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Number of reported hate crimes in Sheffield increases

Sheffield city council have reported a 7% increase in hate crime over the past year. There were 1,356 hate offences committed of which:

  • 68% were related to race
  • 14% sexual orientation
  • 8% disability
  • 6% religious
  • 5% transgender

The report  was written by Maxine Stavrianakos who is the Head of Neighbourhood Intervention and Tenant Support for Sheffield City Council. The full report can be read here:

Hate Crime Presentation V4

As the Sheffield Star reported:

Giving possible reasons for the rise, the report adds: “Increases are likely to have been driven by crime recording improvements by the police. However, growing awareness of what constitutes a hate crime may also have impacted on the number of recorded offences. Short-term genuine rises in hate crime recorded have also been noticed following terrorist attacks and events such as the EU referendum in 2016.”

Belgian parade features costumes of haredi Jews with insect bodies

This week it has been reported by Fast Forward that a carnival in Aalst, Belgium prominently displayed horrific anti-Semitic costumes in their annual parade.

Rudi Roth, a journalist for the Antwerp-based Joods Actueel Jewish paper, said the expressions of anti-Semitism in Aalst this year were more numerous and prominent than last year. He called it a “backlash effect.”

“The mayor, Christophe D’Haese of the right-wing New Flemish Alliance, said on Sunday that in the “context of the carnival, these displays are not anti-Semitic.” Any illegal hate speech, he added, would be dealt with by law enforcement.

“This is not an anti-Semitic event,” he told journalists at a press conference.

Joel Rubinfeld, the president of the Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism, condemned the displays, “which although are the work of a minority of participants and spectators, stain the whole event.”

He said the event “certainly has anti-Semitic elements,” the likes of which he said had not been on display since the end of the Nazi occupation in 1945.

To read the full article please click here.

Stand Up: An important message for today

On Thursday evening (13/02/20), a guest speaker from the Stand Up organisation gave a talk on their work in schools across the country. In this case the organisation had just been into a local school in Sheffield to discuss discrimination after reports of anti-Muslim hate. The speaker, Zaynab, delivered a brilliant talk going over how she delivers the sessions in schools, as well as how we can begin to make a difference.

Stand Up itself is an inter-faith charity focused on tackling antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate. Please follow this link for more information on their work. Through their engagement with mainstream schools, they hope to educate young people on discrimination and the impact it can have on individuals’ lives. Zaynab highlighted a particular focus on targeting stereotypes, as if they can get young people to start questioning these stereotypes, it may lead to a decrease in hate crimes against these groups. Another key element of their work is to create a safe space during their talks, so that students can ask questions that they may feel are not appropriate in other settings. By answering these questions, Stand Up can help to disprove stereotypes held by those at the school.

Alongside discussing how she delivers sessions in schools, Zaynab also showed us examples of online antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate as well as examples of this hate taking place in public places. Although these examples showed the stark reality of hate, they also provided an opportunity of empowerment, as we were told how to report these incidents and how to support those affected.

Empowerment was the key message to come from this talk, as if we all feel empowered to make a difference, then one day we could see the end of discrimination. However, to see this change, we all need to work together as a global community and embrace our differences, rather than using our differences as justification for hate.

Should you ever experience or witness discrimination, here are some organisations you can contact to report it:

Antisemitism- cst.org.uk 0800 032 3263

Anti-Muslim hate- tellmamauk.org 0800 456 1226

LGBT+ hate- galop.org.uk 0800 999 5428

Hate in Football- kickitout.org

IN AN EMERGENCY CALL 999

CST Antisemitic Incidents Report 2019

ANOTHER RECORD YEAR FOR ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS IN 2019

Antisemitic incidents rise to a record high for fourth year in a row

To read the CST Report please click here: IncidentsReport2019

“The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors antisemitism and provides security for the Jewish community in Britain, recorded 1,805 antisemitic hate incidents nationwide in 2019, the highest total that CST has ever recorded in a calendar year. This is the fourth year in a row in which CST has recorded a record total of antisemitic hate incidents, and is a seven per cent increase from the 1,690 antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in 2018. CST has recorded antisemitic incidents since 1984.

A further 566 reports of potential incidents were received by CST in 2019, but were not deemed to be antisemitic and are not included in this total of 1,805 antisemitic incidents. Many of these 566 potential incidents involved suspicious activity or possible hostile reconnaissance at Jewish locations; criminal activity affecting Jewish people and buildings; and anti-Israel activity that did not include antisemitic language, motivation or targeting.

