which was part of the Open Society Foundation. Here are the voices of Muslim women who wear the Niqab in France:

Farah, 19, Paris
“In all my life, I have never felt as well as with the Niqab. I was somebody who would go out wearing high heels. I was putting on [nice] clothes. I was a girl, I liked fashion. I would go out frequently and all, but I never felt as good as with the Niqab. For me it represents everything, I couldn’t take it off.”

Haifa, 19, Paris
“I don’t know why, subhan Allah [Glory to God], I felt [a sense of] well-being with it, but I can’t explain. I felt protected, I felt well, and I felt at ease. [The Niqab] is my attachment to my religion. Quite simply, it’s adoration.”

Qubila, 20, Paris
[The first day] I felt really, really well. When I was walking it felt as if I was floating on a little cloud. I was so elated that I felt like crying. Things like that you have to experience. It’s hard to express them but, al hamdullilah, it was a great sensation, a sensation I know I won’t forget.”

Jameelah, 21, Paris
I had the feeling that the headscarf and the jelbab were not enough. I felt the need to develop spiritually. For me it was one of the paths. In fact, there are several paths to be nearer God. For some its prayer. So it was one of the ways that could bring me closer to God. And spiritually I yearned for something stronger in fact. But I did not consider it an obligation. For me it was something extra, it was good.”

Duniya, 29, Paris
“I always wanted [to wear it]. Since I’ve been wearing the headscarf I always held the sisters who wear [the Niqab] in esteem, because it’s the highest degree, the highest level for a woman. In other words, it’s just your Lord and yourself with no mediation. You live for your Lord. You are in perpetual adoration or at least you are trying to be in perpetual adoration.”

Roukia, 25, Paris
Honestly, it is because I found it so beautiful. But at the beginning, I didn’t say to myself, “I’m wearing it.” I was wearing it only because I thought it was really beautiful. You know, today we live in a society where everything is based on the physical [appearance], but when you have a Niqab nobody pays attention. If I meet you outdoors, and you are a sister, we will say Salam to each other and so on. We are going to talk to each other but I wouldn’t know whether you are French or Chinese, but I’ll talk to you. I’ll talk to whoever you are.; I don’t need to know what you look like. While today if you observe society it’s all just about that; it’s your physical appearance, and you must fit the norms that they have created.”

(Case study excerpts taken from, ‘Unveiling the Truth: Why 32 Muslim Women Wear the Full Face Veil in France.” Part of the ‘At Home in Europe’ project – the Open Society Foundation.)

The post Unveiling the Truth: Responses from French Women Who Wear the Niqab appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We thought that we would do a quick review of Niqab related cases that we have had into TELL MAMA since the launch of the project in early 2012.  This bar chart shows the number of cases that have been reported in relating to women who chose to wear the Niqab.

NB: months in which one person reported several events (which occasionally dated back to before the initial report date.) Pale blue indicates the number of unique reports in these cases relating to Niqab wearing women.

The following table shows the kinds of abuse targeted at women who wear the Niqab.

The longer media pundits, politicians and news agencies use the Niqab as a cheap means of generating more viewers, listeners or supporters, the more such women will, unfortunately, be on the brunt end of these comments and aggression. What is also worrying is that such is the hysterical discussions taking place on the Niqab, that the sane and liberal voices are simply being drowned out. How long can we continue to call ourselves a liberal society when the space for women to wear what they want on their bodies is simply being closed down. What next, Orthodox Jewish women since we don’t like the hair coverings they wear?

The post Niqab Wearing Muslim Women Report into TELL MAMA appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Date and Time: 19/08/2013

Interviewer:

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this interview. I will start off with the first question which is:

• Do you wear the Niqab and if so, have you suffered anti-Muslim prejudice or Islamophobia?

Interviewee:

Yes, I do wear the niqab. I began wearing the khimar, headscarf and the jilbab for a number of years and then moved onto wearing the niqab, which wasn’t really initiated by anything apart from my own personal choice.

Suffering prejudice and Islamophobic issues, yes, I get that all the time and I think the more the media highlights the issue of the niqab and prior to that the European thing that has been going on for a number of years with the first official ban in Belgium in 2009. The discrimination against niqab wearing sisters has increased and I started to feel it instantly, travelling on the bus, walking on the streets of London, taking my children to school. So I’ve suffered from verbal comment’s which is daily or very frequent on the streets.

