Muslim family shouted at and called “P*kis” in a car park in Manchester

August 23, 2019 Article

A Muslim family were subjected to racist abuse and slurs as they walked through a car park in the Manchester area.

The incident occurred on June 2 at around 13:40 GMT.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, one of the women, who wishes to remain anonymous, described how a group of individuals in the car had shouted “bob heads” as they imitated the Indian headshake, called them “P*kis”, and shouted other abuse.

Both women were wearing the hijab and abaya when the incident occurred, but neither woman is Pakistani or South Asian, demonstrating how Muslims irrespective of ethnicity, are often racialised by perpetrators.

They reported the incident to Greater Manchester Police.

She described the perpetrators as being three white males and a white female, all between the ages of 18 and 25.

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.

The post Muslim family shouted at and called “P*kis” in a car park in Manchester appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: Greater Manchester Police, News

Man attempted to punch disabled Muslim woman and ran off shouting “P*ki”

August 19, 2019 Article

“I was shocked to hear the word P*ki, I’ve not been called it in years”, said Shiria Khatun, as she described the racist abuse she faced from a fellow customer at a branch of the Co-Op in London on August 13.

“It took me back to the dark days of the National Front, who would bang on my front door and shout ‘P*ki’”, she added.

The 47-year-old wanted Tell MAMA to share her experience without anonymising her identity.

She was queuing to pay for her goods, which she had dropped several times due to her disability, and a man, who she described as white, bald, and middle-aged, sporting a high-visibility jacket, loudly tutted at her for dropping her goods.

Shiria turned to the man, offering her apologies, and patiently began to explain how her disabilities meant she was unable to hold onto her items without dropping them.

His response, however, was of a man gripped by paroxysms of racist anger and entitlement, as replied: “You P*ki. You disabled P*ki”. Adding, “You lot think you can do anything”.

But Shiria challenged him, adding that there was no need for that language, nor was it her role to justify or explain herself to him.

His racism continued, and he made a crude remark about her hijab, stating: “Can you even see with that thing on your head? Probably why you’re dropping things”.

And, again, Shiria challenged the man, who then attempted to punch her in the face, which was blocked by her teenage son.

A member of staff then intervened, but the man fled the store, shouting “P*ki” as he left.

Shiria reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police, who took her statement three days later, on August 16.

The racialisation of Muslim identity means that Muslims, irrespective of ethnicity, face racist abuse, including the slurs directed at Shiria, who is not Pakistani. It also impacts non-Muslims, including Hindus and Sikhs, who have, according to some academics, had their faiths ‘othered and delegitimised’ through the reconfiguring of their religions through a racial lens.

Academics have contended that the visibility of the hijab serves to reinforce the “age-old stereotypes about Muslim women as meek and submissive” amongst perpetrators.

Tell MAMA continues to document the gendered nature of this issue. In the 2017 reporting cycle, more than half of those reporting incidents to Tell MAMA were female. And, a clear majority of perpetrators were male (64.6 per cent), with 69 per cent of all male perpetrators identified as white (where the perpetrator data was available and verified). In the interim reporting cycle, between January and July 2018, 58 per cent of those reporting incidents to Tell MAMA were Muslim women.

Grounding any understanding of this issue, therefore, in a framework of intersectionality, is imperative. This concept of black feminist thought presents a framework to stop the essentialism of difference. Writing in Living a Feminist Life, the scholar Professor Sara Ahmed noted that “Intersectionality is messy and embodied” in the hope of broadening the discussion to recognise certain privileges, like being able-bodied, but still face structural and personal forms of oppression. Ahmed argues: “It is easy for me to forget to think about it [able-bodied privilege], which is what makes a privilege a privilege: the experiences you are protected from having; the thoughts you do not have to think”.

Shiria’s case is another example of how this issue harms the mobility of Muslim women, curtailing the right to shop free from abuse, discrimination, or attempts of violence. Tell MAMA continues to document other examples where fundamental rights of religious expression have been hindered or curtailed in employment and education.

It was a fear that fewer Muslim women are speaking out about their experiences of racism, Islamophobia, and anti-Muslim prejudice, which encouraged her to not only contact Tell MAMA but agree to have their story told.