For the second year in a row, CST recorded over 100 antisemitic incidents in every month of 2019. The highest monthly totals in 2019 were December (184 incidents) and February (182), two months that saw prominent and intense debate over allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party. In total in 2019, CST recorded 224 antisemitic incidents in which the offender or offenders, or the abuse they expressed, were related to the Labour Party, or in which antisemitism was expressed in the context of arguments about alleged antisemitism in the Labour Party. This is an increase from the 148 incidents of this kind recorded by CST in 2018.

CST recorded 697 antisemitic incidents that occurred online in 2019, comprising 39 per cent of the overall total of 1,805 incidents and a rise of 82 per cent from the 384 online incidents in 2018. Most of these 697 online incidents took place on social media. This large increase in online antisemitism reported to CST is the most obvious single factor explaining why CST recorded an overall increase in antisemitic incidents in 2019. The totals of online incidents recorded by CST are only indicative and are likely to understate the scale of the problem: targeted campaigns directed at individual victims often involve dozens of social media accounts and hundreds or even thousands of tweets, images or posts, but each campaign of this type is recorded by CST as a single incident. Incidents involving social media are only recorded by CST if they have been reported to CST by either the victim or a witness; if the content shows evidence of antisemitic language, motivation or targeting; and if the offender is based in the United Kingdom or has directly targeted a UK-based victim.

As well as an increase in online incidents, CST recorded 158 violent antisemitic assaults in 2019, an increase of 25 per cent from the 126 incidents of this type recorded in 2018 and the highest number of violent incidents ever recorded by CST in a single year. Almost half of these 158 violent incidents were recorded in three boroughs: Barnet (29 assaults), Hackney (28) and Salford (15). There were 88 incidents of Damage & Desecration of Jewish property in 2019; 98 direct antisemitic threats; 1,443 incidents in the category of Abusive Behaviour, which includes verbal abuse, antisemitic graffiti, antisemitic abuse via social media and one-off cases of hate mail; and 18 incidents of mass-mailed antisemitic leaflets or emails.

Almost two thirds of the 1,805 antisemitic incidents were recorded in Greater London and Greater Manchester, the two largest Jewish communities in the UK. CST recorded 947 antisemitic incidents in Greater London in 2019, three fewer than the 950 incidents recorded in London in 2018. CST recorded a fall of 11 per cent in antisemitic incidents in Greater Manchester, from 251 incidents in 2018 to 223 incidents in 2019. In total, 327 antisemitic incidents, or 18 per cent of the overall national total, were recorded by CST in the London borough of Barnet, which has the largest Jewish population of any borough in the United Kingdom.

Beyond London and Manchester, CST recorded 635 antisemitic incidents in the rest of the UK, an increase of 25 per cent from the 510 incidents recorded outside these two cities in 2018. This is likely to reflect the increase in online incidents, and improvements in incident data sharing between CST and Police forces around the UK under a national information sharing agreement between CST and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). CST recorded 76 antisemitic incidents in Hertfordshire, 58 in Northumbria, 56 in Merseyside, 38 in West Yorkshire, 28 in Scotland, 27 the West Midlands and 16 in Wales.” (CST Press Release 2020)

Home Secretary, Rt Hon Priti Patel MP said:

“It’s appalling that we have seen another increase of sickening abuse against the Jewish community. We need to do much more to tackle antisemitism and the intolerance this creates across society. As Home Secretary I am pushing for greater collaboration, both across government, policing, the courts and community groups, to remove this shameful stain on our society.”

Communities Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

“Who could have imagined that 75 years after the end of the Holocaust, antisemitism would be on the rise in the UK and across Europe. There is no place for antisemitism in our society. It is a scourge on us all and the record high number of recorded incidents in 2019 is completely unacceptable. This Government stands with CST – together we are committed to working with the Jewish community to stamp out anti-Jewish hatred and prejudice. Educating future generations about antisemitism is crucial. Our new funding to tackle antisemitism on campus and plans to combat Online Harms by targeting the appalling rise in antisemitic social media incidents, form a vital part of our commitment to root it out of our society.”

Shadow Policing Minister & Vice-Chair All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism, Louise Haigh MP, said:

“CST’s data makes for depressing reading. It is shameful the Jewish community has been subjected to another year of racist abuse. We are beyond a stage of saying that more has to be done. We require immediate action. I will be working with colleagues, and with the CST and partners to identify what more we can be doing to reverse this unacceptable trend.”

CST Chief Executive David Delew said:

“2019 was another difficult year for British Jews and it is no surprise that recorded antisemitic incidents reached yet another high. It is clear that both social media and mainstream politics are places where antisemitism and racism need to be driven out, if things are to improve in the future.”

