Islamophobia: the intensification of racism against Muslim communities in the UK

‍

The racist riots of summer 2024 were the clear outcome of intensifying Islamophobia in the UK. With direct attacks on Muslims and mosques, this explosion of violence is linked to the ways that UK Muslim communities have been portrayed in relation to Gaza. 

Islamophobia: the intensification of racism against Muslim communities in the UK shows that Islamophobia is growing in the UK, and highlights its structural nature across British society. Islamophobia in the UK has deep roots that manifest in many forms.

The sense that Muslim people are a threat to Britain has become overt and direct. Whether it is politicians speaking from the benches in parliament, or mainstream headlines screaming about ‘Islamist extremists’ when describing peaceful protestors, Islamophobia has reached fever pitch in the UK. These narratives have cast British Muslims as ‘outsiders’ with foreign loyalties, as a menace to society. It is time that we put a rational conversation back on the agenda.

The report highlights secondary data which shows that:

• One in three Muslim students experience Islamophobic abuse.
• Muslims are more likely to reside in the most-deprived fifth of local authority districts, with almost half a million more Muslims now living in these most-deprived locales than in 2011.
• In the NHS Muslims are referred to Prevent eight times more often than non-Muslims.

Muslims now make up 18% of the prison population, despite making up only 6 per cent of the general population.

This report is an opportunity to understand both the nature and breadth of Islamophobia in the UK, with the scope to build anti-racist solidarities as an outcome, to eradicate its existence.

We would like to thank the authors, Nasar Meer, Khadijah Elshayyal, Maisha Islam, Raheel Mohammed, Layla Aitlhadj, Shereen Fernandez, Waqas Tufail and Tarek Younis, for their contributions to this collection.

‍

Dr Shabna Begum, CEO of the Runnymede Trust, said:

“As a Muslim woman, who has spent my entire adult life in the shadows of post 9/11 securitisation of Muslim communities, I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that in this last year, there has been a significant step-change in the way that Islamophobia has become the normalised currency of political conversation. The sense that Muslim communities are a threat to Britain no longer lurks euphemistically in coded conversations, but has become overt and direct. Whether it is politicians speaking from the benches in parliament, or mainstream headlines screaming about ‘Islamist extremists’, Islamophobia has reached fever pitch in the UK and it is time that we put a rational conversation back on the agenda; these are not claims for victimhood status but for action that affirms an anti-racist understanding of the structural and political nature of Islamophobia, and the need for government action to eradicate it.”

‍

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi said:

"This summer’s racist riots have left Muslim communities feeling exposed and unprotected. Sadly, those riots did not happen in a vacuum. The stereotyping, stigmatising, and demonising of British Muslims by some in politics, the media and think tanks has poisoned our public discourse and created an atmosphere where Muslims are seen as fair game.

"For far too long, Muslims have been misrepresented and mistrusted, and the government’s disengagement with Muslim civil society only serves to intensify the isolation of British Muslims.

"It is no longer possible to simply hope that this hostile climate will improve, we need committed action to counter Islamophobia and to deal with the resurgence of far right racism in Britain. That means ending the policy of disengagement, adopting a formal definition of Islamophobia and dealing with its various manifestations as described in this report."

Ilyas Nagdee, Amnesty International UK’s Racial Justice Director, said:
“This report foregrounds many of the structural inequalities facing Muslim communities across the UK, from impacts on their civil and political rights through the chilling effect of counter-terrorism policies like Prevent to over-policing. It also highlights critical areas from education and health where data has long shown discriminatory outcomes for Muslims. The Government must take notice of these concerns, listen to Muslim communities and take action. After the racist violence that engulfed the UK over the summer, Government proposals risked compounding discriminatory impacts on racialised and Muslim communities. It is time to protect our rights, protect Muslim communities, and protect us all.”

Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council for Britain, said:

“This report comes amidst a sharp rise in Islamophobia, seen both in the lived experiences of British Muslims, and by deeply divisive politics which marginalises Muslim communities from public life. This report serves as a critical instrument to address hate at its foundation, bringing to light the core issues of Islamophobia and long overdue action from the state to address it. 

“We see how these issues have been exacerbated by the threat of far-right extremism, as evidenced by the terrifying riots targeting Muslims and mosques, fulled in part by misinformation campaigns further perpetuating Islamophobia. We also see these challenges when advocating for Palestinian rights, with narratives that continue to demonise Muslims by conflating pro-Palestinian advocacy with support for terrorism.

“There must be a robust strategy to tackle the deeply institutional and insidious nature of Islamophobia. We need to move  beyond the prevailing framework of securitisation and misleading narratives around integration. I commend the Runnymede Trust for providing this critical insight and urging the need for meaningful action."

‍