Hate crimes rise in wake of Paris terror attack
An anti-discrimination charity has called on Muslims living in the Black Country to report abuse after new figures showed hate crimes in the West Midlands almost doubled in the space of two years.
Tell MAMA, which monitors and records attacks on Muslims, will be holding an event in Dudley this weekend aimed at tackling prejudice against followers of the faith.
Ahead of the information session on Sunday, the charity said 'religious intolerance' was growing and that now is a crucial time to act following the terror attacks in Paris and ongoing threat from so-called Islamic State.
According to Home Office data, there were 163 religious hate incidents in the West Midlands during 2014/15, a sharp rise from two years earlier when there were 87 incidents.
Leaders of the charity said they are keen to work with communities of all backgrounds to try and stamp out racist attacks. They said the event in Dudley would be a discussion about 'post-Paris' incidents and what can be done to try and prevent them.
Nasar Iqbal, an outreach officer for Tell MAMA, which was nominated for Charity of the Year at the 2013 British Muslim Awards, said: "It is important for the Muslim community to report any type of anti-Muslim incident to Tell MAMA or the police - even if they do not want to pursue criminal justice channels. By reporting to us we are able to analyse areas where there are increasing areas of anti-Muslim hate and ensure together with our local partners that we are able to reduce or disrupt activity."
Tell MAMA will host the session at the new DY1 building in Stafford Street between 5pm and 7pm.
Earlier this month, the Express & Star reported that more than 1,300 crimes had been reported at places of worship in the West Midlands. Crimes included arson and criminal damage, theft and violence against the person, with churches and mosques the two most common targets.
Sites in Wolverhampton, including the Jamia Masjid Bilal and Community Centre in Newhampton Road West, the Shri Guru Ravidass Temple on Dudley Road and the Darlington Street Methodist Church on School Road were among the top 10 places of worship in the West Midlands with the highest number of crimes committed.
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara Temple in Smethwick, the largest in Europe, and the Church at Junction 10 in Walsall were also listed in the top 10.
