Akeela Ahmed, of British Muslim Trust, says experience is part of a wider rise in anti-Muslim hatred
The chief executive of the government’s new official partner in tackling Islamophobia has spoken about being refused service in a shop for being Muslim, amid concerns about a rise in insidious anti-Muslim “microaggressions”.
The British Muslim Trust (BMT) is launching a government-backed telephone and online reporting service for hate crimes. In July, the trust was selected as a recipient of the government’s “combating hate against Muslims fund”, and in the months since its chief executive, Akeela Ahmed, has been meeting members of Muslim communities, including in Bradford in West Yorkshire, East Sussex, Greater London and Greater Manchester.
Ahmed said it seemed the “gap is closing” between hate speech and inflammatory comment online – from social media groups to newspaper comment sections – and anti-Muslim hatred in real life, which remained “underreported and underrecognised.”
As a result, BMT hopes to research the impact of online discourse and “call on ministers if research showed social media companies are not being held to account” under existing legislation, she said.
