Position Paper: Combatting Islamophobic Hate Crime
The Home Office has released its annual hate crime statistics for April 2023 to March 2024, revealing a 25% rise in religiously aggravated offences, from 8,370 to 10,484 compared to the previous year. Hate crimes targeting Muslims increased by 13%, rising from 3,432 to 3,866, accounting for 38% of all religiously aggravated hate crimes – the highest proportion among any religious group in England and Wales. However, the government exclusively funds and supports Tell MAMA, which suffers from a lack of credibility within Muslim communities and ongoing issues with transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.
This position paper argues that the government should suspend funding to Tell MAMA and its parent organisation, Faith Matters, and instead develop a comprehensive strategy to address Islamophobic hate crime that includes engagement with grassroots organisations that have community credibility. Using a human rights-based framework, the paper underscores that such a strategy must prioritise accurate data collection and be informed by the lived experiences of Muslim communities to ensure a more effective response.
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