Coronavirus has fuelled an increase in hate crimes with the Home Office noting an 8% increase in such incidents from last year across Wales and England.
Statistics published on Tuesday, 13th October during the national hate crime awareness week indicated that racial hate crimes had increased by a whopping 4,000 incidents in the last year. In comparison religious hate crimes climbed down by 5%, the first highest fall since 2012-13. The Home Office defines hate crime as any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic.
Over the last few months and especially during the height of the pandemic, there have been countless reports about pharmacists and key frontline workers, especially from black, Asian and minority ethnic being subjected to verbal and physical abuse. Almost a month ago an Indian Sikh taxi driver had reported an incident whereby passengers had asked him if he was “Taliban”. 41-year-old Vaneet Singh was driving four passengers from the Grosvenor casino in Reading when along the journey on the M33, they had pulled at his turban and subjected him to physical and verbal abuse.
Speaking to the BBC, he had said "It was horrible, really frightening, I will never work the nightshift again. I am still very scared."
Consequently, an investigation was launched into the incident with the Thames Valley Police requesting for any witnesses to step forward and provide leads. Asian Voice has now learnt from the Thames Valley Police that his case has been transferred over to Hampshire Constabulary.
19-year-old Bramley man was arrested on suspicion of racial and religious assault on Indian-origin Sikh Taxi driver
A spokesperson for the Hampshire Constabulary disclosed exclusively to Asian Voice, "A 19-year-old man from Bramley has been arrested on the suspicion of racially abusing and assaulting a taxi driver. The racial abuse and assaults are alleged to have taken place between 10.20 pm and 11.45pm on September 19 during a journey from Reading to the Basingstoke area.
The 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of racially and religiously aggravated assault, criminal damage and public order offences. He has been released under investigation while police enquiries are ongoing. Another man, a 20 year old from Swindon, has been voluntarily interviewed by police in relation to the same incident and released under investigation. Police enquiries continue."
Academics and experts believe that the increase in racial hate crimes have surfaced in the light of Black Lives Matter protest. Yet, the Home Office appear to have failed to take into account some of the statements issued by certain parliamentarians during the height of the coronavirus lockdown. Craig Whittaker’s allegations around Muslims and members from ethnic minority communities violating lockdown rules were not backed by any substantial evidence and were instead seen to “divide the community”. Some even accused the Tory MP of fuelling hate.
Commenting on the subject, Nazmin Akhtar, Co-Chair of Muslim Women Network UK said, “The pandemic has augmented many very real issues we deal with on a daily basis, whether that is domestic abuse, poverty or mental health matters. We have seen and heard many positive stories, such as neighbours and communities coming together to support one another. Sadly, there has also been an increase in racism and Islamophobia.
“It is unfair to make blanket statements that suggest one community is not following the rules as much as others. There are individuals across the board that need to do better. It is also vital that we look beyond the headlines and consider the factors that are exacerbating Covid-19 risks and cases for some communities. We need to work on addressing these inequalities, rather than get distracted playing the 'blame' game.”
Statistics remain same for two years, only 2% hate crimes reported against the Hindus
Off the 6,800 cases the Home Office report has noted that there are only 114 hate crimes recorded against the Hindu community. The statistics apparently stand stagnant since 2018 and at the lowest in comparison to hate crime reported by other religions. Some Hindu organisations have reportedly picked this subject with the Metropolitan Office.
In the meantime, the Mayor of London has declared City Hall a committedly anti-racist organisation while unveiling a toolkit to help businesses cultivate genuinely inclusive working environments. One in five men in the capital is Black, but Black men are significantly more likely to experience unemployment than their White counterparts, with 33 per cent of Black men out of work compared to 15 per cent of White men. Sadiq Khan has set targets by gender and ethnicity for the proportion of Black male and Black female staff across the GLA and MOPAC, and specifically the senior leadership teams to, reflect the wider London working age population.
Sadiq Khan said, “Our capital’s diversity is its greatest strength, but the makeup of too many organisations, especially at their highest levels, fails to present a true picture of modern London.
“Your background, gender and ethnicity should have no bearing on what you can achieve which is why part of becoming actively anti-racist involves acknowledging the fact systemic racism remains pervasive across society. Employers and businesses must do more to embed anti-racist practices in their operations and their company culture.”
