Opinion: The Grave Threats of White Supremacy and Far-Right Extremism

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Hate crimes are on the rise. Police and prosecutors need better tools to fight back.

Last week, federal agents in Maryland arrested a United States Coast Guard officer and said he was plotting to assassinate Democratic members of Congress, prominent television journalists and others. The officer, Lt. Christopher Hasson, apparently was inspired by a right-wing Norwegian terrorist who slaughtered 77 people in 2011, stockpiled firearms and ammunition and researched locations around Washington to launch his attacks, according to investigators. Fortunately, the F.B.I. arrested him before he could act.

This frightening case is just one of several recent reminders that white supremacy and far-right extremism are among the greatest domestic-security threats facing the United States. » | Thomas T. Cullen | Mr. Cullen is the United States attorney for the Western District of Virginia. | Friday, February 22, 2019

German Police Attack a Jewish Professor, and Blame It on “a Palestinian”

Prof. Yitzhak Melamed was the victim of a hate crime in Bonn, perpetrated by those whose duty is to protect him

Inside Story: Is President Donald Trump to Blame for a Rise in Hate Crimes?

The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC celebrates its first anniversary this week. It took a century to get it built - a salute to the history, culture and achievements of America's almost 40 million black people. Fittingly, it was the Obamas who opened it along with George W. Bush, who had signed off on the project. Its opening could have heralded a new era, a departure from the racism of the past. But it hasn't.

In the past 12 months the US has had perhaps its most divisive election, there's a new man in the White House and racist violence and hate crimes are on the rise. So, what's behind this spike in hate?

Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Daryl Johnson - Author, 'Rightwing Resurgence'; Day Gardener - President, National Black Pro-Life Union; Corey Saylor - Director, Department to Monitor & Combat Islamophobia, Council on American-Islamic Relations

Intolerant Britain: 171 Hate Crimes Recorded Every Single Day

Inside Story - What's Triggering Hate Crimes in the US?

What's triggering hate crimes in the US? The fatal stabbing of two men on a train – and serious injuries to another - has turned the spotlight on bigotry and intolerance in the United States. All three were standing up to a known white supremacist who was heard racially abusing two young women, one of them a Muslim wearing a headscarf. Their alleged attacker is facing trial for aggravated murder and other charges. Was the attack an isolated incident or evidence of a growing trend?

Theresa May Wants a Police File of Muslim Hate

DAILY EXPRESS: POLICE forces will collect statistics on hate crimes committed against Muslims, the Tories propose if they win the General Election.

Home Secretary Teresa May said Islamophobic attacks would be recorded separately alongside anti-Semitic crimes.

Her promise was a response to anti-Muslim hostility after atrocities committed in Britain and abroad by Islamic radicals. » | Monday, April 06, 2015

Attacks on Muslims Will Become Specific Hate Crime, Say Tories in Bid to Establish Full Extent of Islamophobia in Britain

DAILY MAIL: All police would record anti-Muslim hate crimes if Tories win the Election / Islamophobic attacks would be separate category, like anti-Semitic crimes / At present some police forces, including Met, record these crimes as such / Would create accurate picture of the extent of these hate crimes in Britain

Every police force in England and Wales will be required to record anti-Muslim hate crimes and treat them as seriously as anti-Semitic attacks if the Tories win the next General Election, Theresa May has announced.

In a move hailed by Islamic groups, Mrs May said that police will have to record Islamophobic attacks as a separate category, just as anti-Semitic crimes are recorded separately.

At present some forces, including London’s Metropolitan Police, do record Islamophobic crimes as such. Other forces categorise them as hate crimes or specific offences such as assault or grievous bodily harm.

The new requirement will create the first accurate picture of the extent of Islamophobic hate crimes in Britain.

Charities say there has been a steady rise of anti-Muslim hate crimes since 9/11.

But after incidents such as the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby outside Woolwich barracks in 2013 and the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January, there are spikes in incidents in the UK, say experts.

Mrs May made her pledge in a speech on counter-extremism to the Foundation for Peace in London just before Parliament was dissolved.

She told the conference: ‘We will require police forces to record anti-Muslim crimes as well as anti-Semitic crimes.’ Read on and comment » | Abul Taher for the Mail On Sunday | Saturday, April 04, 2015

As Hate Crimes Rise, British Muslims Say They’re Becoming More Insular

THE NEW YORK TIMES: BIRMINGHAM, England — Alum Rock, a neighborhood of Birmingham, looks the way Pakistan might, if Pakistan were under gray northern skies and British rule.

The streets are lively but orderly, with shops that provide the largely South Asian population with most of its needs. The huge Pak Supermarket, with its 10-kilogram bags of spices and rices, is matched by the nearby Pak Pharmacy. Nearly every face is South Asian, and people wear a vibrant mixture of clothing, from Western styles to head scarves, knitted caps and full-face veils, or niqabs.

But the Muslims of Alum Rock, Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook, who make up most of the more than 21 percent of Birmingham’s population who declare Islam as their religion, are newly uneasy, they say. The backlash from the killing of a white soldier, Lee Rigby, in London in May by two fanatical young British Muslims, combined with anxieties about the flow of jihadis between Britain and Syria and the sometimes harshly anti-immigrant tone of leading British politicians have combined to create a new wariness among British Muslims.

