The Home Office released its annual report on hate crime this week, showing a 40% increase in religious hate crimes in Britain. This year’s report was the first time hate crimes against Jews was listed separately, revealing that based on population sizes between religious groups, a Jew in Britain is twice as likely to be a victim of a hate crime than any other religious group.
The statistics show that 52 per cent, or 2,965, of recorded incidents of hate crime were against Muslims, reavling there are more attacks against Muslims than any other religious group.
Jews had the second highest number of incidents against them with 12 per cent, or 672, offences that were anti-Semitic in nature.
Looking at these figures based on each groups population, we see that as Jews are just 0.5% of the UK population, and Muslims are 4.8% of the population, therefore a Jewish person is twice as likely to be a victim of a religious hate crime than all other groups, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists. Christians are the least likely religious group to be targeted in Britain.
Clearly, it is not a competition, but information like this is imortant. Hate crime against any group or individual should not be accepted in our society. Each victim is just as important as the other and more must be done to tackle this hatred wherever it rears its head.
Addressing the statistics, the President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl, said: “Today’s shocking revelations of a 40% rise in religious hate crime must serve as an urgent call to action. All of us – faith leaders, politicians, and the media – should today step up our efforts to stamp out this cancer in our society. The figures reveal that the most commonly targeted groups are Muslims and Jews. The Jewish community will continue to work in solidarity with Muslims and people of all faiths. We cannot let Britain become a place where a Hijab or a Kippah marks someone out as a target.”
