Muslim Hate Crimes Soar In UK: After Paris Attacks, Women Wearing Hijab Targeted By Young White Men

Hate crimes against Muslims in the United Kingdom have jumped nearly 275 percent since the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, a new report has found, Reuters reported. At least 115 anti-Muslim hate incidents occurred in the U.K. within eight days of the attacks, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, according to data collected from the U.K.-based monitoring group Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks). The figure compares to just 42 incidents during the same period last year.

The vast majority of the incidents were perpetrated against Muslim women between the ages of 14 and 45, the group’s report said. It also found that most of the perpetrators were young white men between 15 and 35.

“This is concerning since the cases show that women who wear the hijab are the ones being targeted for general abuse and threats,” Tell MAMA’s report said. “Many of the victims have suggested that no one came to their assistance or even consoled them, meaning that they felt victimized, embarrassed, alone and angry about what had taken place against them.”

A large number of the reported attacks occurred in public, such as on buses and trains. Thirty-four victims were women wearing the hijab, and eight of the incidents involved young children. Around 4.8 of the U.K.'s population is Muslim, in comparison with France, which at 7.5 percent holds the highest proportion of Muslims of major Western European countries, according to the U.S.-based Pew Research Center.

The report found that the spike in U.K. incidents after the Paris attacks was comparable with the spike in hate crimes that occurred after the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby by two British Muslim converts.

The report comes amid criticism from Britain’s largest Muslim group over cuts to the policing budget, which it argues could negatively affect police trust and cooperation with communities, the Independent reported.

“It is difficult to see how new cuts will not make the situation worse,” said Miqdaad Versi, security and counterterrorism spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain.