JAILED: Man threatened to kill Muslims, burn a mosque, and bomb council property during 999 call

February 18, 2021 Article

A man who threatened to murder Muslims, burn down a mosque, and bomb local council buildings in Ebbw Vale, Wales, has been given a six-month prison sentence.

45-year-old Robert Armstrong had made the threats during a 999 call he made on November 24 last year, according to the South Wales Argus.

He was remanded in custody last year.

Additional charges under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 related to threats to burn down a mosque and bombing Blaenau Gwent council buildings.

He appeared in Newport Crown Court on December 23.

Given his conviction, extracts from his 999 call have been made public, and reveal that he had told the police call handler that his issues were with “the government, the police, and the NHS”.

The tone became more menacing and threatening as he said: “I am going to f*** up as many lives as I can. By the time I am finished the Muslim community in Wales will be p***** off because I will murder them.”

He also threatened to kill any police officer who responded to his threatening phone call.

When officers from Gwent Police did attend the scene, however, they arrested Armstrong after discharging a taser.

In mitigation, Stuart John cited Armstrong’s mental health issues, including trouble accessing his prescription.

When sentencing Armstrong, Judge Christopher Vosper, could not say what triggered the threats and how the call handler could not ignore the threats, despite “unsure whether to take the threats seriously.”

Judge Vosper added that Armstrong had threatened to stab council workers in the neck, and: “You also made threats against the Muslim community, particularly those of Pakistani origin. You threatened to kill them and destroy a mosque.”

He added that whilst the council workers and local Muslims had not heard the threats, he sentenced Armstrong to 26-weeks in prison.

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Categories: mosque, News, South Wales

Man charged with assault as worshippers subjected to racist abuse and gun gestures outside mosque

January 21, 2021 Article

Merseyside Police today (January 21) named a 45-year-old man charged in connection with an assault and a racially aggravated public order offence following the targeting of worshippers when leaving the Al-Rahma Mosque, on Mulgrave Street, in Toxeth last month.

The anti-Muslim and Islamophobic attack occurred on the afternoon of December 11.

In a statement, officers attended the scene following reports of an assault with a bike lock against a 41-year-old man.

The statement added that the victim had challenged the perpetrator who had been shouting racist abuse and making gun gestures at worshippers as they left the mosque.

Following the completion of their investigation yesterday (January 20), Paul Anderson, 45, of Duke Street in Liverpool City Centre, was arrested, taken into custody, and later charged with assault (Section 47) and a racially aggravated public order offence (Section 4a of the Public Order Act 1986).

Paul Anderson is due to appear in court today after being remanded in custody.

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Categories: gun, hate crime, Liverpool, mosque, News

Racist told Muslim man he’d call the police to “deport you” when asked to maintain social distancing

December 1, 2020 Article

A racist customer at a high-street department store in Bury angrily told a Muslim man that he would call the police to “deport him” after they made a polite request to maintain social distancing when queuing.

The incident occurred on the evening of November 27, and, despite the threat, the racist customer soon left the store as members of staff apologised, adding that the comments were unacceptable.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, and wishing to remain anonymous, he described how the man, whom he described as white and in his early-to-mid-forties, reacted to his innocuous request to maintain social distancing measures with such hostility, that even staff members had challenged him before their racist outburst, where he said: “I’ll call the police; if I call the police; they’ll take you to the airport and deport you.”

The Muslim man felt targeted due to his ethnicity and beard.

Nor did he report the racist incident to the police, citing a previous negative experience, where officers had informed him that despite the presence of CCTV footage, they had been unable to investigate further.

Following discussions, with our casework team, however, he did consent for our service to make an anonymous report to Greater Manchester Police to make them aware.

Last month, a senior police officer told a committee that arguments over face masks to limit the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) was a contributing factor in rising reports of racist hate crime.

Nick Ephgrave, who is the Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, said: “Someone will challenge someone about the use or not of a face mask, and then in the course of that interaction will then use racist language.”

These comments appeared within a broader context: of rising racist behaviour from neighbours during the national lockdown, or strangers targeting members of the public, reflecting how racist hate crime remains, overwhelmingly, an issue of aggravated public order offences.