Tell MAMA, in partnership with CATCH (Community Alliance to Combat Hate), works to support those who face abuse or discrimination, due to various protected characteristics, meaning that someone who experienced an Islamophobic and anti-disability hate crime or incident, can be referred to the appropriate support service.

The post Man attempted to punch disabled Muslim woman and ran off shouting “P*ki” appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: Co-Op, disability hate, London, Metropolitan Police, News, Supermarket

Salford City investigating racist slur made against Muslim supporter

August 14, 2019 Article

A Muslim man was abused by a middle-aged man, who said: “You haven’t come to bomb the place have you?” and then laughed, as they queued to purchase tickets for the Carabao Cup clash between Salford City and Leeds United.

The incident took place outside of Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium on August 11 at around 10:00 am GMT.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, he consented to have his story shared anonymously to raise awareness of the incident, reported the Islamophobic and anti-Muslim abuse to staff who are investigating.

Tell MAMA reported the incident to Greater Manchester Police on their behalf.

The Muslim man felt targeted due to his beard, ethnicity, and thobe, which demonstrates the intersections between racialisation and religiosity. Non-Muslim men have faced racialised abuse and violence on the misperception that their appearance, including their ethnicity and beard, were indicators of the Islamic faith.

He described the perpetrator as a white male, who was in his mid-to-late fifties.

A spokesperson for Salford City spoke of their “immense disappointment”, and, in a statement to Tell MAMA, said: “We are hugely disappointed to learn of this, and it is being dealt with in cooperation with the relevant authorities. Salford City does not tolerate the use of racist or abusive language or behaviour and we will take relevant action against the person responsible in conjunction with Greater Manchester Police”.

Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination charity, reported a 43 per cent rise in reports of racist abuse in English football, with 274 reports when compared to the previous reporting cycle, with an additional 99 reports of racist abuse online.

Racist incidents continue to rise, with 274 incidents reported to Kick It Out during the season – an alarming 43% increase on the previous campaign.

An additional 99 reports were made regarding racist abuse online.

Full report: https://t.co/rlFsktKU7x #KickItOut pic.twitter.com/68uHY7bGRQ

— Kick It Out (@kickitout) July 24, 2019

Kick It Out also measures faith-based discrimination, which includes Islamophobia and antisemitism, rose by 75 per cent, with 63 reports compared to 36 reports the previous year. The charity said on Twitter that such a rise was “a significant cause for concern”.

Recent examples of Muslim footballers being targeted for racist abuse online, including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Nottingham Forest striker Lewis Grabban were both subjects of criminal investigations, with 32-year-old Gary Hyland pleading guilty to the abuse of Salah last week.

Photographs of Grabban and Salah were doctored to include suicide vests.

Show Racism the Red Card, a charity which works to counter racism, issued a statement late last month after a small section of Newcastle United supporters made pro-Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) chants during a pre-season friendly with Hibernian FC.

Kick It Out has an online form and apps on Google Play and iOS to report racism and discrimination in football.

The post Salford City investigating racist slur made against Muslim supporter appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: football, Greater Manchester Police, News, Salford, Show Racism the Red Card

Uber driver felt “mentally broken” after facing racial abuse from passenger

August 9, 2019 Article

A Muslim Uber driver has been unable to work and felt “mentally broken” after being racially abused by a passenger in Brighton.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, the driver, who wishes to remain anonymous, described how he collected a group of passengers on July 30, at around 11:45 pm GMT.

One of the three passengers, described as being an Italian man in his mid-to-late forties, asked several personal questions of the driver, including his name and where he was born.

He answered the passenger’s questions. But the passenger became more belligerent in tone, adding: “Why are you working for f**king British people? I f**king hate British people” and “I am Italian and proud to be Italian. You should go back to your country. You are discriminating against your own country”.

The driver then requested that the passenger stop being disrespectful, but instead, the passenger continued to repeat his racist remarks. So, the driver pulled over and insisted that he could take the passengers no further and that they should order a different taxi, as he was unable to continue with their journey.

The racist passenger grew more belligerent as he exited the vehicle, he said out “f**king Muslim” and referred to the driver as a “c***”.

After the passengers left, the driver contacted Uber and Sussex Police to report the racial abuse.

