IHRC has urged the government and the criminal justice system to do more to tackle the xenophobic ideology driving far right violence on our streets.

In a letter today to the Home Secretary and the 44 police forces in England and Wales, we warn them that the mob attacks on Muslims and other racialised communities are inspired by racism and must be tackled as such.

The authorities must not just confront the perpetrators of the violence but the demagogues such as Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson, Laurence Fox and Katie Hopkins who are inciting mob violence should also be brought to book. They are playing the mood music that has whipped up the xenophobia that now sees the country gripped by racial conflict.

Instead of confronting it head on, our leaders have appeased and indeed exploited racist sentiment for political gain. Adopting far right anti-migrant rhetoric such as “Stop the boats” and “Asian grooming gangs” they have only emboldened the xenophobes to become more aggressive and pervasive.

A case in point is the Tamworth MP Sarah Edwards who made a statement in Parliament on 30 July that residents in her constituency “want their hotel back”, a reference to a Holiday Inn that is being used by the government to house asylum seekers. On Sunday, a raging, racist mob ransacked the hotel and attempted to set it on fire. This appeasement of the far right must stop now and politicians must call this violence out for what it is: Islamophobic and racist.

The horrifically shocking racist violence of the last few days in which Muslim communities and asylum seekers have seen their persons, homes, vehicles, businesses, places of residence, cemeteries and mosques attacked, has left them feeling unsafe and vulnerable.

Police forces up and down the country have often been caught off guard and also sometimes overwhelmed by rioters as they seek to protect mosques and Muslim properties. The government must start to take the security of mosques and Muslim centres much more seriously. Better risk assessments need to be conducted and more robust security procedures put in place to reassure the community.

The full letter can be read here. 

At the same time IHRC has also issued an alert for Muslim communities around the country asking that they apply pressure on police commissioners, councils and MP’s to ensure their safety in the face of far right threats and attacks. A model letter is also provided.

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For more information or comment please contact the Press Office on (+44) 208 904 0222  or (+44) 7958 522196 or email media@ihrc.org
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IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
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