Neighbour shouted “they probably have a bomb in them” at Muslim men delivering furniture

July 10, 2020 Article

A white neighbour shouted, “they probably have a bomb in them” at a group of South Asian Muslim men delivering furniture to a household in the Wakefield area.

The anti-Muslim and Islamophobic incident occurred in the early evening of July 8.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, one of the men, who wish to remain anonymous, described how the neighbour repeated the hateful remark when queried by the man collecting the furniture.

The Muslim man also challenged the neighbour and said: “Why would you say that?” to which the man replied: “Because I can.” Rather than engage further, he continued unloading the furniture.

He also thought that allowing Tell MAMA to report the incident on their behalf to the police would carry more weight.

The male neighbour, who lives several doors down, is described as being in his mid-to-late forties.

Tell MAMA has documented other examples of discriminatory, harmful, and dehumanising language directed towards them which referenced bombs or explosives in recent years.

Such stereotyping which externalise Muslims as terroristic and violent threats, according to some academics, falls within a broader framework of securitisation. Theories around securitisation explore and contest the idea of a “suspect community”, the reconfiguring of social relations around distrust, and broader still, in medical contexts.

In 2018, a clear majority of Muslim men contacting Tell MAMA sported beards as a marker of their Islamic identity.

West Yorkshire Police continue to investigate the matter.

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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Categories: hate crime, News

South Yorkshire Police reopened hate crime investigation after Tell MAMA requested a review

July 7, 2020 Article

South Yorkshire Police has apologised to a taxi driver and reopened their hate crime investigation after Tell MAMA raised concerns regarding the unexpected closure of a case.

On June 14, the taxi driver, who has agreed to have his story told anonymously, described the threatening and racist behaviour of a man who, when carrying an open bottle of alcohol, confronted the driver over his face mask.

The man, who was not a passenger, asked the driver: “Why are you f****** wearing a mask for?” to which the driver replied, in a calm manner, that he was wearing it due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as the man continued to be abusive, and using racist language like “P*ki”.

As the driver manoeuvred his vehicle to leave, which required a temporary pause to change gear, the racist male threw his bottle of alcohol towards the driver, as its contents splashed over both driver and passengers.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, the taxi driver described how the man had also punched his car and had not been able to drive off when he did, that the bottle may have been used as a weapon to cause him harm.

The police were informed of the attack when it proved safe for the driver to stop. A call handler took corroborative statements from the driver and the female passenger.

No officer, however, had followed up, so he began making enquiries.

But the update was unexpected: police had closed the report, as witnesses were now unwilling to provide evidence, which left the taxi driver disheartened given the physical evidence in his vehicle and his call to the police.

The taxi driver is self-employed and due to the alcohol present in the interior of his vehicle meant that he was unable to work for the rest of that evening. And, given some of the alcohol had been consumed before the attack, he feared the spread of coronavirus.

After approaching Tell MAMA for assistance, and, after providing written consent, our service requested that senior officers at South Yorkshire Police review the report which has now resulted in it reopening, and the police sent it to the Crown Prosecution Service to review.

Tell MAMA has continued to highlight the vulnerability taxi drivers face, in forms of violence, racist, and discriminatory remarks. A recent report on Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in North East England, co-authored with academics from Newcastle University and Northumbria University, includes two focus groups with Muslim men and Muslim women, one of whom is a taxi driver.

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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Categories: Coronavirus, News, South Yorkshire, taxi driver

Racist neighbour threatened and abused Muslim family enjoying garden barbecue

June 25, 2020 Article

A Muslim family faced a torrent of racist abuse and threats from a neighbour who continues to ignore warnings from the police about their harassment.

The family was enjoying a barbecue in their garden when they could hear the male neighbour shouting (from within his property) “f*** off back to where you come from” and “f*** all of you.”

The male neighbour, described as white and in his sixties, then entered his garden and continued to shout racist abuse, which included statements like “f*** off out of this country” and “f***ing terrorist b*tch”.

A video of the racist abuse shown to Tell MAMA also shows the moment where the man continues to shout “f*** off” which such venom that he also screams it into the sky before growling at the Muslim family.

The footage also captures the moment the racist neighbour rushes towards their fence which he strikes it with his hand, as the sounds of upset children are audible in the background, fearing for their mother’s safety had she not moved away.

Threats of violence towards the Muslim woman, who wears the hijab, were also made. Speaking to Tell MAMA, the family have faced similar threats of violence from the neighbour before.

To protect the identities of those affected, we are not disclosing footage of the racist incident.

But we can confirm that it occurred in the Birmingham area on June 23 and West Midlands Police are investigating.

Tell MAMA has long documented the intersection between misogyny and gendered forms of racialised anti-Muslim abuse and Islamophobia, ranging from acts of discrimination (for their religious clothing) to violence and abuse.

