Islamophobia in the UK has recently been on the rise, especially against hijabs. Hijabs are the traditional headscarves that Muslim women wear to cover their hair and hide their necklines and shoulders as they go about their daily lives. 

 Islamophobia Definition

Fear, hatred, or prejudice toward Islam and Muslims is Islamophobia. The term is sometimes used to denote a broader criticism of religion or religious irrationality. According to NUS research on Islamophobia, Muslim students are experiencing high levels of harassment and abuse from both staff and students at universities across England. 

While some incidents involve overt hostility (for example, name-calling), many more subtle forms of discrimination exist, such as being asked to justify your presence at university when people learn you’re Muslim. It’s not uncommon for lecturers and tutors to ask questions about Islam during class time – which might seem harmless but can be uncomfortable for those who don’t want their faith scrutinized by peers or teachers.

A Summary Of Recent Islamophobic Events In The UK Involving Hijabi Women

A month ago, the TellMAMA campaign published a report that included interviews with victims of Islamophobia. Their last names were not disclosed in the report.

“I received bad glances, threats, and abuse as soon as I became identifiably Muslim, and that’s something that happens to me every day because I’m a white British Muslim, she said.

When I’m attacked in public, people either move away or stare…And when I was walking to the shops one day, people started shouting out at me, saying why don’t we chop your head off? and things like that. Anti-Muslim prejudice is still common in this country, according to her.

Some women in the UK who wear the hijab have been given more than just negative comments. Though not a universal rule, many claims they are more harshly evaluated in their personal and professional lives for what they choose to wear. Asma Khan, a Cardiff University doctoral candidate studying Islam in the UK, told Al Jazeera that she’d been treated differently when wearing a hijab.

“In all honesty, this is probably partly due to how others could view it,” Khan added. “However, I do wear the hijab on occasion, and I am impressed by the difference in how I am treated in public. My everyday environment has become increasingly unfriendly and odd. I am most present in moments that I am familiar with and am treated differently than I would be otherwise.”

How Can Such Islamophobic Incidents Be Reduced in UK?

The suggested actions for important stakeholders include enacting particular, tailored legislation to prevent hate crimes, ensuring adequate punishments that consider the gravity of crimes motivated by bias, and joining forces with other lawmakers from their own and different parties. We asked for a word from the managing director of Hidden Pearls (an online shop that specializes in Hijabs UK) on this subject. She believes that “it’s not just the Muslims who need to play a role here but the wider British community. If you as a citizen of the UK see another British citizen being harassed, shouted at or being heckled simply for wearing hijab, please raise your voice for the victim. We will only succeed if we  reject anti-Muslim prejudice, both online and offline, violent and non-violent, and seek expert help on how to recognize coded anti-Muslim prejudice.”

In addition, Muslim teachers should examine whether Muslim kids at their school face harassment, threats, or violence on their route to and from school and in the classroom; provide opportunities for pupils to learn about Islam, including intolerance toward Muslims, racism, and xenophobia.

Conclusion

Islamophobia employs rigid imagery in constructing the notion of Muslims, which it depicts with negative stereotypes. Additionally, the targeted images are elastic in their responses, based on the environment and revealing more about the one initiating the phobia.