London Tube and Buses Chosen to Highlight Anti-Muslim Hate Crime

TEHRAN (IQNA) – A campaign against anti-Muslim hate crime was launched across London buses and tubes on Monday.

Transport for London (TfL) and police in the UK capital are working together on 200 events across in support of the broader National Hate Crime Awareness Week, Arab News reported.

Muslims have been the targets of several attacks on London buses and tubes — some of which have been posted on YouTube and other social media.

Spikes in anti-Muslim hate crime were recorded in both London and Manchester following terror attacks in the cities this summer as innocent members of the public became victims of violence and abuse, Arab News reported.

Newspaper reports over the summer reveal numerous incidents involving attacks on Muslims in the capital ranging from an acid attack on two cousins in East London to a woman who had a hijab ripped from her head at Baker Street tube station.

Between April and June 2017, reports of hate crime on the transport network of the capital increased by a quarter to 822 compared with the same period last year, according to official figures.

"Every so often, a member of our congregation can find themselves being abused on London’s transport network, and we want to send a clear message, that you do not have to be afraid and that you can report incidents discreetly to the police,” said Nozmul Hussain, CEO of the East London Mosque Trust.

Police officers visited communities in east London yesterday along with TfL staff and representatives from Tell Mama – a reporting service for victims of anti-Muslim hate crime.

They urged people to report hate crimes and stressed that "London’s public transport system is safe and welcoming for all.”

"London represents one of the most diverse capital cities in the world, and we will never tolerate those that seek to divide us through hatred and bigotry we will always stand united,” said Detective Superintendent Adnan Qureshi from the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command.