The physical and psychological toll of hate crime is well-documented, harming the mental health and wellbeing of individuals. In broader terms, there is a blurring or overlap between racial and religious discrimination in the context of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice. Racial discrimination, however, has been linked to increased psychological distress, hypertension, and poorer general health. The city of Milwaukee, in the United States, declared last month that racism is a public health crisis. Despite such negative health impacts, structural racism for black and Asian people struggle to access talking therapies or treatments for mental or emotional problems. Perceptions of discriminatory attitudes from healthcare practitioners, studies have found, has seen some withdraw from seeking help. The Race Disparity Audit found that patients from Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian, and Chinese backgrounds were more likely to express dissatisfaction with the experience of getting a GP appointment, and with the quality of service.

Tell MAMA, has, for many years, documented the risk working in the night-time economy, such as taxi drivers, security personnel and those in the hospitality sector, may have for Muslims, vulnerable to Islamophobic hate crime.

The post Uber driver felt “mentally broken” after facing racial abuse from passenger appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: News, Sussex Police, taxi driver, Uber

Man targets Muslim woman with racist abuse then punches adjacent bus window

July 29, 2019 Article

A Muslim woman, who wears the hijab, described the racist abuse she faced from a man who stared at her and said out loud: “there are too many of these people” and “they need to go back to their countries” on a crowded bus in Bristol on July 22.

The woman consented for Tell MAMA to tell her story anonymously.

She added that a woman, who she believed was their partner, had told him to stop, to which the man laughed, adding that he ‘cannot be racist as he has a black television’.

When departing the bus, however, the man then punched the adjacent window to the Muslim woman with such force that it “shook”.

She then spoke to the driver who was, in her words, dismissive of her concerns and denied hearing the man making racist remarks, points she will raise with a complaint to First Bus.

Tell MAMA reported the incident to Avon and Somerset Police on her behalf.

She described the man as being white, who was in his mid-to-late twenties, or early thirties.

The act of racism denial has been subject to several important and influential academic studies. One such study, published in 1993, argues that the act of denial takes several forms: the denial of racist intent, trivialising and/or downplaying the significance of the racist incident, inverting the criticism where dominant groups are targets of discrimination, or, through acts of positive self-presentation. But, as van Dijk argues further, other strategies exist outside of outright denial: the justification of events which denies its negative intent, the use of excuses to deny services due to the role of others or ‘special circumstances’, or to blame the victims (on an individual or political level).

The act of self-presentation, therefore, functions as a disclaimer, where the ‘but’ appears beforehand to help justify discriminatory practices, and to “protect the in-group as a whole from accusations of racism”. Racism denial has a socio-political function: to deliberate and undermines anti-racist analysis, and to undermine measures against it, and, as van Dijk asserts, externalising racism and racist acts to the political fringes, obscures how institutions and politicians have an indirect influence and “contribute to the legitimation of white group dominance, that is to the reproduction of racism”. As others contend that nationalism has overtaken traditional understandings of racism to “sanitise and deracialise racist discourses”.

Avon and Somerset Police recorded a 236.23 per cent rise in religiously aggravated hate crime offences between 2009 and 2017, with a 38 per cent rise between 2016 and 2017. Sue Mountstevens, PCC for Avon and Somerset, said 507 people had reported racist hate crimes in the three months that followed the EU referendum result. Reports of racist hate crime to Avon and Somerset Police had increased by 46.36 per cent between 2009 and 2017 (up from 1,540 reports to 2,254).

Tell MAMA verified 58 reports (7 per cent) of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic abuse on transport networks in 2017.

The post Man targets Muslim woman with racist abuse then punches adjacent bus window appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: Bristol, First bus, hate crime, News

How Islamophobia harms the mobility of Muslim women

May 24, 2019 Article

A Muslim who was called a “f*cking P*ki” by a woman in the Sheffield area is now so concerned about her safety that has since avoided returning to the location of the incident, fearful of experiencing further racism.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, described how the unprovoked nature of the racist abuse caused a deeper shock, given that it was in front of her young child and her mother.

She added that her husband has cautioned against her visiting that area again, and where she had felt the area was safe, she has since changed her mind, adding that this has hindered her ability to perform her daily tasks.

South Yorkshire Police closed their investigation into the incident after CCTV footage of the incident was inadequate.

The Muslim woman added that she was concerned that such insidious forms of racism have resurged and found a platform in the mainstream.