A Muslim family faced a torrent of racist abuse and threats from a neighbour who continues to ignore warnings from the police about their harassment.

The family was enjoying a barbecue in their garden when they could hear the male neighbour shouting (from within his property) “f*** off back to where you come from” and “f*** all of you.”

A video of the racist abuse shown to Tell MAMA also shows the moment where the man screams “f*** off” which such venom and anger that screams it towards the sky and growls at the neighbour filming him.

The footage captures the moment the neighbour rushes towards their fence with such anger that he strikes it with his hand, as the sounds of upset children are audible in the background, fearing for their mother’s safety had she not moved away.

Threats of violence towards the Muslim woman, who wears the hijab, were also made.

To protect the identities of those affected, we are not disclosing footage of the racist incident.

But we can confirm that it occurred in the Birmingham area on June 23 and West Midlands Police are investigating.

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Categories: Birmingham, Hijab, News

Anti-Muslim note about the prophet Muhammad taped to park bench

June 23, 2020 Article

A handwritten anti-Muslim and Islamophobic note taped to a park bench depicted the prophet Muhammad as a suicide bomber and as a ‘paedophile’ (but had misspelt the word).

A member of the public spotted the note when walking through Victoria Park in Tipton yesterday evening and alerted both Tell MAMA and West Midlands Police.

The crude cartoon recycles imagery which depicts a bomb in Muhammad’s turban with a suicide vest, where the racialised facial features, including bushy eyebrows, an elongated nose, and wild beard project ‘an image of danger and fanaticism’, according to some academics.

Tell MAMA continues to document how such examples, whether online or offline, intend to cause deep upset and harm to Muslims, given that many seek to emulate Muhammad’s teachings in daily life.

In 2018, Tell MAMA verified 58 reports of anti-Muslim literature, and in the first six months of 2019, documented 22 such examples.

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Categories: News, note, West Midlands Police

Change.org removes petition calling for the destruction of mosques after removal of slave trader statues

June 11, 2020 Article

Change.org has removed a petition which called for the destruction of mosques in response to the toppling and removal of statues of the slave traders Edward Colston and Robert Milligan.

The petition, titled “If the statues go, the Mosques go too,” called on Black Lives Matters supporters to target mosques (as apparent symbols of slavery) and had gained over 500 signatures in one day before its removal for breaching the platform’s rules on hate speech.

On Twitter, the petition had generated various harmful comments, with one such tweet calling for the use of bulldozers.

Credit: Twitter.

Others tweeted that the “mosques can go anyway…”.

Signatories on the change.org petition included individuals based in the United States, Chile, Spain, and Australia, from the location information provided on some profiles who had made public statements after signing the petition.

Some UK-based users who signed the petition had made racist comments, referring to Muslims as “medieval savages” as others made broader racialised anti-Muslim and Islamophobic comments – from accusing all Muslims of being terrorists to forms of ‘cultural othering’, including about the perceived number of mosques in a ‘Christian country’.

Change.org has clear policies on hate speech, limiting content (including petitions, usernames, comments) that “attack or malign an entire class of people based on characteristics such as their age, color, disability, ethnic origin, gender identity, nationality, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, medical condition, or veteran status.”

The platform also holds discretion when enforcing its Terms, including the closing of accounts or removing harmful content.

We welcome the swift action regarding hateful content on their platform.

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Categories: Black Lives Matter, News, petition

Upstander intervenes to stop men intimidating Muslim women and demanding to know why they wear hijabs

June 9, 2020 Article

A member of the public intervened to stop two men harassing Muslim women and demanding to know why they were wearing hijabs.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, described how he first stopped to monitor the situation by pretending to use his mobile phone when out walking in his local park, before intervening when safe to do as the situation escalated.

To protect their identities, we are only disclosing that the incident occurred in the east of Scotland on June 6.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, he described how one of the men had placed both hands on a table and leaned into one of the women, demanding to know about her hijab as his friend stood to watch.

Despite observing laughter and attempts from diplomacy from the women, it was a brazen act of intimidation, more so that children were also present, as the man continued to approach their table even as their friend tried to him to leave.

At one point, the man demanded food from their table, which the women shared, the good Samaritan credited the woman’s diplomacy when confronted with such intimidation, adding that he feared that the man would attack her.

When safe to do so, the upstander intervened as one of the men became aggressive towards one of the children, as he interjected himself physically to create a barrier to stop the intimidation escalating further, as he continued to use his body to usher the men towards a different section of the park.

He described both men as being in their forties and white.

After the men left, our upstander approached the women who expressed her gratitude but declined to report the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic intimidation to the police.

