On 29.08.2024, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Sis Zara Mohamed, led a delegation of MCB affiliates and partners in a meeting with the Commissioner for Transport and senior leadership of Transport for London (TfL) to address hate crimes and Islamophobic incidents in the UK. The roundtable discussion took place at the TfL office in London.
It was alarming to learn that only 10 hate or Islamophobic incidents are reported monthly by the Muslim community to TfL, a significantly lower figure compared to other communities’ reports of similar hate crimes.
In his remarks, Shakeer Nawas, President of COSMOS UK, highlighted the following key points:
1. The importance of continuing TfL’s Hate Crime Reporting campaign, with more impactful designs on TfL leaflets that clearly define Islamophobia as a hate crime. He also emphasized the need to prominently display reporting numbers, such as the British Transport Police’s number (101), the text service (61016), or advising individuals to approach the driver’s cab to connect with the TfL control room.
2. The need for TfL to engage more closely with the MCB and grassroots Muslim organizations in their Hate Crime Campaign. He further suggested encouraging mosques, madrasahs, schools, and local community organizations to promote and distribute campaign materials related to reporting Islamophobic or hate crimes.
Zara Mohamed, in her closing remarks, thanked TfL for hosting this important roundtable discussion. She noted the significant underreporting of Islamophobic hate crimes across the transport network, as shown by current statistics. Mohamed expressed her agreement with the need for deeper grassroots engagement and a long-term partnership between TfL and Muslim communities.
COSMOS UK Media
