ANTI-HIJAB ABUSE IN ENGLAND (1,2)
UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (3)
XINJIANG UYGHUR PEOPLE (4)
ACTIVATIES (5)
APRIL 2023
PETER BENENSON FOUNDER OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
the week - and you will find a
one being imprisoned, tortured or report from somewhere In the world of some-
'Open your newspaper - any day of executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government'
The hijab, a religious headscarf worn by Muslim women, has become a symbol of identity and religious expression. However, in England, it has also become a target for verbal and physical abuse. This is known as anti-hijab abuse, and it is an expression of Islamophobia, hate towards Islam or Muslims.
For some years, anti-hijab abuse has been a source of worry in England. Many Muslim women who prefer to wear the hijab, have claimed verbal and physical harassment as a result of it. Several studies have found that Muslim women are more likely than Muslim men to be the victims of Islamophobic hate crimes. According to a study by the hate crime monitoring organisation Tell MAMA, antiMuslim hate incidents in the UK increased by 26% in 2020, with women being the top targets. Verbal abuse, physical attack, and harassment are all examples of antihijab abuse. Muslim women have reported being spit upon, having their hijabs removed, and being called derogatory terms like "terrorist" or "raghead."
The UK government has acknowledged the issue of anti-hijab abuse and is working to fix it. The government created a nationwide hate crime action plan in 2018 to combat all types of hate crime, including Islamophobia. The strategy includes initiatives such as enhancing hate crime reporting processes, raising awareness of hate crimes, and improving victim support.
Furthermore, in 2021, the government announced the formation of a new task group to combat vio-
lence against women and girls, including Islamophobia and hate crimes targeting Muslim women. The task group will be tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to combat anti-hijab abuse and other types of violence against women. Some critics, nevertheless, say that the government's attempts to combat anti-hijab abuse are insufficient. They suggest that the government should do more to raise awareness of the problem and hold perpetrators accountable. They also argue that the government should provide stronger support for victims of anti-hijab abuse, like access to counselling and legal assistance.
The media's representation of Muslims is also a major contributor to Islamophobia and antihijab abuse. In the media, negative stereotypes and portrayals of Muslims are common, and they contribute to the demonization of Islam and Muslims. These stereotypes and misconceptions are frequently tied to larger political goals and should be carefully monitored.
The implications of anti-hijab abuse could be quite severe. Muslim women who are subject-
ed to this type of abuse can experience anxiety, sadness, and other mental health concerns. In public places, they may also feel frightened and intimidated, which can lead to social isolation and exclusion.
In conclusion, anti-hijab abuse is an example of Islamophobic hate crime directed against Muslim women who wear the hijab. It violates their human rights and dignity. The UK government has acknowledged the issue of antihijab abuse and is working to remedy it. More has to be done, however, to safeguard Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and to combat Islamophobia in general. Education and awarenessraising campaigns can also help to challenge unfavourable perceptions towards Muslims and promote greater understanding and acceptance of diversity. The hijab, a religious headscarf worn by Muslim women, has become a symbol of identity and religious expression. However, in England, it has also become a target for verbal and physical abuse. This is known as anti-hijab abuse, and it is an
portance of our voice
'We realise the imwhen we are silenced'
expression of Islamophobia, hate towards Islam or Muslims. For some years, anti-hijab abuse has been a source of worry in England. Many Muslim women who prefer to wear the hijab, have claimed verbal and physical harassment as a result of it. Several studies have found that Muslim women are more likely than Muslim men to be the victims of Islamophobic hate crimes. According to a study by the hate crime monitoring organisation Tell MAMA, antiMuslim hate incidents in the UK increased by 26% in 2020, with women being the top targets. Verbal abuse, physical attack, and harassment are all examples of antihijab abuse. Muslim women have reported being spit upon, having their hijabs removed, and being called derogatory terms like "terrorist" or "raghead."
The UK government has acknowledged the issue of anti-hijab abuse and is working to fix it. The government created a nationwide hate crime action plan in 2018 to combat all types of hate crime, including Islamophobia. The strategy includes initiatives such as enhancing hate crime reporting processes, raising awareness of hate crimes, and improving victim support.
Furthermore, in 2021, the government announced the formation of a new task group to combat violence against women and girls, including Islamophobia and hate crimes targeting Muslim women. The task group will be tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to combat anti-hijab abuse and other types of violence against women.
Some critics, nevertheless, say that the government's attempts to combat anti-hijab abuse are insufficient. They suggest that the government should do more to raise awareness of the problem and hold perpetrators accountable. They also argue that the government should provide stronger support for victims of anti-hijab abuse, like access to counselling and legal assistance.
The media's representation of Muslims is also a major contributor to Islamophobia and antihijab abuse. In the media, negative stereotypes and portrayals of Muslims are common, and they contribute to the demonization of Islam and Muslims. These stereotypes and misconceptions are frequently tied to larger political goals and should be carefully monitored.
The implications of anti-hijab abuse could be quite severe. Muslim women who are subjected to this type of abuse can experience anxiety, sadness, and other mental health concerns. In public places, they may also feel frightened and intimidated, which can lead to social isolation and exclusion.
