Johnson's burqa comments led to significant spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes

THERE was a 375 per cent surge in anti-Muslim incidents in the week following Boris Johnson's comments about Muslim women wearing the veil, according to an anti-racism organisation.

In its annual report, released today (2), Tell MAMA said a majority of the attacks were aimed at Muslim women wearing the burqa.

The group recorded 38 anti-Muslim hate incidents in the week following the publication of the article where Johnson compared women in burqas to letterboxes and bank robbers.

Of the 38 incidents, 22 were directed at Muslim women who wore the face veil.

In the article in question, published in the Telegraph, Johnson said he felt “fully entitled” to expect women to remove face coverings when talking to him at his MP’s surgery.

He also said schools and universities should be able to take the same approach if a student “turns up … looking like a bank robber”.

Calling the burqa “oppressive”, Johnson added it was “absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes”.

Between August 5 and August 29, 42 per cent of the street-based incidents reported to Tell MAMA directly referenced Boris Johnson and/or the language used in his column.

The report also revealed that the majority of victims of Islamophobia were female (57 per cent) and the majority of perpetrators were male (73 per cent).

“The rising instances of discrimination, hate speech, and anti-Muslim literature indicate that a more general intolerance and hatred is growing," a spokesperson for Tell Mama was quoted as saying. "These typologies are seldom prosecutable by law and have proven more difficult to achieve satisfactory outcomes and solutions for victims.

“Similarly, this year we analysed the trends in verbal abuse, finding a common theme whereby perpetrators use language attacking Islam and religious practices alongside, for example, anti-Muslim hate incidents that range from abusive behaviour, discrimination, or threats.

“We therefore emphasise the gravity of attacks on Islam in tandem with hatred directed at individuals or institutions. The two are interconnected, thus hatred and intolerance must both be challenged simultaneously.”