In the UK, official statistics on anti-Muslim hate crimes do not accurately reflect the true scale of the issue, according to British academic Peter Hopkins. Despite a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in the past year, many incidents go unreported due to lack of trust in authorities.
Hopkins highlights that the Muslim community often does not report racist or anti-Muslim incidents to the police, citing reasons such as suspicion of the authorities, fear of not being taken seriously, and concerns about the legal system working against them.
He emphasizes the importance of registering hate crimes and encourages reporting incidents online or directly to authorities. The influence of the far-right in the UK, fueled by social and traditional media, is also a growing concern. Hopkins warns of the misinformation spread online and the reinforcement of stereotypes by mainstream media.
It is crucial for accurate data to be collected on anti-Muslim hate crimes, and for individuals to report incidents to combat Islamophobia in the UK.