SOCIAL MEDIAS IMPACT ON RELIGIOUS HATE CRIME

Social media plays a huge role in todays society. We are often found hooked on to apps such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc. for hours on end. Social media is another form of finding out the latest news all around the country.  Instagram influencers also play a huge role in todays generation. Everyone searches to find the latest gossip on all social media platforms. Mila (MILOORS/INSTAGRAM) has sparked a national debate.

A young girl, aged 16, had recently posted her thoughts of Islam on Instagram live broadcast. The teen, from France, quoted that Islam is a “religion of hate”. Also stating “”I am not racist. You cannot be racist towards a religion. I said what I thought, you’re not going to make me regret it” she said, before using stronger words to attack Islam. Her words have caused chaos as she is currently receiving death threats and has even been unable to attend school since.

The newspaper article had been released on February the 4th 2020. After trying to research her account, it is still confirmed as de activated.

The police had also investigated the crime committed. But have since dropped the hate speech case as they found that Mila had ‘voiced her opinion’ and not targeted certain individuals.  – Many would see her comments as unfair, a personal attack and considered as racial abuse to the Islamic religion. But she has not been punished for her opinion, merely because she was “voicing her opinion”. Surely, a 16 year old, would have been taught how to behave in such a way towards other groups of religion. It is todays generation that sparks racialism. The way a child is brought up and is taught plays a huge role. The question is where did her ‘opinion’ arise from? what makes her think the way she does? So who is really to blame? Her parents? Schools? The Media?

Mila had later appeared on the TMC channel where she had apologised for upsetting those who practise their religion in ‘peace’. Although, she did in fact go on to defend her remarks and stated “I have absolutely no regrets for what I said, it was really my thought”.

Councils, ministers and even the national rally leader had been involved in this debate. This has clarified the powers of social media. Her opinion has even lead to protests in France that had first begun from the debate about Muslim women being unable to wear a veil. The fact that her opinion had gone viral clarifies the huge influence social media has on individuals. Some had also defended her right to attack Islam. This clearly shows that even in 2020 there is still a segregation towards religions and the question is whether we as a society will ever solve these issues of on-going racial attacks towards religious groups…

The coronavirus isn’t an excuse for hate crime

The news of the Coronavirus has been causing panic and worry across the world. The virus started in China in a city called Wuhan and has sadly caused deaths in the city amongst the most vulnerable members of the population. People are worried about the spread of the virus and the country is taking precautions to keep everyone safe. One of the ways they are doing this is through encouraging people to wear surgical face masks.

Chinese people have been wearing face masks for decades as a way of protecting themselves from pollution and viruses. If someone is ill they also wear a mask to protect other people from catching it and spreading the illness further. This is sensible and respectful to humanity as a whole. In Sheffield there are around 10,000 Chinese nationals and many of them are students at Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Sheffield.

It was reported last week in Sheffield, by The Sheffield Star, that a Chinese student had been a target of hate crime as a result of wearing a mask. The post-graduate student from Sheffield University was walking up West Street alone in broad daylight when she was verbally abused and pushed by three people. The student was wearing a protective mask at the time following advice from Chinese media to keep her and everyone else safe. The student has decided not to prosecute but is hoping the incident can educate others.

The coronavirus is worrying but, just because it started in China, that does not mean that Asian people across the world should become targets of abuse and hate crimes. Remember a surgical face mask is protecting other people, as well as the person wearing it.

Brexit

On 31st January the UK left the European Union. The UK is still in Europe and still abides by the UK Equality Act 2010, but it seems some individuals are finding this hard to understand. As members of the human race we should respect each other and celebrate our different backgrounds and cultures. Diversity makes our lives more exciting and enhances our experiences. However there seems to be an increase in people taking the opportunity of Brexit to give them free rein to preach hate and racial abuse. 

We need to be aware of these crimes and to call people out who do this. We need to defend our international friends. In the past few weeks there have been some worrying incidents of hate crime in pubs and bars in Sheffield as a result of Brexit, which have affected students at Sheffield Hallam. 

One Hallam student, who is originally from Spain, was talking to her mother in Spanish on the phone in a local bar, and was told by a bystander that she should only speak English. No one stepped in to support her, but thankfully she managed to defend herself. However she should not have had to. 

A different Hallam student from Bulgaria was also in a pub drinking with friends from different countries. A man in the pub thought it was appropriate to say racist comments to the group. This was frowned upon by the bar staff but unfortunately they did not evict the individual.

