MUSLIMS in Scotland have been caught up in an Islamaphobic “fierce backlash” in the wake of last Friday’s terrorist attack in Paris.
Police Scotland confirmed that they had received 64 reports of religious or racially motivated hate crimes in the last week.
Yesterday morning at a press conference in Glasgow Mosque, police and community leaders called for calm and unity.
Last Sunday, Mohammaed Khalid was hospitalised after being attacked by a group of people at the takeaway in Methil he has owned for the last 25 years.
On Monday, the Muslim Bishopbriggs Cultural Centre, known as Al Sarouk, was torched in the early hours and the Strathclyde University Muslim Students Association said they had received death threats.
Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar said that there have been reports of a young woman being called a “terrorist” in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, a mother and child attacked in Thornliebank, in Glasgow’s south side, verbal abuse of schoolchildren in playgrounds and a group being abused in Glasgow Central station by train passengers. Police Scotland said that charges are to be brought in 40 cases, including four men charged in connection with the assault in Methil.
Anwar said: “The stakes are incredibly high and we look to civic Scotland for solidarity.
“We call on the people of Scotland to unite with the Muslim community and not let the terrorists and racists divide us. The Muslim community have absolute confidence in the zero-tolerance of hate crime by Police Scotland.”
Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said there was no doubt that much of what had been reported was a “direct result of what happened in Paris”.
The Deputy Chief Constable added: “Since the dreadful events on Friday we have had a number of reports of racially and religiously motivated crime. When I left the office this morning, they were standing at 64.
“What I can say is that of those 64, in 40 cases we have identified who the culprits are and charges – if they have not already been brought – will be brought in due course.
“We’re talking about less than a week and a number of the cases continue to have developments.
“We have noticed a number of incidents that are a direct result of what happened in Paris last Friday. They would not have happened if that attack hadn’t happened.
“Regardless of how it manifests itself, it won’t be tolerated.
“We remain absolutely committed to finding the perpetrators of hate crime. There is no place in Scottish life for such behaviour and we encourage people to report cases to us.”
In 2014/15 there were 130 racially aggravated harassment incidents reported and 2326 racially aggravated conduct incidents reported. There were 71 charges relating to Islamophobic hate crime in 2014-15.
At the meeting, which was attended by leaders from all faiths, Jamil Moghul from Glasgow Central Mosque said a school had cancelled a visit to the building in the last week without explanation.
“The fallout of these attacks have been felt worldwide and innocent Muslims have faced a fierce backlash, in part due to ignorance about Islam, and in part due to Islamophobia,” Moghul said..
“This has created a climate of fear and anxiety, such that school trips to this very mosque have been cancelled.
“The general feeling is one of vulnerability and anxiety but we must all stand united together against Islamophobia to ensure Muslims are not victimised for the crimes of others.”
Paul Morron, president of the Jewish Council of Scotland, said: “Let us all be clear, no matter what background we come from, the responsibility for what happened in Paris rests solely with the perpetrators of these atrocities and the people who trained and financed them.
“It has nothing to do with the Muslim community in Scotland and in no way is it any reflection on the members of the community.
“It is not acceptable for any reprisals to take pace against the Muslim community in Scotland. It is not their responsibility.”
Minister deluged with racist abuse
HUMZA Yousaf, Scotland’s Minister for Europe and International Development has been deluged with racist abuse in the wake of the Paris attacks.
Many of the comments sent to Yousaf on Twitter and Facebook are too offensive to print.
On Thursday Jonathan McAuley, 20, from Huddersfield, pled guilty in Airdrie Sheriff Court to acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused alarm and distress.
McAuley had tweeted about Yousaf: “Your [sic] a p***. Don’t tell us white guys what we can’t do.”
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