1 in 5 Muslim women in UK experienced hate crime in last 12 months: Muslim women group

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - One in five Muslim women said they've experienced hate crime in the last 12 months, the head of Muslim Women's Network UK said Wednesday.

The law should treat racial and faith-based hate crimes alike as both aim at harming people and resulting in hostility and violence, Baroness Shaista Gohir, who is also a member of the House of Lords, said after a survey.

Gohir said that negative political rhetoric, "particularly" from some politicians in the last government as well as online social media spaces, and public commentators resulted in rising "gendered Islamophobia."

"I’d like it to be defined as gender-based violence ... because if you look at the stats again the vast majority of the perpetrators tend to be males, white males," she told at Women and Equalities Committee, aiming to understand the specific challenges facing Muslim women in the UK.

Mentioning that Muslim women and girls are easily targeted more due to headscarves or traditional dresses, Gohir pointed out the increasing hate crimes targeting British Muslim women not only on the streets but also online.