Tell MAMA has long documented in previous annual reports how the dynamics of neighbours targeting Muslim individuals and families, warning in 2017 that: “Perhaps most invasively, this day-to-day form of abuse can happen in and around the homes of Muslims, harming their sense of safety and limiting their social mobility.”

And in 2018, one in 10 reports from Muslim men had sported beards when targeted in anti-Muslim and Islamophobic incidents.

Academics have also explored, more broadly, how, in a post-9/11 context, the racialised visibility of Muslim men are more likely to be deemed security threats or disloyal, as visible Muslim women, in particular, are questioned about their nationality and cultural values.

Tell MAMA has documented other case studies where Muslim men, targeted because of their ethnicity and religious appearance, faced discriminatory and dehumanising comments related to terrorism or explosives.

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: Coronavirus, Greater Manchester Police, News

Muslim woman called a ‘rat’ by racist customer in Costa Coffee

November 17, 2020 Article

A Muslim woman spoke of her anger and frustration after a white, middle-aged couple made abusive and racist remarks, including the man shouting, “There’s a rat in here” at a branch of Costa Coffee in Leeds.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, she described how she felt targeted by the racist comments due to her ethnicity and because she was wearing a salwar kameez, in a mostly white area of the city.

After finishing her drink, the woman directed a demeaning ‘aww’ sound at her as she left.

The racist incident occurred on November 2, three days before new national restrictions took effect to reduce the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).

In a statement to Tell MAMA, a spokesperson for Costa Coffee said: “Costa Coffee is passionate about creating an inclusive, warm and welcoming environment for our team members to work in and for our customers to enjoy. Racism and discrimination has no place within Costa Coffee.”

The spokesperson further confirmed to Tell MAMA that they will look into the matter internally to see if any complaints to staff about the racist incident had occurred.

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Categories: Leeds, News, rat

Muslim child bullied for homemade lunches until parents complain

October 21, 2020 Article

Staff at a primary school in east London intervened to stop the racist bullying of a young Muslim girl who was mocked for their homemade lunches after her parents raised concerns, Tell MAMA can reveal.

To protect their identity, we are not disclosing the name of the school or the identities of those impacted, but Tell MAMA can confirm that during lunchtimes, a group of mainly white students would cover their noses at the Muslim child’s meals that included rice and curry, causing her much distress and embarrassment, until she informed her parents of the situation, who, in turn, informed staff.

They agreed to have their story told to raise awareness after being made aware of the bullying late last month, adding that, following discussion with staff, the bullying students will no longer be able to interact with their child.

In response to growing concerns about anti-Muslim and Islamophobic bullying in schools, both primary and secondary, Tell MAMA created tailor-made safety tips for young people, and PDF versions are free to download.

Polling of 1,000 six to 15-year-olds revealed that just over one-in-three (32 per cent) of children had heard someone be racist at school, a figure that rises by the time they reach the age of thirteen to 52 per cent.

Although the polling did not control for ethnic background, it did, however, show that children living in diverse cities were more exposed to racism.

Earlier this year, the BBC reported that exclusions for racist behaviours in primary schools in England had risen by 40 per cent.

Advice on talking to children about racism from practitioners and experts appears on UNICEF, Barnado’s, the BBC and others.

Anti-bullying charities also publish supportive guidance about racist bullying and the statutory rights that underpin the issue.

Various Tell MAMA annual reports have included anonymised case studies where schools have and have not addressed bullying or discriminatory practices when we have advocated on behalf of service users.

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Categories: bullying, News

Racist spat and shouted “F**** P* sl*t” at Muslim woman at traffic lights

October 14, 2020 Article

A racist driver spat at and shouted “f****** P*** sl*t” at a Muslim woman who wears the hijab when at a set of traffic lights in central London.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, and wishing to remain anonymous, the woman described how the hostility from the driver began before the racist and misogynistic abuse took place, stating that the male driver had swerved towards her vehicle, shouting obscenities at her, before overtaking her on repeated occasions.

The racist incident occurred on the afternoon of October 8.

She felt that the man was following them, adding to her anxiety as her young child was also present and that when he directed his spit, her window had been open.

