View previous stories
	London Attacks prompt Hate Crime Surge by AFP / Institute of Race Relations United Kingdom   August 2005. (AFP)   Crimes motivated by religious hatred have soared by almost 600 per cent in the British capital, London, since the July 7 terrorist attacks.   Figures from London"s Metropolitan Police reveal there have been 269 incidents reported since the attacks compared to 40 over the same three-and-a-half week period in 2004.   "There is no doubt that incidents impacting on the Muslim community have increased," Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, from London"s Metropolitan Police, said. He says the majority of incidents are minor assaults or low-level abuse but they have a great "emotional impact" on communities.   "It can lead to these communities completely retreating and not engaging at a time when we want their engagement and support," he said. The crimes include criminal damage to property including mosques, physical and verbal attacks.   The crime statistics come as Home Office Minister Hazel Blears says Muslims will not suffer discrimination at the hands of police. "Counter-terrorism powers are not targeting any community in particular, but are targeting terrorists," Ms Blears said during a day of dialogue with Muslim community leaders in the north of England. "That is why they have got to be intelligence-led and used proportionally, fairly, and in a non-discriminatory way."   Ms Blears is in Oldham, a mill town near Manchester with a large Muslim community of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, on a bridge-building mission. Her message follows the admission by British Transport Police that its officers would carry out anti-terrorist spot-checks on minority groups, rather than "waste time searching old white ladies".   The specialised force polices London"s Underground subway - the target of three of the four July 7 bombings and further attempted bombings two weeks later - as well as the national rail network. The attacks were perpetrated by four British Muslims, three of Pakistani descent and one Jamaican born.   5/8/2005   Race Hate Attack on Bomb Victim"s Family. (Evening News 24)   The family of one of the London bombing dead has become the latest victim of the racial abuse backlash against muslims which is sweeping the country. The Bhatti family, who are muslims, today told how their son had been set upon in the street by a man shouting anti-muslim taunts and accusing him of being like one of the bombers. Fiaz Bhatti, 29, lost his fiancée Benedetta Ciaccia, 30, in the 7/7 attacks just four weeks ago. He was left devastated by her death and spent days scouring the streets of London. It was only last week that Fiaz and many of his relatives attended the funeral of Italian-born Miss Ciaccia in her home city of Rome. Now Fiaz"s brother, Imran, has found himself the target of racist abuse.   The 25-year-old was shouted at as he walked along Brunswick Road, near his father"s newsagent"s shop where the family lives. Imran and Fiaz"s father Mahmood today said: "He came back very upset and we called the police straight away." The attack comes as police reveal an increase in hate crimes against muslims in the wake of the London bombings on July 7 and the attempted bombings on July 21.   Figures show religious hate crimes have risen six-fold in London since the attacks. In Norwich, 62 hate crimes have been reported to police in the past year. Police today confirmed they were treating the assault against Mr Bhatti as a racially motivated.   Investigating officer PC Sophie Nicholas said: "The abuse was very distressing for the victim and was caused by ignorance and prejudice. This kind of abuse will not be tolerated in Norwich and investigations are continuing to find the person responsible."   Imran today said he had been upset by the abuse from the man, who was on the old hospital site, on Monday afternoon. He urged people to come forward to help find the person who was shouting at him and to make sure attacks against muslims did not escalate. Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "I regret that this is by no means an isolated incident. Since July 7 we have seen a very large increase in abuse and faith hate crimes being committed. "In this particular incident the fact that the muslim subjected to this kind of abuse lost someone close to him in the bombings makes it even more dismaying. This person is not unconnected to the bombings himself in that he is a victim of them. If it will make people think more before taking out their anger then hopefully some good will have come of it."   Anne Matin, director of the Norfolk and Norwich Racial Equality Council, said: "This is another example of the ignorance in Norfolk about racism. It is very sad and I have confidence that the constabulary are doing everything they can in dealing with this." Miss Ciaccia worked in London as a business analyst and was on her way to work when she was caught in the blast at Aldgate station. The couple lived together in Riverside, Norwich.They were to have been married on September 11 this year. At the time of her death, Fiaz said: "She was strong and independent and she loved to travel and socialise. We hadn"t had a chance to travel together, the honeymoon was to be our first trip." Visit the related web page
	Political & community leaders must encourage tolerance and respect for diversity by John von Doussa Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission Australia   Aug. 2005   The President of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, John von Doussa, has stressed that strong leadership and constructive engagement are essential in the current climate of fear and suspicion between Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Australia, to develop mutual understanding and respect for diversity and the law.   “The government has an important role to play in showing support for the Islamic community as a whole, and to encourage people not to stereotype and vilify people based on the views or actions of a few extremists,” said Mr von Doussa.   “The government needs to reaffirm the fact that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in this country are law abiding and peaceful citizens who do not bear any responsibility or sympathy for the criminal actions of those on the other side of the world.   “Muslim leaders also have a responsibility to themselves, their followers and the wider Australian public to denounce the actions of these extremists and reassert their commitment to the rights and responsibilities that everyone is expected to respect in this country.   “Muslim groups and individuals, like any others in society, who come across followers who are openly preaching hatred and advocating violence, should act to bring these people to the notice of the authorities.”   The President said that many of the findings and recommendations of the Commission’s Isma project, which was conducted following reports of increased hostility and vilification of Arab and Muslims in Australia following 9/11 and the Bali bombings, are still valid and relevant to address issues which have arisen following the attacks in London.   Education and strong leadership at a national, state and local level were seen as the keys to long-term change in the way Muslims are viewed in Australia. The report recommended that political and community leaders encourage Australians to uphold the multicultural values of mutual tolerance and respect for cultural and religious diversity.   Feedback from the Isma Reference Group indicates that the government and community organisations have been actively working and undertaking projects to address anti-Arab and anti-Muslim prejudice. Some of the initiatives mentioned were developed as a direct result of the Isma project and others have used the project information to assist in the development of their own initiatives.   “Government and Muslim leaders can play a part in encouraging communities to exercise their rights in a way that ensures others can also enjoy their rights. Both can play an important role in ensuring that rights can be enjoyed by all groups by encouraging tolerance and respect through dialogue and education,” Mr von Doussa said. Visit the related web page
	View more stories