Hate crimes statistics fail to capture true scope of anti-Muslim discrimination in UK, expert says

British academic Peter Hopkins from Newcastle University has highlighted that official UK statistics do not fully represent the scale of hate crimes against Muslims, as many avoid reporting incidents of discrimination.

Hopkins noted that anti-Muslim sentiment has intensified, particularly amid Middle Eastern tensions and the Israeli-Gaza conflict, leading to an increase in hate crimes that are often underreported.

The British academic explained that some police officers classify complaints from Muslims as “incidents” rather than “hate crimes,” skewing the official data, emphasizing a trust gap between Muslims and the police, with many believing their reports will not be taken seriously.

Additionally, the rise of far-right activity on social media and certain media outlets’ portrayal of Muslims has fueled negative stereotypes and misinformation. Similarly, the group “Tell MAMA” reported an unprecedented increase in hate incidents against Muslims, while the Muslim Council of Britain issued a warning about the rising trend.