In 1961, Hannah Arendt coined the term ‘the banality of evil‘ whilst covering the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem who repeatedly stated that he was “only following orders.” It was this inability to think beyond orders and directives that led to the mass genocide of people which led her to coin the term. Yet the term can be slightly amended to read as the ‘banality of hatred‘ which underlies evil and it seems to fit the open bigotry which some show to others just because they are different.

There are many traits of human nature that leave much to be desired. Through our work over the last 4 years we have covered a range of topics from anti-Muslim bigotry, through to intra-Muslim bigotry.

Yet, we will keep highlighting how intra-Muslim bigotry and prejudice needs to be tackled as an ongoing concern, (whilst tackling anti-Muslim hatred), if we are to promote the core principle that people in our country should live free from fear and intimidation.

Take for example, this post below which was reported into us today. The post highlights a boycott of alleged Ahmaddiya businesses and was posted on Facebook. The only reason for this boycott is that the shop owners are……wait for it…..a different belief system to the perpetrator posting the call for boycotts. In this instance, the people being discriminated against are Ahmaddiya Muslims.

Now, imagine a boycott being called against Christian or Jewish owned businesses? Rightly we would all be outraged and this would be something of real concern for social justice activists. Yet, here we have the identical thing involving the targeting of a peaceful law-abiding community through boycotts of their businesses on the basis that they are so heretical that they must be punished.

Finally, the following needs to be said. Anti-Muslim hatred or Islamophobia is mainly and predominantly against Muslims, yet we cannot shy away or brush under the carpet such toxic intra-Muslim prejudice. Where we find it, we must call it out and highlight it. For far too long, it has gone unchallenged, and just as we will challenge anti-Muslim bigotry, we will also challenge the banality of hate perpetrated against minority groups within Islam. This also goes hand in hand with challenging all forms of hatred and prejudice.

If anything, the example shown below really does reflect the vacuousness of those who think that they can discriminate against others and broadcast it across the Internet and social media. Hannah’s words still seem to carry a powerful wake up call to us all and to those who care about human rights and the future of integration and cohesion in our country.

The post The Banality of Hate – Boycotts Because of a Wrong Strand of Religion appeared first on TELL MAMA.

As we move into 2016, it is important to reflect on what has been achieved for the public over the last year.

Tell MAMA is now moving into its fourth year of existence and the results over the last year have been humbling. But this has been about how we have made a difference. When we stop making a difference, then it is time for any project or organisation to re-assess its future.

So these are the successes over the last year which have helped in tackling anti-Muslim prejudice and in ensuring stronger and more cohesive communities, whilst also helping to push back far right groups and their narratives.

— We were the first organisation to call out the large spike in anti-Muslim hate incidents that were reported to us by members of the public after the horrendous terrorist killings in Paris in November 2015. We acted, again, as an early warning indicator against a rise in anti-Muslim prejudice and community tensions.

— We worked with Ministers and senior officials in informing them around risks relating to anti-Muslim prejudice and in the need to ensure better recording of anti-Muslim hate incidents.

— Our material was sourced by over 768 local, national and international press sources over the last year. This made Tell MAMA, the leading organisation in creating a wider awareness of anti-Muslim prejudice and we will continue to push hard in the coming year.

— We reached out to over 2.8 million people in the UK on-line and our reach has meant that we received cases from the US, South America and other countries. Whilst we would like to have helped, our main and key priority is the UK, hence we did not record or count these cases. (Only UK based cases are included in our annual reports).

— We were one of two organisations, (the other being the Community Security Trust), who signed a partnership and data sharing agreement with police forces in England and Wales. This means that we have started to receive data from forces to add to the self-referrals for assistance that we receive in Tell MAMA. This year, our projections are that we will have over 2,000 anti-Muslim hate incidents logged.

— We have now assisted over 5,600 people with casework, advice, emotional and signposting support since we started work in March 2012.

— We have been successful in achieving over 524 arrests and 412 prosecutions since March 2012. These are figures from police forces who have fed results back to us and the figure may well be higher.

— We have disrupted far right activity on-line and ensured that over 1,370 acounts have been closed on Facebook and Twitter. Again, these are from figures that we have received when social media providers have fed this information back to us.

— We have developed an extensive network of police contacts who work on tackling hate crimes in forces in England and Wales.

— We were instrumental in advising the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service), in looking for keywords that may associate evidence and cases with anti-Muslim prejudice. Those key words are now included in the Prosecutor’s Guidance on anti-Muslim hostility.