Of the verified reports to Tell MAMA in 2018 which occurred offline, on streets or transport networks, in workplaces or places of business, over half (57 per cent) of those targeted were Muslim women, as a majority of known perpetrators were male (73 per cent) as 61 per cent, where ethnicity was known, were identified as white males. It again demonstrates the overlapping and intersecting nature of misogyny and the racialised targeting of Muslim women.

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Categories: Harassment, Hijab, News, Scotland

Muslim family abused by a group of men and told their Eid clothes ‘stink’

May 29, 2020 Article

A Muslim woman walking with her young sister to celebrate Eid near to a park described how a group of men in a passing car made several derogatory remarks and laughed about their traditional clothing.

One comment included, “how are people going to come out like this with their Eid clothes on?! They stink as well!”.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, she added that the comments had terrified her young sister.

The incident took place in the Reading area on May 24 at around 17:00 GMT.

To further protect their identities, we are declining to name the park in question.

She described the main perpetrator as an Indian male in his mid-to-late twenties, as the two other men, described as laughing at the remarks, she described as being of the same age and black.

In 2018, Tell MAMA recorded the details of 1,196 perpetrators, with 482 verified as male. The dataset for that year also revealed that the perpetrators were older than those they targeted. And, consistent with previous annual reports, of the known/disclosed victims, the majority were female (57 per cent, n=721)

In that same reporting year, Tell MAMA verified 400 (54 per cent) incidents of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic incidents categorised as abusive behaviour.

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Categories: abuse, News, stink

Tinned pork left outside Muslim family’s home during Ramadan

May 27, 2020 Article

A Muslim family spoke of their shock after discovering tinned pork products placed on their wall and that of their neighbour when returning home one evening.

The incident occurred during the final week of the holy month of Ramadan in the Birmingham area.

The family added that such an incident had never happened in the area before.

Tell MAMA has long documented how perpetrators have targeted the homes or vehicles of Muslims with pork products – from placing rashers of bacon on car door handles or pushing them through letterboxes.

Nor have Islamic institutions (and their proposed locations) been immune from such visceral anti-Muslim and Islamophobic incidents either in recent years.

Just last week, the Jamia Masjid Sultania in Sneinton, Nottingham, had pork drippings, raw meat, dog waste and soiled nappies tossed into their car park. In a Facebook post dated May 20, the mosque revealed that Nottinghamshire Police are also investigating a string of threatening letters sent to the mosque.

Nor is the issue isolated to the UK either, with pig’s head and pork products targeting mosques in Germany and the Czech Republic in 2020. And, in March 2019, a pig’s head and animal blood appeared at the entrance to a proposed mosque in Bergerac, France.

The weaponisation of pork to cause harm to Muslims is not a recent phenomenon either and remains an ideological fixation of the far-right.

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Categories: News, pork

Car dealership sacks racist employee filmed calling Muslim customer a ‘black c*nt’

May 21, 2020 Article

A car dealership in Doncaster has sacked an employee who made a racist comment about a Muslim customer, Tell MAMA can reveal.

The distressing incident only came to light after the Muslim man reviewed his dashcam footage after booking his car in for a routine service on March 18.

To protect their identity, we have declined to disclose the name of the dealership and anonymised their story.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, he revealed that the racist abuse occurred when the member of staff, described as being a white male in his forties, was driving his vehicle in the car and park and stopped to converse with a colleague. After discussing issues with the Muslim man’s vehicle to his colleague, he called him a ‘black c*nt’ and drove off further.

The Muslim man, who is South Asian, felt distressed by the racist abuse and made a formal complaint to the company and South Yorkshire Police.

After investigating the complaint, the company terminated the perpetrator’s employment.

Concerns, however, have been raised to Tell MAMA about the police investigation, including the length of time, and, that the matter would not be taken further, due to the racist abuse not occurring in view of the victim, from a legislative standpoint.

Tell MAMA is now liaising with South Yorkshire Police further on their behalf.

This example of racism and racialisation demonstrates how ‘radical’ forms of othering, concerned with power relations – be it in institutions, or, in this case, daily interactions, including on public transport or at places of business, harm Muslims.

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Categories: hate crime, News, South Yorkshire police

Facebook apologises for role in anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka in 2018

May 13, 2020 Article

Facebook’s failure to remove hate speech and falsehoods may have contributed to real-world anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka in 2018, a human rights report has found.

The report, published by Article One on May 11, was the product of a two-year partnership with the social media giant, which involved conducting human rights assessments in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

In a
statement to Bloomberg, Facebook ‘deplored’ the misuse of its platform, adding,
“We recognize, and apologize for, the very real human rights impacts that
resulted.”

The Article One report gives much focus to the violence in Kandy during broader anti-Muslim and Islamophobic riots. Ethnonationalist and Buddhist nationalist groups had torched Muslim homes and businesses, mosques were also damaged, with at least one reported fatality, of a man trapped inside of a burning house.