She described how the perpetrator was white, female, and in her 20s, and felt targeted because of her ethnicity and religious clothing.

Tell MAMA has long evidenced how Islamophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice curtails the mobility of Muslim women: the right to walk down the street or to access public transport free from abuse, violence, or discrimination, the right of religious expression and practice in workplaces and educational institutions without hindrance from management, to the expectation of equality as consumers.

As our report, The Geography of anti-Muslim Hatred, in 2015 warned: “The inability to counter Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate is a failure to ensure the security and right to equal access of public spaces by Muslims in Britain due to their religion and creed.”

The racialised, gendered nature of Islamophobia, its overlap with misogyny, and the disproportionate targeting of Muslim women continue to demonstrate the importance of an intersectional analysis which is, in short, argues for the ‘politics of survival for black women’ and presents a framework to stop the “essentialism of difference”.

The post How Islamophobia harms the mobility of Muslim women appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: News, South Yorkshire police, Yorkshire

Racist screamed “learn to drive, fcking Pki” at Muslim woman

May 21, 2019 Article

A racist driver screamed, “learn to drive, f*cking P*ki” at a Muslim woman after she hesitated at a junction.

She described how the racist abuse caused her to ‘freeze’, adding that the man was “ferocious and angry”, which left her unable to recall any details about the vehicle he drove.

The woman, who wears the hijab, and is not South Asian, felt that the perpetrator had made a racist assumption because of her headscarf.

The racialisation of Muslims, which concerns “cultural factors in addition to traditional, physical markers of race and ethnicity”, has impacted other faith groups, including Sikhs, who have been racialised as “Arabs” in a post-9/11 and post-7/7 environment, due to the ‘othering’ and delegitimising of their non-Western faiths, according to some academics.

Other academics contend that placing the concept of racialisation within a differential model helps to explain how exclusionary behaviours and practises (structural or otherwise) stem from essientalising forms of cultural difference.

Following the incident on May 13, she pulled over and spoke to their daughter about the racist abuse.

She declined, however, to report the incident to Staffordshire Police, feeling that no action would be taken, given how she could not recall details of the vehicle and described the perpetrator as being a white male in his forties.

The woman has not returned to the area has gained a new job in another city and consented for Tell MAMA to report the incident to Staffordshire Police for intelligence.

Tell MAMA verified 58 incidents (7 per cent) in 2017 which involved cars or other vehicles.

The post Racist screamed “learn to drive, f*cking P*ki” at Muslim woman appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: News, racialisation, Staffordshire Police

Pegida – A Snapshot into their Protectionist World of German Culture & Ardent Xenophobia

May 19, 2019 Article

In 2016, intelligence services estimated that there were just over 23,000 right-wing extremists in Germany. A myriad of groups networking covertly, utilizing social media to extreme effect, was sowing major social discord. Germany has in modern times been regarded by the rest as immune to the reach of the far-right, partly out of collective shame for Nazism. The country had seen where hate led and would not saunter down that path again.

DOWNLOAD THE PEGIDA REPORT HERE

Pegida – The Rise of the Far Right in Germany

But today, the country exists as a hotbed of far-right extremism. The proliferation of populist, racist movements has caught many within its political class off guard. One such group is Pegida.

The movement caught on fire in late 2014 through to early 2015, whipping up mass anger around immigration. The organisation threatened Germany’s long held social cohesion, fracturing it in the backwaters of east Germany where anti-immigration attitudes had been rapidly bubbling for a while. Pegida’s aim was to force into the national conversation the concept of a national cultural identity being threatened by refugees and asylum seekers. It was dangerous, but for a while, it was effective. The group came to influence the political system, and particularly, the part Alternative for Germany (AfD). This report will look into their tumultuous history, their peak moments, setbacks, controversies and structural reasons for why they were as popular as they were.

The post Pegida – A Snapshot into their Protectionist World of German Culture & Ardent Xenophobia appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Germany, News, Pegida

‘No P*kis’ scratched into car bonnet in Peterborough

May 16, 2019 Article

A Muslim man awoke on Tuesday morning to discover that someone in their neighbourhood has scratched the racist phrase “No P*kis” into their car bonnet.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, he condemned the “unnecessary” and “cowardly” act.

Cambridgeshire Police investigated the racist incident, reported on May 14, but closed the case, citing “no lines of enquiry”.

