LONDON: Fears that Muslim communities across the United Kingdom are facing a sustained wave of attacks and intimidation have intensified after it emerged that almost 200 Islamophobic incidents have been carried out since the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in London last week.
The rise - which includes attacks on 10 mosques - follows a weekend of protests by far-right groups, the largest of which saw hundreds of English Defence League (EDL) supporters stage a protest outside Downing Street that ended with activists fighting running battles with the police.
The Tell Mama hotline for recording Islamophobic incidents said that by Monday evening 193 incidents had been reported. Before the death of Rigby the service recorded an average of three or four incidents a day.
In the northern town of Grimsby on Tuesday two men - reported to be former soldiers - were remanded in custody at the town’s magistrates court after a mosque was petrol bombed. Stuart Harness, 33, and Gavin Humphries, 37, were charged with arson with intent to endanger life. No pleas were entered and the two are due to appear at Grimsby crown court next month.
HACKING OFFENSIVE: Online activists Anonymous said on Tuesday that they were planning to attack the English Defence League. The hacking collective that became known around the world for a series of high-profile hacks and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on government, religious, and corporate websites, said it was planning to kick off its campaign by publishing the details of supporters and donors to the far-right group.
In a statement accompanying the launch of #OpEDL Anonymous claimed the EDL had attempted to exploit the British soldier’s killing to spread division and persecute innocent Muslims.
“[You] have used this as another excuse to further spread your campaign of hate, bigotry, and misinformation. Under the guise of national pride you have instigated crimes against the innocent and incited the subjugation of Muslims,” it said. The statement added: “We will not allow your injustices, your lies, and your stupidity, to further radicalise our youth into fearing and despising their fellow man... We do not forgive, we do not forget. Expect us !”
By arrangement with The Guardian