According to Hidayath Saththar, a provincial council member, identified
by the New York Times in its 2018 coverage, reported that four mosques, 37
houses, 46 businesses and multiple vehicles were damaged.

The Reuters news agency had reported how Buddhist nationalists had
more broadly “protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim
Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist
nationalism has also been on the rise.”

Muslims in the village of Mullegama, speaking to the Associated Press, described how the police did nothing to stop the violence.

Coverage from multiple international sources reported how
the violence was spurred on by the death of a Buddhist youth, with many defying
a police curfew. There was no evidence of a bias motive in the attack, but
anti-Muslim voices used
the death as a pretext for further anti-Muslim violence.

The extent of the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic violence forced a temporary
ban on Facebook.

Before and in the aftermath of the violence, Facebook extremists used dehumanising
language in their calls for violence against Muslims, even
posting detailed instructions about creating petrol bombs.

But for years, politicians and civil society groups had warned the social
media giant that ethnonationalist and Buddhist nationalists were using the
platform to target Muslims, women, and other minorities. One influential
report, published
by the think tank Centre for Policy Alternatives in 2014, identified twenty
ethnonationlist hate groups targeting women and minorities, with a vast
majority still active on Facebook four years later, according
to a detailed report in BuzzFeed News.

A New York Times investigation, drawing from testimonies from victims,
officials, and ordinary people, argued that Facebook’s newsfeed had a “central
role in nearly every step from rumor to killing.” Facebook had declined
to answer at length to specific questions about its role in the violence, as a
spokeswoman quoted over email, referred to its steps to remove content when
made aware.

The most infamous example of an anti-Muslim falsehood
derived from
Sinhalese-speaking Facebook, with memes and unfounded
claims that Muslims were spiking food with sterilisation pills to destroy
the country’s ethnic majority.

It resulted in a crowd attacking a Muslim restauranter destroying his shop
before a mosque was set alight. The so-called ‘confession’ was filmed and would
become another a viral anti-Muslim falsehood.

A similar conspiracy about Muslims and sterilisation appeared
in a Reuters investigation one year later. It found no evidence to substantiate
claims that a Muslim doctor had, in secret, sterilised 4,000 Sinhala Buddhist
women.

The Reuters investigation also
revealed that the falsehood appeared one week after Buddhist nationalists had
used the Easter terror attacks which killed 269 people
in coordinated suicide bombings, as a pretext to destroy Muslim homes, stores,
and mosques in the northwestern province of the country.

Academics have documented
examples of the exponential spread of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic content on
Facebook from Buddhist nationalists in Sri Lanka. One page, with over 13,000 ‘likes’
had produced 71 anti-Muslim and Islamophobic image graphics between January and
May 2013. The group’s name in English ‘Safe Buddhism’ had
a more menacing name in Sinhala, which read as, “End Muslim barbarity against
Sinhala Buddhist harmony”.

Facebook also lacked
the staff to monitor hate speech in Sinhalese and Burmese, according to
academics. BuzzFeed News identified
through officials and civil society groups that, as of March 2018, it had just
two Sinhalese-speaking moderators, who both live outside of Sri Lanka, in a country
with over 4 million active users.

According to the Article One assessment,
“Facebook’s lack of formal human rights due diligence in Sri Lanka prior to
this HRIA and the limited cultural and language expertise among Facebook staff
at the time of the May 2018 Kandy incident may have contributed to offline harm
stemming from online engagement.” An issue which was exacerbated further by a
now-removed algorithm designed to drive engagement on the platform.

Nor did Facebook implement its Community Standards in a conducive manner,
allowing forms of harassment and hate speech to grow or remain on the platform,
Article One found.
Examples of anti-dehumanising Muslim language cited in the report included, “Kill
all Muslims, don’t even save an infant; they are dogs.”

The Article One report also highlights a decade of frustrations for civil
society groups who felt shut out by the platform following repeated attempts
(including phone calls and published reports) to highlight the misuse of its
platform and offline violence, until the government shutdown of social media in
2018.

Facebook published detailed statements in response to the Article One
reports on
May 12, adding how it is
“using proactive detection technology to identify potentially violating hate
speech, developing machine learning capabilities in Sinhala and Bahasa
Indonesia.”

They have also employed more policy leads and program managers in Sri
Lanka, Indonesia and Cambodia, and hiring more
content reviewers who speak Sinhala, Tamil, Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese and
Khmer.

Despite significant criticism, Article One found that a majority of the 74
stakeholders engaged, found value in Facebook in Sri Lanka when managed
effectively, adding that marginalised groups including human rights activists
and LGBTQI+ individuals found safe spaces on the platform. But the report did
highlight how their fundamental rights and that of women and children, may have
been upended.

Article One also
called on Facebook to acknowledge the harms it may have caused and to make
the findings of such reports public.

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Categories: News, Sri Lanka