Muslims are still being specifically targeted according to research on racial violence. Evidence produced by the Institute of Race Relations, as a submission to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights 2010 annual report on hate crimes in the OSCE region, documents a distinct and discernible pattern of anti-Muslim violence within the UK. Although
Theme: Climate
Gypsies’ big fat struggle for justice
Gypsies living in Meriden have been under sustained attack from the local community and the media since 2010. This pattern is being repeated across the UK as Gypsy and Traveller communities fight to preserve their way of life. Meriden is a small village in the Midlands between Solihull and Coventry. In May 2010 ten Romany
Racial violence and the night-time economy
Research by the Institute of Race Relations reveals the continued prevalence of racial attacks, abuse and harassment occurring late at night and, frequently, fuelled by alcohol. In 2010, The IRR’s report, Racial violence: the buried issue, showed how people working in certain professions – often those working alone at night – were disproportionately at risk
Racist murders and possible racist murders
In the last six months, a number of cases have been before the courts following attacks which appear to have been racially motivated. Three of the four deaths detailed below took place in Scotland and one of these was on a takeaway worker, a profession at high risk of racially motivated attacks, identified in the
Putting anti-Muslim hate crime on the agenda
A new report spells out the growing demonisation of and violence against Muslims. A report on Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate crime in the UK from the European Muslim Research Centre confirms much of what was intimated in its first, slim report in January this year. The new report, over 200 pages in length, concludes that
Iraqi man murdered in Leipzig
Anti-racists in Germany are asking whether the current attacks on Islam and multiculturalism have led to yet another Islamophobic racist murder. On Sunday 31 October, a 19-year-old Iraqi man, named only as Kamal K. was stabbed to death by two men in Leipzig city centre. On 1 November, on the day that Kamal was buried
Jay Abatan unlawfully killed
The 25 October inquest verdict of unlawful killing of Jay Abatan, killed in an unprovoked attack in January 1999, raises the possibility of new charges. Jay Abatan was attacked after a night out with his brother and a friend in Brighton. He was punched twice and fell to the ground hitting his head and died
Malmo and the fault lines of Swedish racism
What are the wider issues behind the shootings in Malmö? On 19 October, a man the police describe as a 28-year-old ‘man of colour’, was shot from behind near a bus stop in an isolated area in the southern Swedish port city of Malmö. When the bullet was removed, it was found to have missed
Alone and unprotected, taxi drivers fear for their safety
Up and down the country, taxi drivers are bearing the brunt of late-night drinking and aggressive racist behaviour – and are now turning to self-defence. On 5 October 2010, Daniel Miller was handed a twelve month community order from an Exeter court for racially abusing and physically assaulting Hackney carriage driver, Mohammed Numan. Miller had
The Abatans need funds for inquest
Next week, on 11 October, the inquest is due to begin into the death of Jay Abatan, who was murdered eleven years ago in January 1999. Jay’s family have had to fight for an inquest to be held at all. It was thought by the coroner that an inquest was not required as there had