Community Organisations Tackling Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes Come Together in France

Three French anti-racism associations said on Sunday they would file legal complaints against social networks Facebook, Twitter and Google’s Youtube for failing to remove “hateful” content posted on their platforms.

French law requires websites to take down racist, homophobic or anti-semitic material and tell authorities about it.

But French Jewish students union UEJF and anti-racism and anti-homophobia campaigners SOS Racisme and SOS Homophobie said the three firms had removed only a fraction of 586 examples of hateful content the anti-racism groups had counted on their platforms between the end of March and May 10.

Twitter removed only four percent, Youtube seven percent and Facebook 34 percent, according to the associations.

“In light of Youtube, Twitter and Facebook’s profits and how little taxes they pay, their refusal to invest in the fight against hate is unacceptable,” UEJF president Sacha Reingewirtz said in a statement.

Germany got Facebook, Google and Twitter to agree in December to delete hate speech from their websites within 24 hours.

The post Facebook, Twitter, Youtube face hate speech complaints in France appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We have been working with a trans-Muslim convert to Islam who has also been homeless and who regularly suffers anti-Muslim hate at a street level. Wearing the Niqab, she has consistently documented the threats, abuse and hatred that she has suffered. The hatred has had its toll on her health and one of the most harmless and caring of individuals has been threatened and attacked in numerous incidents.

Most of the abuse against the Muslim trans-female is undertaken by white males, between the ages of 16-40. Once again, anti-Muslim bigotry at a street level, is male on female anti-Muslim and gender hate and it needs to be seen within this light.

Today, this video came to light with an open assault on her at a street level. The Muslim female recorded the material and it is truly shocking to see an assault on a female whilst passers by just look on and with no-one coming to her assistance. This is unacceptable and we will be pursuing a possible prosecution with the police on this.

The post Trans-Muslim Convert to Islam Openly Assaulted With Public Looking On appeared first on TELL MAMA.

This is the photo that was sent into us today. The family in Rotherham woke up to this on their gate and they have suffered years of racism and hatred.

Who would think that in 2015 such graffiti would be posted on the property of an Asian family? Yet these issues are sadly not one-offs and seeing the graffiti brings home the fact that there is still much work to be done.

We also acknowledge that Rotherham has sadly become a flashpoint for community tensions and recently, local individuals supported a boycott of community engagement with the police. The boycott was resolved within days though it shows that there are relationships and bridges that need to be built-in the area.

In the meantime, if you know of anyone who has suffered such intolerance, hate and bigotry, do tell them to get in touch with us on info@tellmamauk.org or through our helpline on 0800 456 1226. You can speak to our caseworker between 9 am to 6 pm on Monday to Fridays and you can also SMS us on 0115 707 0007. Finally, you can also tweet us on @tellmamauk.

The post An Affront to Modern Britain. This is the Racism That Some Suffer Today appeared first on TELL MAMA.

This report looks at the impact of on-line and off-line experiences of anti-Muslim hostility on British Muslims in the UK. It highlights how some male Muslims are failing to report in Institutional anti-Muslim prejudice for fear of being targeted and for fear that they will be seen to be ‘weak’ in the eyes of their families and lead to instability in their employment. It also highlights how key ‘trigger’ events such as the murder of Lee Rigby, the actions of the so-called Islamic State and the Rotherham grooming scandal, have led to multiple impacts within Muslim communities. It also re-affirms the link between racist language and anti-Muslim prejudice, with one female respondent saying, “actually, 9 out of 10 times, the abuse I receive is based on race. Although they use religion because I am identifiable as a Muslim woman, the words that come out of their mouth have to do with race, so the race and the religion are tied up together in people’s minds.”

Participants in the report talk about the disturbing nature of verbal and physical violence that they have suffered. A convert to Islam, Sophie (who wears the Hijab) stated, “a guy walked past, he spat at me and called me a ‘Muzzi’. Also, I’ve been called dirty Paki, (I am white), as a group of guys walked past and shouted ‘speak English in our country.’ I was looking at a map and did not say anything.”

Some participants also warned about the risks of radicalisation, especially for young people as a result of suffering online and/or offline anti-Muslim hate crimes. One respondent, Hamza, noted that “anti-Muslim hate crime has affected Muslims. This is why Muslims are going to Syria. This is why they support ISIS. When people experience Islamophobic abuse, they will be easily radicalised. They feel weak, lonely, isolated, and rejected from British society. This is when these hate preachers pick them up and brainwash them. If you are constantly victimised, you are weak.”

This report also highlights an impact on Muslim communities which is rarely discussed and which includes changes in dress style so that attention is not drawn to the visibility of their faith. The report highlights the issue of Muslims managing their Muslim identity on-line and off-line with the aim of reducing future abuse. It states that, “the reality of anti-Muslim hate crime creates ‘invisible’ boundaries, across which members of the Muslim community are not ‘welcome’ to step. The enactment of both virtual and physical boundaries impacts upon ‘emotional geographies’ in relation to the way in which Muslims perceive the spaces and places around and outside their communities of abode. Rather than risk the threat of being attacked, either off-line or on-line, many actual and potential victims opt to change their lifestyles and retreat to ‘their own’ communities.

]]> 1227 https://www.faith-matters.org/intimidation-in-northern-ireland-towards-muslims-is-deeply-worrying/ Mon, 28 Sep 2015 11:44:14 +0000 https://tellmamauk.org/?p=6430 Sometimes, many of us forget about Northern Ireland and the social dynamics that make up this part of the United Kingdom. Recently Northern Ireland has been in the news for a series of racist attacks in South and East Belfast, by the Ulster Group – the Ulster Volunteer Force. A Muslim woman reported into us last

The post Intimidation in Northern Ireland Towards Muslims is Deeply Worrying appeared first on TELL MAMA.