He added that this was the first time he had experienced such racism in his area.

The racialisation of Muslims, has, according to some shifted from traditional understandings of race and racism, and into a form of understanding where South Asian identity has foregrounded conceptions of “The Muslim” identity, despite the racial diversity of Muslim communities in England and Wales.

Tell MAMA continues to argue that any understanding of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred must be grounded in a deeper understanding of intersectionality, racialisation, and cultural racism, given how Muslims, irrespective of ethnicity, are subjected to a variety of racial slurs.

An explanation for this concerns how Muslims are ‘othered’ by sections of society, deemed outsiders, who are deemed to be “incompatible” with the UK on grounds of identity, culture, and security.

One in ten cases reported to Tell MAMA in the 2017 reporting cycle concerned vandalism.

The post ‘No P*kis’ scratched into car bonnet in Peterborough appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: hate crime, News

Minister Backs Football Teams Who Walk Off Pitch If They Are Racially Abused

April 11, 2019 Article

Football “cannot be used as a cloak for racism”, said the sports minister as she condemned the recent abuse suffered by players.

Mims Davies also said the Football Association must look at changing the rule where football teams are fined if their players walk off the pitch due to racist abuse, saying it “sends out the wrong signal”.

Ms Davies, after high-profile interventions by England internationals Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose, told the Commons: “Football cannot be used as a cloak for racism and intolerance and this is a sign that players have had enough, fans have had enough, and this Government has had enough. So stop it.”

She also backed those who want teams to leave the field if they hear racist chanting, adding: “It’s absolutely right that players can take the right actions and we should stand with them.”

Ms Davies later told MPs: “It cannot be right for clubs to be fined for players taking action and walking off the pitch if they are receiving racist abuse. It is vital that players are supported.

“This fine sends out the wrong signal. The FA must review whether their rules and the guidance they give to clubs is effective in these situations. “

Delivering a statement on discrimination in football, Ms Davies said that while the vast majority of fans are a credit to the sport, “sadly it is being used by certain groups and individuals to spread hate”.

After a number of “appalling scenes of racism” the same week the Premier League’s “no room for racism” campaign was launched, the minister said: “We simply cannot have millions of people, in particular our young people tuning in, or witnessing first hand, the type of vile abuse that has been apparent of late.”

The minister held a summit on the issue in February, and came up with steps to help eradicate racism from football.

They included to review if football’s current sanctioning regime and to ensure the partnership between football authorities can improve the identification and sanctioning of offenders at matches.

Ms Davies added: “I also want to see initiatives to help increase the numbers of people from BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) backgrounds into football professions beyond playing.”

Ms Davies said her intention is to “announce these in partnership with football before the end of summer, adding: “I want to see change ready for the next season.”

Labour shadow culture secretary Tom Watson said: “I agree with the minister when she says players should never be punished for walking off a pitch after receiving racist abuse.

“And I was disappointed to hear that the Wythenshawe Town manager James Kinsey has been sanctioned for taking his team off the pitch after alleged racism from a linesman.”

Among his suggestions, Mr Watson added: “Given that so much racist abuse directed at players is online, will the minister explicitly include hate crimes aimed at sporting figures in the online harms consultation?”

Labour MP Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) recalled how she avoided Newcastle United’s St James’ Park because of the “racists there” 30 or 40 years ago, but praised the club and fans for kicking them out. She said: “That hasn’t happened in certain European countries, which are frankly still in the dark ages.

“So could the minister look at taking Uefa to the European Court of Human Rights – footballers are working when they play the beautiful game, they have a right to work in an atmosphere where abuse is absolutely not tolerated.”

Ms Davies said she intends to meet with Uefa and Fifa, noting they can work with the UK to make change happen.

SNP MP Hannah Bardell (Livingston) said it is illegal to be gay in Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, adding: “We need to take stronger action against these countries and consider withholding teams perhaps going to those countries to send the strongest possible message.”

Tory MP Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) asked if fines are harsh enough to stamp out abuse, to which Ms Davies replied: “I think everything should be on the table here – heavy fines for people who don’t react and above all we should be showing leadership, top and bottom, at every level – and money, frankly, should be no object.”

The post Minister Backs Football Teams Who Walk Off Pitch If They Are Racially Abused appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: football, Football Association, Minister, News