Hate crimes jump by 600% since 7/7

by Vijay Dutt, London

Hate crimes in Britain have soared by 600 per cent causing the fear of a race divide in multicultural British society. Scotland Yard figures show there was 269 religious hate crimes, motivated by animosity towards Muslims since July 7 compared with 40 in the same period last year. A direct outcome of the two bomb attacks on London Transport system, such hate offences have jumped by nearly 600% in the capital.

Most were verbal abuses or minor assaults, but it also includes criminal damage to property and mosques. In the immediate three-day aftermath of the attacks there were 68 faith hate crimes in the capital. There were none in the same period 12 months ago.

Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said: "There is no doubt that incidents impacting on the Muslim community have increased.

"Most of the incidents were low-level abuse or minor assaults but they had a great "emotional impact" on communities, he said. "It can lead to these communities completely retreating and not engaging at a time when we want their engagement and support," he added.

These alarming figures emerged as Home Office minister Hazel Blears went on tour across Britain to meet Muslims. She held her first series of meetings with representatives of the community in Oldham where Muslim and White youth had clashed in 2001, leading to one of the worst race riots in nearly two decades.

These meetings had mixed results and showed up concerns that police in stop-and-search operations was targeting young Muslims. One youth even said there would be more riots if British troops were not withdrawn from Iraq.

Ms Blears pledged that Muslims would not be discriminated against. "The counter-terrorism powers are not targeting any community in particular but are targeting terrorists," she said. But such words are unlikely to placate the community.

Conservative shadow Home Secretary David Davis, also a front-runner to become the party leader, surprisingly came out with a blunt statement that Muslims must start integrating into mainstream British society.

Shadow Defence Secretary Gerald Howarth went further and said those who did not like Britain and the way of life should go to another country. Another leader said multi-culturism could not exist without tolerance and feeling of harmony with other religions. Distinctive identities must not be encouraged, said Davis.

These sentiments might represent the feelings of the people generally, including moderate Muslims but the Muslim Council condemned them as naive and arrogant.

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