Muslim Council of Britain urges stronger legislation amid surge of Islamophobic hate crimes

GENEVA (AA) – The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) on Monday said it is “deeply alarmed” by a sharp rise in Islamophobic hate crimes over the past year, with offenses doubling in some areas, and urged stronger legislation and unified action against it.

In a statement, the council cited the spike reported by the Greater Manchester Police in Islamophobic offenses from an average of 39 per month to 85 in August, while West Yorkshire Police recorded a similar rise from 39 per month to 94 during the same period.

“These figures highlight the systemic neglect of Islamophobia as a form of racism and underscore the urgent need for decisive government action,” it said, adding that MCB has expressed “serious concerns” about the government’s approach to tackling hate crime and racism.

“These figures are shocking and deeply distressing. Islamophobic offenses continue to escalate, impacting real lives and entire communities. We have been warning about the rise in hate crime targeting Muslims for the past year,” MCB’s Secretary-General Zara Mohammed.

“While the previous government introduced a Hate Crime Action Plan in its early years, we urgently need a cross-government approach that tackles Islamophobia alongside all forms of racism, moving beyond previous efforts to make meaningful progress. We are hopeful this will align with community groups on a clear definition of Islamophobia,” she added.

The MCB also urged the government to enhance existing hate crime legislation, implement targeted strategies to address Islamophobic hate crimes and allocate dedicated resources to support victims and prevent such incidents.