Discrimination against Muslims on the rise in the UK; new service aims to help

The Muslim Foundation, the UK government's new official partner in the fight against Islamophobia, is launching a service for reporting hate crimes. According to The Guardian, Director General Akeela Ahmed pointed to the increase in “microaggressions” and discrimination against Muslims, which she feels are becoming more frequent.

She herself described how she was not served in a shop – in her opinion, solely because she is Muslim and wears a hijab.

The aim of the telephone and online help service is to record incidents of Islamophobia and build a comprehensive picture of discrimination. This will be achieved through a combination of data collection, research, and awareness campaigns. The foundation also plans to put pressure on the government and social networks if it turns out that they do not provide sufficient legal protection for Muslims.

According to Ahmed, Muslims in the UK are increasingly the target of hatred that is shifting from the internet to real life. She pointed to the fatigue of Muslim communities with the government's inaction and the need for change.

The government is also expected to introduce a new definition of Islamophobia that protects people rather than religions. The director hopes that they can gain the trust of Muslims, similar to the Community Security Trust in the Jewish community.

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