Islamophobic hate crime is on the increase across the vast majority of Londo, according to the Hate Crime, England and Wales 2017/18 report.

The report found that London’s inner boroughs have witnessed a rise of over 40% in hate crimes against Muslims.

These figures are consolidated by the latest statistics from the London assembly which also show a dramatic increase of nearly 2000% in the number of reported hate crimes between June 2017 and that same month ten years ago.

In the capital’s worst-performing borough, Westminster, the London Assembly’s latest Islamophobic crime figures show 129 cases of hate crime were reported, up from 55 that month the previous year.

A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain, Miqdaad Versi, holds “structural discrimination” and an “atmosphere of hostility reinforcing a society-wide idea that Muslims are different” responsible for this dramatic rise.

Mr Versi said the mainstream media is accountable, at least in part, for this portrayal of Muslims as “other” to the rest of London society.

Mr Versi continued by explaining how the online world, which is increasingly difficult to police, is forming new problems to quelling Islamophobia.

But among those worst hit in the physical world are woman and young girls. Mr Versi holds this to extend from the obviousness of their faith in their Islamic dress placing a target on their foreheads to Islamophobic opportunists.

Tamanna Minh, who has experienced hate crime in central London, said “being harassed, being abused can make anyone feel physically and mentally awful and unwell. It can really drive people to the edge.”

Adding to the problems is the rate of reporting. Mr Versi claims this is still far below an accurate representation of the reality; though this is improving. His statement is reflected in the London Assembly’s statistics where, of all the inner London boroughs, only three had any Islamophobic hate crime recorded in June 2007 whilst now they all do.

London news