Blog 2: Increasing Numbers of Hate Crimes Make British Muslims Uneasy

Summary:
Muslims living in England are becoming uneasy and reluctant to leave their communities. Hate crimes increased in London during 2013, from 318 in 2011, 336 in 2012, to over 500 in 2013. This pattern is repeated in several other areas of the country. Now Muslims living in predominantly South Asian neighborhoods, such as Alum Rock in the city of Birmingham, prefer to stay inside their communities rather than venture out and face insults and possible attacks and violence. Some factors leading up to the elevated numbers of hate crimes include the killing of a white soldier by two young, fanatical British Muslims; the fear of jihadis from British Muslims who have gone to Syria; and the anti-immigration tone in British politics. One woman moved outside of a predominantly Muslim area but was forced to move back again after insults and attacks from others in the area, which had intensified after she began wearing the niqab. However, even with all the attacks, many Muslims have had a mostly positive experience in England, saying that it is safer than Pakistan, and that most people are nice and the government is lawful. Indeed, there has been a trend toward "greater racial understanding" in Britain. It seems like events such as the killing of the soldier spark anti-Muslim crimes but that the tension will then go back down to a much lower level.

Analysis:
I did not mention this in the summary, but an interesting fact from the article is that there has been a renewed interest in Islamic head coverings and veils. One of the people interviewed, the chairman of the Central Mosque in Birmingham, said that he believes that the recent interest in head coverings, rather than being for religious reasons, is a reaction to the degradation that Muslims as a whole have faced. Minority groups tend to exhibit greater solidarity, and ethnic group identity increases, when prejudice and discrimination are present. So foolish, stereotyped attitudes may prevail at times like these, but the head coverings show that many Muslims are not ready to give up yet.

Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/world/europe/as-hate-crimes-rise-british-muslims-say-theyre-becoming-more-insular.html?ref=world