Sheffield is a city of sanctuary with a history of welcoming new arrivals and being multicultural. This sort of behaviour is not what we expect to see or should accept. Sheffield has two universities with many international students and has won awards for the safest UK city, and this needs to continue. Everyone should feel safe and welcome in the UK. Brexit was not an excuse for right-wing propaganda to take hold in our culture. If you hear friends making comments or see someone being abused, please step in, take them away from the situation, show them that Sheffield still has caring people that welcome them.

Rise in antisemitism

Earlier in the week marked the 75th anniversary of the Holocaust yet currently anti-Semitism is rising throughout the world. More information on the anniversary can be read in the blog post “Auschwitz 75 years’ on”.

December in New York showed a spike in violence towards Jews. Including a fatal shooting, stabbings and other attacks. In fact, more than half of the hate crimes reported in New York were directed towards Jews.  David Nirenberg – who has written extensively on the history of anti-Semitism discusses to what extent anti-Jewish violence be tied to other hate crimes, and to what extent should it be understood as having a distinct history and motivations.

The Anti-Defamation League noted there were 1,879 attacks against Jews during 2018, which is the 3rd highest year on record since they began tracking data in the 1970s. There are many reasons why anti-Semitism is rising and in his article Peter Dreier examines the reasons and how related they are to politics.

It is not just in the US where anti-Semitism is on the rise , there are numerous issues within the UK including a Nazi salute being given to a Jewish man. It is not just Nazi salutes, there have been attacks on rabbi’s, anti-Semitic rants aimed towards families, swastikas and hail Borris being graffitied in a Jewish suburb of London.  There has been a 10% increase of anti-Semitic crimes since 2018. Alona Ferber shows more evidence of the rise of anti-Semitism in her article.

People are noticing this rise and there have been demonstrations against it. In response to accused anti-Semitism of one party during the general election there was a rally organised by campaign against anti-Semitism “so that Jews and non-Jews alike can say clearly and with one voice that we stand together against antisemitism.” Football club Chelsea, honoured a poppy seller who was a prisoner of Auschwitz as part of their campaign “say no to anti-semitism”. In response to the attacks in December more than 10,000 protesters marched from Manhattan to Brooklyn in a display of solidarity. This “no hate, no fear solidarity march” was organised by UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Anti Defamation League-New York, AJC-NY, and the New York Board of Rabbis, to stand against hatred of any kind in New York.  More information on taking a stand against anti-Semitism can be found in the blog post; Take a stand against Antisemitism.

Auschwitz 75 years’ on

Yesterday (27th January 2020), marked the 75th anniversary of Soviet soldiers liberating the Auschwitz death camp in the final year of the Second World War. Survivors of the Holocaust and current world leaders attended the ceremony at Auschwitz, to remember those killed by the Nazi regime. However, alongside remembrance, a strong message was also made highlighting the importance of ensuring that this does not happen again.

The focus of this year’s ceremony was on the survivors themselves and their message was clear, world indifference to hatred must stop so that events like the Holocaust do not happen again (Connolly, 2020). This message was echoed by the French president Emmanuel Macron, who stated that Antisemitism is not just a problem for the Jewish community, rather it is a problem for us all (BBC, 2020). Statistics from the UK also demonstrate that Antisemitism is still very much a contemporary issue in society. The second most targeted group of religious hate crime were the Jewish community, with them being the victim of 18% of all reported hate crimes (Home Office, 2019). It is important to note that this figure could be higher, as it only includes reported hate crimes, many may go unreported for a variety of reasons.

With these statistics in mind, it is clear why the message of ending indifference from survivors of the Holocaust is so important. As a society, we need to ensure that we are tackling religious hatred, and other forms of discrimination, so that we can prevent the horrific events of the past happening again.

#VisibleHate: together we can stop it

Many people who have a visible difference can become a target of hate crime. Changing Faces state:

  •  Seven in ten people experience negative behaviour such as stares, abuse and bullying because of how they look.
  • 28% of people with a visible difference have experienced a hate crime.
  • Almost half of those who have experienced negative behaviours say they have lost confidence.
  • Over a third (35%) say they now feel anxious when they go out
  • Over a quarter (27%) say it has had a negative impact on their mental health.

Changing Faces is the UK’s leading charity for anyone who has a scar, mark or condition on their face or body that makes them look different.

Their website has a wide range of advice, support and services to help you or someone you may know. They work with children, young people and adults to improve their confidence so they can lead the life they want.

Changing Faces challenge discrimination and campaign for “Face Equality: a world that truly values and respects people who look different.”

You can add your name to their campaign to end #visiblehate by clicking here.

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