After expressing frustration at the time taken to report the Islamophobic hate crime to the Metropolitan Police on 101, Tell MAMA made a report on her behalf, and an investigation is ongoing.

She described the perpetrator as a bearded white male in his mid-to-late fifties who drove a white Mercedes van.

Tell MAMA has long-documented the intersection between anti-Muslim hatred, Islamophobia, and misogyny, in news articles and research reports, that also connect racialised and gendered stereotypes about the religious identities of Muslim women.

In the first six months of 2019, 5 per cent of verified reports to Tell MAMA took place on roads or highways.

The latest Home Office bulletin on hate crime in England and Wales reveals a sharp rise in racist hate crime, accounting for 72 per cent of offences, up 6 per cent on the previous recording cycle.

The bulletin noted, “The increases seen in June and July 2020 were likely to be related to the Black Lives Matters protests and far-right groups counter-protests.”

Religious hate crime fell by 6 per cent, but the bulletin excludes data from Greater Manchester Police and Nottinghamshire Police. Of the figures available, half of the religiously aggravated offences (against the perceived targeted faith group) targeted Muslims (3,089), as almost one-in-five offences targeted Jewish people (1,205), with 7 per cent of offences targeting those of ‘Other’ faith, as 3 per cent (202 incidents) targeted Sikh communities.

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Categories: Hijab, London, Metropolitan Police, News

‘Kill All N******’: violent, racist graffiti appears on bus stop in Leeds

October 12, 2020 Article

Violent, racist graffiti calling for the murder of black people appeared on a Leeds bus stop over the weekend.

A member of the public spotted the racist graffiti which included the statements “Kill all n******,” “F*** BLM,” and a Nazi swastika on a bus stop in the Selby Rd area of the city.

They reported the graffiti to West Yorkshire Police and to Tell MAMA, and consented to have the information shared anonymously.

Weeks earlier, Tell MAMA reported how a racist targeted a Muslim family in Leeds, coughing on them and saying “there you go” before walking off, on September 25.

The discovery of the shocking racist graffiti coincides with the launch of National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which aims is to bring people together in solidarity against hate crime in all its forms, and Tell MAMA is proud to support the cause and stand against all forms of racism, hatred, and bigotry.

Members of the public can submit hate crime reports online through True Vision, or in some cases, forces like Police Scotland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Metropolitan Police use their own online reporting forms. To find your nearest police force, use the Police.UK website.

Anonymous crime reports can be made to Crimestoppers online or over the phone on 0800 555 111.

Third-party support services like Tell MAMA, can report incidents to the police or offer their own confidential support, for individuals and witnesses, and in non-criminal matters like discrimination.

A list of third-party services which support a range of communities is available here.

In an emergency dial 999 and in a non-emergencies, dial 101.

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Categories: Black Lives Matter, Leeds, News, West Yorkshire Police

Muslim woman called a ‘f****** P*ki’ by teenage boys when sat waiting in her car

September 1, 2020 Article

A Muslim woman spoke of her shock and dismay after a group of teenage boys called her a “f****** P*ki” as she sat in the passenger’s side of her family car.

The racist incident took place today (September 1) around lunchtime in a northern area of Edinburgh, the location of which, we are not fully disclosing to protect those impacted.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, and wishing to remain anonymous, she described the three white teenage boys as being aged between 13 and 15-years-old, adding that as one of them approached the passenger window (where she sat) and said the racist abuse, one of the other boys added an “ooh” sound, before walking off.

She had not caught a direct glimpse of those responsible as she had been browsing her phone beforehand.

The racist abuse directed towards was motivated by her South Asian ethnicity and her hijab, demonstrating how the racialisation of religious clothing propagates harmful and misogynistic stereotypes about Muslim women.

She also lamented how emboldened young people felt to be so direct with their racism in a diverse city like Edinburgh.

Tell MAMA reported on the harassment of Muslim women in the east of Scotland due to their religiosity in June, a member of the public intervened that day, ushering the perpetrators away.

