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Rabat – Police in England’s capital London shared alarming data about the increase of Islamophobia amid pro-Palestine protests condemning the heinous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces targeting Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Reports said that offenses related to Islamophobia in London witnessed a surge of 14% between October 1-18.
The data showed that hate crimes against Muslims rose from 42 to 101 in that period compared to the same period last year.
Antisemitic offenses also witnessed an increase from 15 to 218.
The situation caused the arrest of 21 people, including a man who was arrested for 10 cases of Islamophobic graffiti on bus stops in London.
The escalation of Islamophobic sentiment comes amid pro-Palestine protests in London, condemning Israeli attacks and war crimes targeting Palestinian civilians across Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The oppression and killing of Palestinians continues since October 7, with Israeli occupation forces killing at least 4,500 across the two areas.
The attacks have been targeting several civilian sites, including homes, buildings, shelters, churches and mosques.
Islamophobia, however, is not a new phenomenon in the UK as many reports have continuously warned against anti-Muslim sentiments across the country.
Last year, a survey carried out by two British Muslim organizations and the Muslim Engagement and Development group said there was an alarming increase in Islamophobic attacks targeting mosques and Islamic organizations in the UK.
Notably, the report found that 42% of surveyed mosques and Islamic institutions experienced Islamophobia driven attacks in the past three years.
The attacks included vandalism and theft, with 17% of staff and mosque goers facing physical abuse.
“Attacks on mosques are common occurrences in the UK and peaked after the Christchurch terror attack in March 2019, which killed 51 people and injured 40,” the survey found, stressing that Islamophobic attacks against mosques increased by an additional 15% during the COVID-19 crisis.
