In light of Islamophobia Awareness Month, Witan Solicitors submitted Freedom of Information Requests to West Midlands and West Yorkshire Police to identify whether the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may have led to a rise in Islamophobic hate crimes. We requested information on the number of Islamophobic incidents reported to each authority in October 2022 and October 2023. Read on to discover whether religiously-motivated hate has increased in each area.
68% Surge in The West Midlands
The data gathered from the West Midlands Police revealed that Islamophobic incidents in the area have surged by 68%, with only 22 incidents reported in October 2022 compared to 37 in October 2023.
Muslims make up around 30% of the second city’s population and the increase in anti-Muslim faith hate crimes in some of the UK’s most densely populated Muslim areas is alarming. Generally, these areas represent diverse and harmonious communities. But the recent rise undermines the multiculturalism that the UK values.
Qarrar Somji, Director of Witan, says: “People should not be blaming those in their neighbourhoods for what is happening in the Middle East. I hope that the police take action to protect members of the community who may be vulnerable right now and investigate properly. It’s crucial that everyone feels safe in our city, regardless of their political or religious beliefs.”
35% Rise in Yorkshire
An analysis of 2011 census data revealed that the Muslim population had nearly doubled in Yorkshire. Similarly, 2021 census data shows that the number of people identifying as Muslim has increased by 5.4%. What’s more, the Muslim population in Bradford has increased by 24.7% in just the space of a decade.
West Yorkshire Police revealed that the number of anti-Islamic faith hate crimes reported has increased by 35% from 28 in October 2022 to 38 in October 2023.
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