— We have developed a wide information network which feeds in anti-Muslim material which is circulated by far right networks to us. This allows us to be pro-active and to feed in the material to law enforcement, ensuring the safety of communities.

These are just some of the achievements to date. In all of this, we must not forget the victims of anti-Muslim prejudice, who are predominantly Muslim women who are visible, (who wear the Hijab or the Niqab). To many, we have been a key point of support and as we go into 2016, let us think about our impacts on society. Let us collectively stand up for the weak, those who have no voice and those who deserve peace. If we can stand up for the most marginalised and the voiceless in our communities, then we really are making a real difference.

The post Our Achievements in Tell MAMA as We Move into 2016 appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Racism is not the domain of any specific racial, religious or cultural group. That is a fact and blaming a particular group for racism is not reflective of what is taking place. Factually, though, we know that street based anti-Muslim prejudice is perpetrated mainly by white males, between the ages of 15-35. This not to blame a specific racial group, it is to highlight the demographic of where perpetrators are coming from.

Yet, as we have suggested, it is not found just in one community. It can be found in all communities and vigilance against it is essential.

It is therefore particularly depressing when we find antagonism and inferences to prejudice and bigotry in the language of those from BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) groups. In this video, of an incident in Alum Rock, Birmingham, the depressing reality of issues comes to light.

In the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, there was a sense of solidarity between BAME groups as they came together to tackle overt racism which saw individuals attacked in the street because of their race. That solidarity was a source of strength in some of the most difficult moments.

That said, racism and bigotry against the majority community is unacceptable. We cannot tackle racism and bigotry without tackling all forms of it and this forms the moral basis of the work. In the meantime, we hope that BAME communities take time to come together and campaign on issues to ensure that prejudice is tackled. This also means including Jewish communities who have given much in the fight against racism, bigotry and prejudice.

The post Does Black on Black Abuse Show a Breakdown in BAME Solidarity? 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.

Recently, we posted up an article on our Facebook page for communities to collectively tackle hate, intolerance and prejudice. The picture showed some visibly Muslim females and it also highlighted the need to report in anti-Muslim prejudice. The responses we received are sadly not really shocking anymore and highlight how far right and anti-Muslim sympathisers ‘sit’ on social media platforms and look for posts involving Islam or Muslims. Once they come across them, individuals call for mass postings onto such sites with abusive posts. We have listed some of these below showing how open and brazen some people have become in spreading their anti-Muslim prejudice.

Meet Raymond Redfern looking rather pleased by posting a picture of himself on Facebook. His comments are self-explanatory: “Kick all Muslims (sic) people and you (Tell MAMA) out of britain and there won’t be any racism in Britain because Muslims are the problem.” Bless – the level of ignorance here takes some beating as he states his bigotry and prejudice against Muslims whilst saying that if Muslims were ‘kicked out’ there would be no more racism. He surely will not be applying for the University Challenge we think.

Or there is Cardiff based Bob Anderson, who makes clear his bigotry towards Muslims. He states, “Burn in helll (sic) you Muslim scum.” All of this just because he saw a picture of Muslim women wearing the Hijab.

Or take Hadleigh based Dennis Redman, who goes onto state: “Feed the scum bacon,” referring to Muslims.

Or take London based Morgan Douglas Morgan, who has suggested on his Facebook page that he works in mental health services. He states, “Get rid of blacks and Muslims completely be (sic) having to make them live together side by side on their own planet.” It also seems Morgan previously lived in South Africa.

Finally, take Jason Hawkes, who goes onto state, “And Muslims are not racists themselves they are the worst, need shooting and sending back soz.”

Welcome to the internet and keyboard warriors who loiter on social media.

The post Meet the Keyboard Warriors who Spout Anti-Muslim Bigotry appeared first on TELL MAMA.

This is a case that came into Tell MAMA a few days go. Nazleen (the identity has been altered), wears a Niqab and an Abaya, (the black body over-garment) worn by more socially conservative Muslim women. Nazleen is 22 years old and she was travelling on a bus when a white female, aged around 40 plus years of age, started to look at Nazleen in an aggressive manner. She then started to say something to Nazleen, who took off her headphones, and the female perpetrator stated, “you wearing that Niqab is going back to the traditions of the Victorian era. We women fought hard for women’s rights, so why would you do this?” The perpetrator also went onto state, “you could be hiding a gun under your garment.” The abuse continued with the perpetrator stating that she felt scared by Nazleen and that she felt intimidated by her. She also stated that Nazleen looked like she was a ‘ghost’.

