‘Not worth the effort for my dog to bite you’

Nearly two-thirds of Muslim women in Scotland surveyed have witnessed or experienced Islamophobia.

Amina, the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre (MWRC), carried out research on hatred towards Muslim women.

They surveyed 101 Muslim women and found 64% said they had experienced or witnessed Islamophobia, and of these, 74% said it had happened to them.

Respondents told of having their hijab pulled off, being spat at, and being told “go back to where you came from” despite being born in Scotland.

One said: “A man with a dog was shouting racist abuse and said it wasn’t worth the effort for the dog to bite me.”

The majority (57%) said the incident took place in the street or neighbourhood, while just under a quarter (23%) said it happened in the workplace and around a fifth (21%) said it happened on public transport.

More than three quarters of those affected said the incident involved shouting and swearing. A total of nine in 10 (90%) said no bystanders helped them. A majority of respondents (65%) did not report the hate crime. The survey findings have been presented to the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia.

Group chairman Anas Sarwar said: “This new research shows that Islamophobia is a real and traumatic experience for Muslim women in Scotland.

“All hatred and prejudice must be tackled, but sadly we must also recognise the gendered nature of it, which sees Muslim women more likely to experience an Islamophobic incident. More often than not, those responsible are men.

“We can’t leave the fight against prejudice and hate to the Muslim community alone, or to women alone – it’s a fight for all of us.”

Amina MWRC wants the Scottish Government to increase resources to tackle anti-Muslim hate, suggesting women are more likely to be harassed and attacked.

Samina Ansari, Amina MWRC chief executive, said: “The impact of these crimes can be profound, and more needs to be done to ensure we have the inclusive and cohesive society we all want.”