On this occasion, the Muslim woman intends to speak with Police Scotland regarding the racist abuse

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Categories: hjab, News, Scotland

Nadiya Hussain: Why I’m scared of calling out racism

August 31, 2020 Article

Nadiya Hussain says she has experienced more racism in the last five years than in her entire life and is “scared” to call it out.

The Great British Bake Off winner worries that her TV work will dry up if she is seen to be “complaining” about anything.

Hussain, 35, who is back on screen with BBC show Nadiya Bakes, told Radio Times magazine she had encountered “racism throughout my life…

“I now work in an industry that’s very much middle-aged, Caucasian, male, and there I am – a five foot one Muslim brown girl, and it’s not my world.

“We have to question why there aren’t more people of colour working in television, publishing, the hospitality industry.

“When I did this show I looked around and I thought, ‘Wow, there’s literally just me and the home economist, who’s Korean’.”

Speaking out is hard “because if I ever feel like I’m complaining about anything, I have this god-awful fear that nobody will want to work with me ever again. So I’m really scared,” she said.

“The times that I have called it out, I’ve met with some serious negativity.”

She called for more diversity in TV and publishing but said the situation had improved, adding that “now people say to me, ‘My daughter wants to do exactly what you’re doing’, and that is a lovely thing to hear”.

Hussain recounted the time she posted a Cornish pasty recipe on social media, replacing traditional swede with apple.

“I got so much abuse… What I constantly read was, ‘What gives you the right to make a Cornish pasty?’ And that really affected me,” she said.

“I’ve definitely experienced more racism in the last five years than I have in my whole life.

“People get away with being racist and if you say, ‘Well, that was racist’, then it’s ‘Take it on the chin’ or ‘Oh, she’s got a chip on her shoulder’.

“There’s definitely a sense that I should be grateful for what I do. I’ve had to learn to have a thicker skin over the last few years, but I’ve also learnt that it’s really important to voice things and not just hold back.”

Hussain says her mum still works six days a week, doing 12-hour shifts in a factory where she cleans hospital linen.

“I’m proud of what she does and the fact that she is one of the people keeping this country going,” the cookbook author and presenter said.

And the mother-of-three has not moved to a bigger house since finding fame because “I can’t see the value in constantly upgrading everything”.

Hussain recently told how she found lockdown difficult and had “struggled” to get out of bed.

She told the magazine that “lockdown caused a massive decline in my mental health” but she also has “really good days”.

“We know lots of people who have been diagnosed with Covid. We also know people who are not following the rules, so there’s this constant anxiety, which has been really tough,” she said.

“I have really big down days where it dawns on me that we could get to the end.

The post Nadiya Hussain: Why I’m scared of calling out racism appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Calling out racism, Experienced more racism, Nadiya Hussain, News

Woman with dogs pushed Muslim family and shouted “f*** off” at a pedestrian crossing

August 25, 2020 Article

A Muslim woman, walking with her young daughter, described how a woman who had two medium-sized dogs with her, flouting social distancing guidelines, barged into them and shouted abuse as they waited to cross a street in East London.

Speaking to Tell MAMA, the mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, added that her young daughter, who is autistic and fearful of dogs, fell into the road after jumping to avoid contact with their dogs, and she was able to calm her by speaking to her in Arabic.

The perpetrator then shouted various non-sequiturs and abuse at them, including “f*** off” and “f*** off, get back to work,” which the mother believes were motivated by anti-Muslim and Islamophobic prejudice, due to her hijab and speaking in Arabic.

She described the perpetrator as being a white female in her mid-to-late forties.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident which occurred on July 25.

Consistent with existing research, a clear majority of reports to Tell MAMA in the interim months of 2019 (January to June), occurred in public areas (n=98).

During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we have documented examples of how in the realms of social media and on streets, individuals have targeted Muslims, whether with violence or acts of hate speech or racialised forms of online fakery.

How #COVID19 increased and influenced the nature of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic reports to our service. #no2h8 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/7D9MN3OqTl

— Tell MAMA UK (@TellMamaUK) August 5, 2020

Tell MAMA also called on the Conservative MP Craig Whittaker to apologise for his comments made on LBC radio.

Others have warned about rising racism in areas like Oldham.

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Categories: Coronavirus, hate crime, Hijab, London, News