Anti-Muslim incidents in Britain reached a record high in 2024, driven by a surge in online hate linked to Israel's genocidal Gaza war, according to data from monitoring group Tell MAMA.
Tell MAMA said it verified 5,837 anti-Muslim hate cases – a mix of both online and in-person incidents – last year, compared with 3,767 cases the year before and 2,201 in 2022.
The organization's data goes back to 2012 and is compiled using data-sharing agreements with police forces in England and Wales.
"The Middle East conflict super-fuelled online anti-Muslim hate," the group said in a statement, adding that "the Israel and Gaza War, the Southport murders and riots ... created a surge in anti-Muslim hate cases reported to Tell MAMA from 2023-2024."
Its director Iman Atta described the surge as unacceptable and deeply concerning for the future.
Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) describes itself as an independent, non-governmental organization that works on tackling anti-Muslim hatred.
Separate data last week showed levels of hatred toward Jews across Britain have also rocketed to record levels in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas incursion and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The surge in hate incidents against Muslims due to Islamophobia has also been linked to the killing of three young girls in the northern English town of Southport last summer, Tell MAMA said.
False reports spread on social media that the killer, who has since been sentenced to at least 52 years behind bars, was a Muslim migrant, leading to racist riots involving far-right and anti-immigration groups across the country.
"We urge the public to stand together against hatred and extremism, and we urge those in positions of influence and public authority to consider how their language risks stereotyping communities," Atta said, calling for coordinated government action to tackle anti-Muslim hate.
