Category: Racial Hate Crime (Page 2 of 2)

Take a stand against Antisemitism

January 1, 2020 / / 0 Comments

We must unite together!

During December antisemitic graffiti and violence was reported in both America and the UK. On the evening of Saturday 28th December 2019 antisemitic graffiti was sprayed on shop windows and a synagogue wall in the Hampstead area of north London. The graffiti depicted the red cross of David as well as 9/11.

Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn tweeted her disgust and disbelief at the attacks.

Camden councillor Oliver Cooper tweeted a picture of “9.11” on the wall of the South Hampstead synagogue  “This is a place of peace and prayer, desecrated by the world’s oldest hatred,” he said.

Sir Keir Starmer Labour MP for Holborn said the graffiti was disgusting and that we should stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism.

Councillor Georgia Gould (Leader of Camden Council), Keir Starmer (MP for Holborn and St Pancras) and Tulip Siddiq (MP for Hampstead and Kilburn) have released the following joint statement (which can be read in full here).

“As the Leader of Camden and MPs for Hampstead and Kilburn, and Holborn and St Pancras, we are horrified at the anti-Semitic graffiti that has been drawn on buildings around Hampstead and Belsize Park, including South Hampstead Synagogue. Camden is and always will be no place for hate. We stand together with all of our Jewish residents and our whole community in saying these cowardly pedlars of hate do not represent Camden and our values. We are proud to have a strong, vibrant Jewish community as part of our beautiful borough.

This is not an isolated incident and we must all confront the rising tide of hate crime and antisemitism in the UK. Now is the moment to find the courage to confront hatred and prejudice wherever we see it.”

Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn sent his “love and solidarity to Jewish communities around the world”

Eminent historian Simon Schama, whose books include The Story of the Jews, commented: “Taken together with the stabbings in New York something truly monstrous is rising from the slime.”

Rabbi Sacks, a faith leader, philosopher and author echoes the thoughts that action needs to be taken now:

Since the attacks have happened the graffiti has been removed and the Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into racially motivated hate crime.

What can you do?

It is important that we all stand together against antisemitism and all forms of hate crime and racism. You can join the protests on UN anti-racism day on Saturday 21st March. There is a March Against Racism being held in London from 12:00 – 16:00. More details are available by clicking here.

If you witness any anti-Semitic hate crime such as violence, abuse, or vandalism – please contact the police on 101 and the @CST_UK on  0800 0323263.

Hate Crimes v Politics

December 20, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Every general election the topics of Hate Crimes, discrimination and racism appear; this year Hate Incidents have appeared within the political parties themselves. Both leading parties seem to have issues revolving around Hate and Discrimination.

How can Hate Crime be reduced when the leaders of the country have issues with discrimination in their own parties? Has this given permission for people to be more racist? Hate crime has more than doubled since 2013 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/oct/15/hate-crimes-double-england-wales)

One party has members that claims Muslims have a ‘nasty culture’ and always play the ‘race card’ (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/09/tory-candidate-linden-kemkaran-shared-tweet-claiming-muslims-play-race-card). This way of thinking and blatant discrimination is embodied by their leader too. There are many instances of the leader stating their opinion on Islam and Muslims; going as far as stating that Islam is the problem and that women in niqabs look like letterboxes and bank robbers.(https://inews.co.uk/opinion/general-election-results-2019-boris-johnson-conservative-majority-muslim-woman-1340462).This leader’s remarks and actions have been seen to ‘encourage’ racism within football as the UEFA president remarked (https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/03/football/boris-johnson-ceferin-racism-football-spt-intl/index.html)

Another party appears to have issues within itself when it comes to Anti-Semitism; Anti-Semitism being the specific name to hatred towards people of the Jewish faith. There has been sworn statements from party members about the anti-Semitic abuse they suffer within the party; including being called Zio scum, child killer and being told Hitler was right. (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/05/seventy-labour-staffers-give-statements-to-antisemitism-inquiry). There have been around 673 reports made within 10 months on this (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-43893791).

The issues within the parties has not been unnoticed by the public, especially when some members of the leading party have shown their contempt for Muslims. It is no wonder that the rate of Hate Crimes, especially on Muslim and Jewish victims, has increased the past 5 years since the Muslim hating party has been in power. The statistics show that there has been a significant increase in both Jewish and Muslim hate crimes. 47% of religious Hate Crime were against Muslims while Jewish Hate Crimes were doubled to 18%. Hate crimes have increased in all aspects, doubling in five years. (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/oct/15/hate-crimes-double-england-wales)

Islamophobic incidents were reportedly risen by 375% after the ‘letterbox’ remark (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/boris-johnson-muslim-women-letterboxes-burqa-islamphobia-rise-a9088476.html ).With the Jewish community being a target four times a day within 2017 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/01/antisemitic-incidents-in-uk-at-all-time-high ).

The increase in Hate Crimes has been reported in many areas. Just recently antisemitic incident happened in London (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/antisemitic-hate-crimes-london-bus-attack-jewish-man-stamford-hill-a9246301.html). Also there was a hate incident in Sheffield supposedly due to the fact of the election outcome, (https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/hate-crime-culprits-sheffield-suburb-emboldened-boris-johnson-1341719).  If this is how people are treated in public it is no wonder there is an issue with university students and Hate crime and Harassment.

By Ryan Minion, Serish Khan and Zalmea Naseem.

 

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