An overview of the number and nature of anti-Muslim incidents since September 11, 2001.

IHRC collated the reports of Islamophobic incidents it received in the wake of 9-11 in this report.

Anti-Muslim attacks spiked immediately after the event.

Download the report here.

This is a preliminary report of anti-Muslim incidents reported to the Islamic Human Rights Commission. As such its definitions and categorisations are not finalised. There are a number of issues that need significant discussion, however, time limitations have prevented further elaboration in this report.

In particular the issue of media coverage of events in the wake of September 11 and its relationship to anti-Muslim attacks needs further consideration than can been given in this report. The Broadsheet cry to root out Islamists and fundamentalists, and cruder calls for bombing fundamentalists in the tabloids and their radio and television counterparts have clearly left the community reeling both in terms of their psychological effect on the Muslim community as target of these calls and the non-Muslim community as respondents to the calls.

There are also a number of issues relating to effective and professional policing that need to be raised. Some are mentioned or are apparent in the course of this report. Again there is insufficient time to address these in significant detail in this report.

In both the cases of the media and the police there have been notable exceptions of good practice (more in the latter than the former), and IHRC welcomes those. It also recognises that it has received and has had reported to it many incidents of non-Muslim support for Muslims at a time when they have been targeted and demonised.

Clearly the figures given below do not reflect the full experience of hostility and discrimination faced by the community in recent weeks.

IHRC has made certain provisional recommendations at the end of this report based on its findings and its consultation with the community through its membership and campaign network. This is not a final document. We hope its findings will be used to assist appropriate bodies in planning for the protection of minorities, as well as those who wish to break out of the cycle of anti-Muslim demonisation and violence that the country appears to be descending into.