Spotlight On: Hate Crime With EliminHate

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It’s the next installment of our series Spotlight On, where we explore issues that matter the most to you, with professionals in those fields. 

This time we’ve teamed up with EliminHate - a UN initiative and campaign led by Hashim Bhatti. The campaign is a rallying cry to the average bystander to stand up to hatred and stamp out anti-religious hate. Because while anyone can be a victim of hatred and violence, no matter the reason, EliminHate shows us how everyone can and should stand up in the face of hate.

They’re here to explain what hate crimes are, talk a bit more about EliminHate and what you can do if you witness hate crimes...
 

WHAT IS A HATE CRIME?

Hate crimes are any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic. For example, based on their race/ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or identity.

Examples of hate crime can be anything from homophobic abuse to racial abuse to religicous abuse. Hate crime takes many forms and can be solely online rather than face to face.

HOW MANY HATE CRIMES HAVE THERE BEEN?

To put this into perspective, in the year ending March 2020, there were 105,090 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester), an increase of 8% compared with the previous year (97,446 offences). The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 1,308 anti-Jewish hate incidents nationwide in the first half of 2021. That was a 49% increase, which is the highest total CST has ever recorded in the first half of any year.

THE ELIMINHATE CAMPAIGN

The EliminHate campaign is an initiative supported by the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) and founded by Hashim Bhatti. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about hate crime on the UK transport network by encouraging bystanders to intervene (if safe to do so). The focus is more on raising awareness and educating the audience about religious hate crimes by trying to humanise faith. At the end of the day anyone can be a victim of a hate crime. The campaign focuses on the notions of solidarity, unity and in showing that our diversity is one of our biggest strengths and should be respected. For anyone who experiences a hate crime it’s such an awful experience that can knock their confidence and simultaneously make them nervous whenever they travel. For young people, our campaign gives them the safe space to share their experiences with us on our Instagram or privately on our website so that they don’t need to feel alone.

Throughout the campaign itself various scenarios were carried out on the trains and buses to see how bystanders reacted. For example, a Jewish man had his kippah knocked off and this was picked up by a lady wearing a hijab. Similarly, a lady wearing a hijab was being recorded by some people before another individual stepped in. Other scenarios were of a Muslim man praying on the platform and then being shielded in a circle by passers-by who were concerned for his safety. Overall, the campaign has shown so far that despite all our differences we all have so much more in common. Often keyboard warriors think they can hide behind a computer screen but our campaign is actively asking you to share your stories and to also report them.

WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU SEE A HATE CRIME?

If a hate crime is taking place that is not violent, you can either intervene by speaking up on behalf of  the victim, if it’s safe to do so, or, you can report it: On the Bus: Report it to the police on 101

On the Tube or Rail: Report it to the British Transport Police on 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. 

If it’s an emergency: Call the police on 999.

If you want to stay anonymous: Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

For religious hate crimes: Call the CST to protect the Jewish Community on 0800 032 3263. To report Anti-Muslim Hate or Islamophobia go to tellmamauk.org or call their emergency 24-hour line on 0800 4561 226.

If you have experienced a hate crime or want to share your story, please reach out to us by DMing our Instagram handle: @eliminhate. Our platform is also your platform giving you the voice and the space to talk.