Calculating antisemitic and anti-Muslim attacks

Tell MAMA Reporting 2013/14:
Anti-Muslim Overview, Analysis and ‘Cumulative Extremism’
pdf file

By Dr Matthew Feldman and Mark Littler
Centre for Fascist, Anti-fascist and Post-fascist Studies, Teesside University
July 2014

Executive Summary

• The Centre for Fascist, Anti-fascist and Post-fascist Studies at Teesside
University analysed anti-Muslim incidents recorded by Faith Matters’ Tell
MAMA project over 2013/14.

• There were 734 self-reported cases between 1 May 2013 and 28 February
2014; of these, there were 599 incidents of online abuse and 135 offline
attacks, combining for an average of more than 2 cases per day.

• Of the 18% of offline anti-Muslim attacks recorded by Tell MAMA; 23 cases
involved assault and another 13 cases involved extreme violence.

• Estimated age of perpetrators was between 10 and 30 in 60% of offline attacks.

• Two-fifths of all anti-Muslim incidents recorded by Tell MAMA reported a
link to far-right groups (e.g. BNP, EDL, etc.); including 45% of online abuse.

• In the wake of Drummer Lee Rigby’s brutal murder, reported incidents to Tell
MAMA skyrocketed – there were nearly four times more online and offline reports (373%) in the week after 22 May 2013 than in the week beforehand.

• Underreporting remains a challenge in analysing crime data, especially for
hate crimes. Tell MAMA’s data revealed that nearly 5 of 6 victims of all antiMuslim incidents (online and offline) did not go to the police. Only 3% of
victims of an offline attack (4 total) went to both Tell MAMA and the police.

• Nonetheless, while recent police and government figures show that hate crime
incidents are generally falling, including religiously-motivated attacks, those
against Muslims in England and Wales appear to have significantly increased
during this reporting period.

• Unlike most incidents of hate crime overwhelmingly involving both male
perpetrators and victims, offline victims reporting to Tell MAMA were
predominately female (54%), and often were wearing items of clothing
associated with Islam.

• The average daily number of all reported incidents to Tell MAMA increased
six-fold between 22 and 29 May 2013. The week following the Woolwich attack accounted for 17% of all incidents, both online and offline, reported to Tell MAMA between May 2013 and February 2014.

• Specific incidents over this week of ‘cumulative extremism’ extended from
heightened online abuse (from 28 to 97 reports) and online threats (from 4 to
15 reports) to rises in street-based assaults (from 2 to 5 reports) and extreme
violence (from 0 to 5 reports).

• In the three months after Lee Rigby’s attack, Tell MAMA recorded 34 antiMuslim
attacks on property, notably mosques – ranging from graffiti to arson.

Antisemitic graffiti used by CST to illustrate its 2011 report. No place or date given.

Antisemitic incidents Report, January-June 2014 pdf file

CST recorded 304 antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom in the first six months of 2014. This is an increase of 36 per cent from the 223 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first six months of 2013. CST recorded 312 antisemitic
incidents in the first six months of 2012, 294 in the first half of 2011 and 325 in the first half of 2010.

The highest number of antisemitic incidents recorded by CST in the January–June
period came in 2009, when 629 antisemitic incidents were recorded. This was largely due to antisemitic reactions to the conflict in Gaza in January of that year.

In addition to the 304 antisemitic incidents recorded in the first half of 2014 by CST, a further 152 potential incidents were reported to CST, but, on investigation, appeared not to show evidence of antisemitic motivation or targeting. These potential incidents, therefore, were not classified as
antisemitic and are not included in the statisticscontained in this report. Most of these rejected incidents, comprising 33 per cent of the total number of 456 potential incidents reported to CST, involved non-antisemitic crime affecting Jewish property or people; hostile reconnaissance or suspicious behaviour near to Jewish locations; or anti-Israel activity that did not involve antisemitic
language, imagery or targeting.

Many of these 456 potential incidents required investigation or a security-related response by CST staff or volunteers, irrespective of whether or not they subsequently appeared to be antisemitic.

There has been no change in CST’s methodology or in the sources of antisemitic incident reports from 2013 to 2014 that might explain the increase in reported antisemitic incidents. There was an increase in the number of incidents taking place on social media that was reported to CST, which accounts for 23 per cent of the ‘extra’ incidents recorded in the first half of 2014 compared to 2013, but this is clearly not sufficient to explain most of the increase in the overall total.

There was no specific trigger event during the first six months of 2014 to cause the increase in reported incidents, which was spread across the period covered by this report: every month of the January–June period returned an incident total that was higher than for the same month in 2013. The highest monthly total was 62
antisemitic incidents recorded in June 2014, and the lowest was 39 in March. The increase was also felt across the UK, with rises recorded in London, Manchester, Hertfordshire and Leeds .

Therefore it is likely that the increase in the number of incidents either reflects a genuine increase in the number of incidents that are taking place, or an improvement in the reporting of incidents to CST and the Police by members of the Jewish community and the wider public – or a combination of these two factors.

Antisemitic incidents reach record level in July 2014

September 4th, 2014 by CST

INTRO ONLY. For full article, see previous postingAntisemitic incidents reach record level in July 2014

Antisemitic reactions to this summer’s conflict between Israel and Hamas resulted in record levels of antisemitic hate incidents in the UK, according to new figures released by CST today.

CST recorded 302 antisemitic incidents in July 2014, a rise of over 400% from the 59 incidents recorded in July 2013 and only slightly fewer than the 304 antisemitic incidents recorded in the entire first six months of 2014. A further 111 reports were received by CST during July but were not deemed to be antisemitic and are not included in this total. CST has recorded antisemitic incidents in the UK since 1984.

The 302 antisemitic incidents recorded in July 2014 is the highest ever monthly total recorded by CST. The previous record high of 289 incidents in January 2009 coincided with a previous period of conflict between Israel and Hamas. CST also recorded at least 150 antisemitic incidents in August 2014, making it the third-highest monthly total on record. The totals for July and August are expected to rise further as more incident reports reach CST.