In conclusion, anti-hijab abuse is an example of Islamophobic hate crime directed against Muslim women who wear the hijab. It violates their human rights and dignity. The UK government has acknowledged the issue of antihijab abuse and is working to remedy it. More has to be done, however, to safeguard Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and to combat Islamophobia in general. Education and
awareness-raising campaigns can also help to challenge unfavourable perceptions towards Muslims and promote greater understanding and acceptance of diversity.
WOMAN WHO ‘STRANGLED SCHOOL GIRL WITH HER OWN HIJAB’ LET OFF WITH A CAUTION (MIRROR ONLINE)
LINK
TWO ARRESTS AFTER YORKSHIRE GIRL ‘STRANGLED WITH HIJAB’ ON BUS HOME FROM SCHOOL (YORKSHIRE POST) LINK
SERIES OF ATTACKS ON HIJABWEARING WOMEN IN CAMBRIDGE INVESTIGATED (CAMBRIDGESHIRE LIVE)
LINK
The 52nd session of the UN Human Rights was held on the 27th of February this year. The Goal of these Human Rights Councils is to address violations, promote human rights assistance and education, help develop international human rights law, review the human rights records of member States, work to prevent abuses, respond to emergencies, and serve as an international forum for dialogue on human rights issues. This year's council happened in Geneva and looked into many pressing world issues such as the Russia/Ukraine war, the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the mandate on freedom of expression, counter-terrosim in relation to human rights. This article includes a summary of the opening statements made and the powerful messages that those attending conveyed.
The meeting started with Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Permanent Representative of Gambia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, beginning a minute of silence to honour the victims of the recent earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. President of the Human Rights Council, Václav Bálek, then stated that a constructive and cooperative atmosphere was essential in allowing for open exchange of views and frank discussions. Bálek highlighted the importance of all participants and delegations being committed to these principles whilst maintaining respect for the dignity of the council body.
The next speaker was Csaba Kőrösi, President of the seventyseventh session of the General Assembly. He started the discus-
sions on topics such as the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and he explained that whilst there were reasons to celebrate, these were clearly “superseded by the reality of a world in a state of disarray, with unprecedented, cascading, and interlocking crises''. Continuing on from this strong statement he says “the world was far from recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 70 countries in debt distress, women and girls in distress in many countries, and the world not on track to achieve the 2030 Agenda.” This led to much discussion and as the negativity and truthfulness of the statements rapidly brought to light some of the issues that this collective aims to face.
António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, declared that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a declaration that set out the rights to life, liberty and security; to equality before the law; to freedom of expression; to seek asylum; to work, to healthcare and education, and more, was under attack. He said that he believed the Russian invasion of Ukraine had triggered the most massive violations of human rights, unleashing widespread death, destruction, and displacement. In July this year, Guterres said he and the High Commissioner would launch a new Agenda for Protection. The important initiative would seek to strengthen support from across the United Nations system to Member States to protect people and their rights, in times of peace and conflict.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said over the past 75 years, there had been “profound gains and many achievements.” However, the oppression of the past could return, in various disguises, including wars of aggression. Much of the progress made over decades was being reined back and even reversed. It was critical to rekindle the spirit that led to the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 75 years ago. The goal needed to be to promote and implement a twenty-first century human rights vision that was transformative.
Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland spoke of how this year marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with which founding States of the United Nations committed themselves together to protect the individual against State arbitrariness. However, millions of women, men and children were still deprived of their most basic rights. Human rights violations should be documented worldwide and perpetrators held accountable.
Overall the meeting brought up many difficult topics and inspected many human rights violations around the world. The brief glimpse of what was discussed shown here doesn’t fully show all the speakers and all of the issues that were taken on. There is still far to go in protecting the rights of all but these councils certainly start that movement.
The treatment of Uyghur people in Xinjiang, a region in China, has been an ongoing human crisis which has raised concern and controversy for several years. According to reports from news outlets such as BBC, more than one million Uyghurs have been detained in “re-education camps” against their will by the Chinese government.
The Chinese government has been accused of oppressing and tyrannising the Uyghur population, which includes mass sterilisation, forced labour, separating families, political indoctrination, and other forms of human abuse. Data analysis on the XinJiang Police Files revealed that more than 12% of the adult population in a single county ( 23,000 residents) were placed in a camp or behind bars during 2017 and 2018. If the findings are applied to XinJiang as a whole, that indicates that more than 1.2 million Uyghur adults were placed in detention during that period of time.
It is believed that the government’s main agenda behind their actions is to abolish Uyghur culture and their Muslim roots, as it is seen as a threat to Chinese culture. Additionally, Uyghurs are forced to renounce their religion and cultural identity, with their mosques and other cultural and religious sites being destroyed. Although the government defends its actions by saying it is essential to combat terrorism and extremism in the region, critics contend that these actions amount to a flagrant violation of human rights and are used as an excuse to suppress Uyghur culture.
Other countries expressed their condemnation towards China’s actions and urged China to permit investigations into how Uyghurs are treated
in Xinjiang. China, on the other hand, has refuted the accusations and rejected such their requests, claiming that they are a part of a Western scheme to undermine China's development and sovereignty. It is crucial as an international community to come up with a diplomatic solution that protects human rights and defends the wellbeing and dignity of the Uyghur population as the situation in Xinjiang continues to garner worldwide attention.
but because of who he is.'
killing of one man – not
'A genocide begins with the for what he has done,
Make as many words as you can!
It has to include the central letter