Interviewer:

• Have you suffered incident at a street level and can you describe some of them?

Interviewee:

I’m quite confident when I walk out wearing it and in the beginning I didn’t know how the environment or how tolerant people were when it came to seeing a woman wearing niqab on transport, on buses, as I used to drive but my experiences began when I started using public transport a lot. That was when my encounters of various types of abuse really began. Mainly a majority of the hate is verbal.

 Interviewer:

• On public transport?

Interviewee:

Yes, public transport, walking through shopping malls and from various groups of people. They could be high school kids with school uniforms on to elderly pensioners, to the smart guy sitting across at Costa Coffee, for example.

 Interviewer:

• So from different backgrounds?

 Interviewee:

Yes, from a woman with a tattoo to a mother with a buggy next to mine sitting on a bus. It’s just incredible as it could be from anybody and everybody. Abusive comments like, I pass a group of boys and they make martial arts comments with demonstrations of the moves in front of me! Then I’ve had people come up to me and say ‘how dare you wear this thing take it off right now!’

Interviewer

• What was the worst incident you suffered and what was said?

Interviewee:

I’ve had physical attempts where my niqab… they tried to remove it. The physical incidents are definitely more risky, more harmful for me and sometimes you do question yourself as to how serious will this get, especially, if my encounter is with a male. With a woman I am quite confident but with a male you don’t know how far and serious it would be. I tend to have my hand bag ready… just in case you know you need to go to that length. But most of the time it’s insult’s thrown at me.

Interviewer:

• Ok thank you. You mentioned you have children. Did any of the experiences of your incidents expose your children to hearing things that were potentially damaging to them?

Interviewee:

Yes, it does happen in front of my children. There is confrontation when my children are with me, when that happens they look at me to see how I will react. When I comment they listen and my eldest daughter will ask questions to try and understand ‘mum why did you say this?’ or ‘say that?’ they in a way have become immune to it because it’s frequent. They become accepting… not accepting but familiar with it. That it stems from the ignorance and animosity of Islam, Islamophobia.

Interviewer:

• Who do you think is responsible for vilifying Niqab wearing Muslim women?

Interviewee:

It comes from the hierarchy, the government, law of the land you see. They are the ones who should take the responsibility and the burdens and the consequences of the animosity, the hatred, non-accepting of the niqab in the society. If the authority preaches hate then you will see manifestations of it within its people. I can see that from my own experiences, as the government is speaking more against the niqab and the Islamic dress code, society is becoming increasingly less accepting of it.

Interviewer:

• I was wondering if you have you suffered anti-Muslim prejudice on-line?

Interviewee:

Online, you do get a lot of it. I try to go on a number of social networking sites for my personal project.

Interviewer:

• Social networking sites?

Interviewee:

Yes, mainly Facebook and Twitter. There is all this ugliness that is spewed. Racial hatred, the derogatory terms used to describe Islam and more specifically the Muslim woman’s dress.

Interviewer:

• What does your husband feel and think when you state that you have suffered anti-Muslim prejudice? Has your husband suggested that you stay at home more when you suffer such incidents?

Interviewee:

I mean one of my break through’s is that…. I’m quite a strong, determined, self-determined person Alhamdulillah. Allah has given me strength. But having said that, support is something essential for a Muslim woman in situations like this. So when you get a husband’s support, father’s support or family support all of that invites the Muslim woman to continue to face the challenges and be able to get through heightened situations like the hysterical chatter over the last week on the niqab ban. Obviously, at the moment it’s still in it’ early stages but they are trying to pass by laws, such as banning it in certain areas, similarly as they did in France and Belgium before outlawing it completely. I am weary of the consequences of these little mini bans taking place here and there. But going back, having that support from my children’s father, reassures me that what I am doing is correct. It gives me something to fall back on. When I do go out with my children’s father, I don’t really suffer as much.

Interviewer:

• So he is supportive and protective of you and your decision to wear the niqab?

Interviewee:

Absolutely. We think this issue is a side effect of the actual issue which is the growing presence of Islam in Britain and the niqab is potentially a symbol of it. I am a hundred per cent convinced that this is a reactionary aspect to Islam and Muslims in the UK which is very sad since we add so much positively to this country.

