British Men Suffering Islamophobic Abuse because They 'Look Muslim'
Interviewees described how animal excrement had been pushed through their mailboxes and their shop windows smashed. Others said they were called terrorists or linked to Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) because of their skin color or their beards.
The study found there were increases in hostility around the EU referendum and after terror attacks.
In research presented at the House of Commons during Hate Crime Awareness Week, Dr Imran Awan and Dr Irene Zempi argued the experiences of non-Muslim men suffering Islamophobia because they look Muslim remains invisible, both in official statistics and academic research.
"Although it’s a case of mistaken identity, Islamophobic abuse should not be happening in the first place,” Dr Awan, Associate Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City University, told The Independent.
He said the research showed how perpetrators of hate crimes target their victims "based on prejudice and stereotypes”.
The researchers interviewed 20 non-Muslim men aged between 19 and 59 from black, white and Asian backgrounds. They included those from the Sikh, Christian and Hindu faiths, as well as atheists. Their responses were made anonymous in order to prevent them from being identified.
They found hate crimes would spike around "trigger events” such as terror attacks or the EU referendum.
Dr Awan and Dr Zempi recommended a public awareness campaign on how to report hate crimes, as well as training and workshops to teach bystanders how to respond if they witness hate crimes.
They also suggested a social media app which could be used to report abuse online and give advice on what constitutes a hate crime.
Source: The Independent
Most Commented 