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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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18th January 2005

Press Release: Increase in racially and religiously motivated crimes indicate climate of hate and intolerance in Britain

IHRC is deeply worried but not surprised at the steady increase in racially motivated and religiously aggravated crimes, as reported in figures released by the Crown Prosecution Service today.

The number of defendants referred to the CPS for racially motivated crimes rose by 13% last year. This includes 44 prosecutions for religiously aggravated crimes in the last 12 months. Previous figures showed a total of 18 cases of religiously aggravated offences over a 16 month period. In half of these 44 cases, the victims’ perceived or actual religion was Islam.

IHRC views this gradual increase as indicative of the growing tide of Islamophobia and racism in British society today. Ethnic minorities have found themselves living in a climate of hate and intolerance.

IHRC chairman, Massoud Shadjareh, stated:

“I am not surprised. If anything, these figures are an understatement of the level of Islamophobia in Britain today. There are many more Muslim victims of religiously aggravated offences who don’t actually report the incidents due to a complete lack of confidence in the system. Only when there is an end to institutional Islamophobia and racism will we begin to see and end to Islamophobia and racism at a societal level.”

For more information please contact, (+44) 20 8904 4222, (+44) 7958 522 196 or info@ihrc.org.

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org
info@ihrc.org

info@ihrc.org