The intimidation and abuse of young Nazleen continued as the female perpetrator then said that Nazleen probably could not read or write and that she was being manipulated by men.

As Nazleen went to get off her stop, in a moment of empathy a passenger asked her if she was ok and Nazleen alighted from the bus.

In contacting Tell MAMA Nazleen stated, “I’m not hurt or upset by this incident. I’m used to it to be honest but with the rise in Islamophobic attacks I thought to report it so more awareness is created of incidents like this.”

The post “You Wearing That Niqab is Going Back to Traditions of the Victorian Era,” Says Perpetrator appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Mona Chalabi’s BBC documentary titled, ‘Is Britain Racist‘, was a fascinating insight into prejudice and the ways that different races and faith groups are affected by racism and prejudice. We had the pleasure of advising the producers in sending a Niqab wearing female to Dudley, to see what reactions this would elicit, if she walked on the streets. The reactions by some were just as expected with abuse meted out to the female from cars that drove by. The young female was left shocked and feeling extremely vulnerable in the exercise which highlighted what some visible Muslim females go through. The documentary was an excellent insight into the way that we perceive race, nationality and religious differences.

Yet, we should not fail to highlight the online world which is a toxic mix of a range of prejudices, allied to the benefits that social media sources and the Internet provide. Our report to be launched with Dr Imran Awan and Dr Irene Zempi will highlight some of the anti-Muslim hate and prejudice that is promoted on-line.

Sadly, we have also highlighted some of the abuse that we receive on a regular basis which shows the kind of prejudice that exists. This account for example, promotes the very real intolerance which permeates social media, and in this case Facebook, and the message was directly sent to us. We have notified Facebook and sent a copy to the police for their records. Sadly, these incidents are not unique given the work that we do.

The post Who Says This Work is Abuse Free? Mona Chalabi Highlights Key Issues appeared first on TELL MAMA.

This video has come to light of a young woman abusing an Asian man who was seated next to her. The female loses her composure and is seen to abuse the Asian male and tell him to ‘go back to your country.’ After numerous hate filled statements she goes onto suggests that individuals like him, ‘want to take over the country‘ – a classic bigoted trope thrown at perceived ‘foreigners.’

The anger and resentment at the Asian man spills over as the young female comes close to him in the video and her rants continue on and on with a member of the public filming the incident.  The incident shows a side to some people that lets down our nation and the dignity of it. It is an image that many will see on-line beyond our shores and they will no doubt, build up impressions that are not reflective of the majority of people in our country. It is an appalling example of why we must continue to tackle prejudice and especially when it rears its head like this.

This video has gone viral with nearly over 1 million hits. Let us hope that the perpetrator realises that she has not only let herself down, but that she has also let down the image of our country. In no way do her comments or her actions reflect the wider majority of people in our country.

The post Behaviour That Tramples on the Dignity of Our Nation appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We have been asked by members of Muslim communities about Prevent and whether people can report in cases where they think that there has been anti-Muslim prejudice in Prevent related work.

We have received some cases where people have reported in Prevent related issues to us, where they felt that their child has been targeted because of their Muslim faith. We have acted for these individuals in ascertaining what took place and we have actively advocated for individuals, ensuring that their voice is heard and that their feelings, comments and statements are taken into account.

However, we are also aware that many Prevent officers and practitioners work diligently and sensitively in engaging with families and individuals to ensure the safety of communities.

We feel that it is necessary to highlight this, not because we have an ideological position about Prevent in TELL MAMA, but because the whole ethos of the project is to provide a service to victims of anti-Muslim hate. This means that our primary function is to support the victim and to assist where possible in documenting any anti-Muslim hate, whilst providing casework services and emotional support to individuals.

Additionally, there have been some cases where there has been no evidence of anti-Muslim hate when we have worked with individuals who have reported in Prevent related issues, whilst in other cases, comments and statements made to individuals have pointed to ignorance about Muslims and in an extremely small number of cases, our work has unearthed anti-Muslim statements with Prevent being associated within discussions.

We hope that this provides some clarification and we would treat such cases and issues as we do any case, with due diligence and a desire to advocate for and work with individuals, based on an evidential basis.

The post Prevent: Our Responsibility to the Public appeared first on TELL MAMA.