Interviewer:

• What do you think will happen in the future regarding the Niqab? Will it be banned and how will you feel?

Interviewee:

I think it will happen very soon, in the next decade or so, the UK will also have this ban. I believe it will be a joint effort from the European leaders to eliminate traces of Islam.

Interviewer:

• Ok, if I could pose a scenario to you? If you were a university student and your institution banned the Niqab on campus would you look for another institution and would this be exclusionary to your involvement.

Interviewee:

No, I would not take it as an exclusionary incident, in a way since I feel that there are numerous areas where a niqab ban is being openly and subtly being proposed, so there are no particular areas but the undercurrent is very unhelpful. At the moment, I have choice, but how long will this last? It is very worrying. Ironically enough, there are now a few of the NHS hospitals declaring they will not treat patients wearing the niqab, declaring that they would not be sick patients if they wear the niqab. I mean silly things like that. I mean for medical care you would need to unveil. I’ve had 5 kids myself Masha’Allah. When I went through high risk pregnancies, such as caesarean section and because of the risk I carry when I give birth. I comply with the team operating on me by unveiling or having senior male surgeons and I’m happy to co-operate with that, it’s never been a problem.  They need to realise that whatever co -operation is required yes of course… but vilification of it is not necessary. The thing is, we will take off our niqab… or I will take off my niqab when it is necessary. But if I am forced to, I will react and make sure that I keep it on. I feel that pressurising me is a violation of my human and personal rights to dignity.

 Interviewer:

• Thank you so much for dedicating the time to share your experiences and opinions.

Interviewee:

My pleasure. I hope it’s helpful.

END OF INTERVIEW

The post A Niqabi Speaks Out Against the Vilification Targeted at the Niqab appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Now, what Natasha may not know or care to know, is that women who wear the Hijab, (that’s the religious headscarf to you Natasha), do seem to suffer a great deal of anti-Muslim prejudice at a street level and this is evidenced through the cases that come into TELL MAMA. Cases coming in also seem to point to women who wear the Hijab and the Niqab, (that is the face veil Natasha), suffering greater numbers of anti-Muslim prejudiced incidents and more aggressive incidents. (The aggression is what women who wear the Hijab and the Niqab mention to us time and time again). So, the question is this Natasha. Whilst we would never expect nor want any female to suffer violence, hate or abuse, why is it ok for you to caricature and marginalise other women, many of whom state that they suffer abuse on many occassions. You see, by promoting such graphics, you are promoting the notion that Muslim women who wear the Hijab and Niqab are not British, even though many are born here, feel British and are proud of this country. But maybe that just passed you by.

We also received another set of tweets which may well fall foul of the Malicious Communications Act (2003). Here are two individuals having a public Twitter chat with potentially criminal intentions.

Here we have @AntiIslamDanny who uses the Arabic term ‘Kafir’ to describe himself. Ask Danny where the actual Arabic letters which make up the word are phonetically placed and we may have lost him already. He was busy having a chat with the online Watford EDL co-ordinator by the name of ‘the Rev.’ The latter is a well known EDL sympathiser who is active online and the conversation brazenly highlights the desire of Danny to ‘close (down) some muzzrat’ web-sites. (Here we go, asssociating Muslims with vermin and you might want to see our posting in the news section on the 1/9/13 which highlights the use of this term by Far Right sympathisers). We have passed these snapshots to Hertfordshire Police as Danny very kindly listed that he lived in Hertfordshire and we have highlighted possible infringements of the Malicious Communications Act, 2003.

On a separate note, we also came across this tweet which was sent in by a member of the public. We know that over 28 mosques have suffered incidents and attacks post Woolwich and statements like this clearly do not help. We are sure that Brougham Street mosque, (possibly the Abu Bakr mosque) would like to consult with their solicitors on this since if not true, there are a number of civil actions they can take against the individual running this account. This also includes those who retweeted the tweet. By targeting mosques, EDL sympathisers like this are, in our opinion, targeting hate towards mosques and Muslim communities. We have also passed this tweet onto the Lancashire Constabulary. So much for the EDL being a ‘campaigning group.’ More like a bunch of misfits and sociopaths in our opinion.

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