“It is a less comfortable country than it used to be,” said Sadruddin Ali, 35, born and raised here.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes are up, the police and Muslim advocacy groups say. In response, many British Muslims say they are becoming more insular and more reluctant to leave their areas of Britain’s big cities, where they are among other Muslims and South Asians. » | Steven Erlanger | Thursday, February 13, 2014

Seven Charged in US with Hate Crimes in Amish Religious Haircut Attacks
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Seven men have been arrested on hate crime charges following haircutting attacks against Amish men and women.

Cutting the hair is a highly offensive act to the Amish, who believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry.

Authorities have said several members of a breakaway group forcefully cut the beards and hair of Amish men and women in September and October. » | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

THE GUARDIAN: Seven members of Amish breakaway group arrested over haircut attacks: US authorities raid compound and arrest seven men – including group leader Sam Mullet – on federal hate crime charges » | Associated Press | Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Les violences contre les musulmans en hausse de 50% en un an, aux Etats-Unis
LIBÉRATION: Les autres violences raciales et religieuses ont légèrement baissé ou peu progressé, selon les statistiques du FBI.

Les crimes et délits contre les musulmans ont augmenté de près de 50% de 2009 à 2010 aux Etats-Unis, selon les statistiques du FBI rendues publiques lundi.

Selon ces chiffres, le nombre total des violences perpétrées contre les musulmans est passé de 107 en 2009 à 160 en 2010, soit 49% d'augmentation, contre une progression de 13% des violences contre les catholiques, une baisse de 4% des infractions contre les juifs et une hausse globale de 14% des crimes et délits anti-religieux. Le nombre total de "crimes de haine" a très légèrement augmenté à 6.628 cas, dont 47,3% motivés par des différences de race et 20% par des différences de religion, selon le FBI. » | Source AFP | mardi 15 novembre 2011

Is Gay Bashing on the Rise?
BBC: Just as gay and lesbian people are starting to enjoy equal rights, the number of attacks against them seems to be rising. Why?

Ten years ago, a nail-bomb exploded in a gay bar in the heart of London, claiming three lives and maiming dozens more, the final act in a series of attacks on the capital's minority groups.

The intervening decade has seen significant steps in changing attitudes and legislation that give gay people - and their civil partners - equality enshrined in law.

But now another shadow has been cast over the UK's gay community. A series of homophobic attacks, at a time when crime figures suggest such incidents are on the rise, has mobilised people to voice their anger.

Over the weekend, candlelit vigils were held in London and Liverpool, at the scenes of two of the most recent acts of violence to make headlines, and also in Brighton and Norwich, while gay venues across the country held a two-minute silence on Friday evening in an act of solidarity.

Of the thousands who gathered in London's Trafalgar Square - at the spot where Ian Baynham was attacked in September, later dying from his injuries - some headed afterwards to the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, the scene of the nail bombing 10 years ago.

Although it looked like business as usual, some punters were in reflective mood. Jeff, 32, said he sensed "more tension" in the last 12 to 18 months and some people had stopped coming into central London as a consequence. He said he had always been wary about showing public affection to his civil partner, for fear of inviting abuse, but even more so recently.

"I'm nervous when we're out and about in case we draw attention to ourselves and get a bad reaction from someone."

One 28-year-old, who asked not to be named, said he and his boyfriend had recently been threatened with a weapon and foul language.

The pair had been getting off a bus when a man with a knife began spouting insults, calling them "queers".

Such incidents have always happened, but are they happening with more regularity now?

There are no national figures for homophobic crime, but individual police forces have reported an annual rise in their latest figures - 40% in Merseyside, which covers Liverpool, and 34% in Strathclyde, which includes Glasgow. >>> Tom Geoghegan, BBC News Magazine | Monday, November 02, 2009

Boris Johnson Meets with Police Chief to Discuss the Rise in Homophobic Crime
PINK NEWS: London Mayor Boris Johnson has sought assurances from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner that everything is being done to tackle the problem of homophobic attacks in the capital.

The Mayor raised the matter with the Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson at yesterday's meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority.

The Commissioner assured the Mayor that the Met is taking the issue of homophobic crime seriously and he outlined measures that include third party reporting and increased sanctioned detection rates, as well as raising staff and community awareness and efforts to encourage the community to report attacks.

The number of homophobic hate crimes in London has risen by 18 per cent since last year, Scotland Yard figures show. >>> Adam Lake | Friday, October 30, 2009

Italy's Gay Rights Pledge as Hate Crimes Rise
THE GUARDIAN: As tens of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Italians prepared to demonstrate tomorrowagainst a string of homophobic attacks, Silvio Berlusconi's government announced a ground-breaking €2m media campaign against discrimination.

After meeting representatives of more than 20 gay rights associations, the equal opportunities minister, Mara Carfagna, said Italy's rightwing government would make "an unprecedented commitment to get across our message". The money would pay for TV commercials, newspaper advertisements and posters to be put up on hoardings and in buses and trains.

Her announcement was welcomed by homosexual rights groups. Imma Battaglia, the president of Gay Project, said: "I believe we are at a turning point in the struggle against homophobia." >>> John Hooper in Rome | Friday, October 09, 2009

Does Germany Have a Problem with Gay Hate Crime?
SPIEGELONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Migration to Germany from countries including Turkey and Russia, where homosexuality is taboo, has led to a rise in crime against gays. Gay-bashing hip hop music isn't helping, either. So how should liberal-minded Germans deal with less-tolerant immigrants? Does Germany Have a Problem with Gay Hate Crime? >>> By Michael Scott Moore in Berlin | July 3, 2008

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Amsterdam to Study Gay Bashers >>> | November 30, 2008

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