Unfortunately over the recent months i have seen a surge in islamophobia and sadly the women seem to be a target. Islamophobic incidents have increase by 70% and 60% of the victims are female. It's pretty evident why this is the case, you can tell a mile off a woman is wearing a headscarf and that automatically makes people aware of her faith. This makes muslim women a very easy target. Thanks to the media we have been portrayed as subdued and oppressed beings, this not only undermines our very existence but it gives those who blindly follow the media a view that muslim women are weak. Hence them being targets of hate crimes, bullying and unacceptable behaviour.

It is also thanks to the medias ridiculous portrayal of muslims and the stereotypes that innocent people are suffering. I myself have had a few very minor experiences of islamophobia whilst being out and about but thank God i have not experienced anything serious. Women have had their hijab ripped off, have been asked to get off seats on the train, have been pushed into roads, have even been pushed on a train track and there are probably so many more incidents that we just haven't heard about.  Is this being done to deter women from wearing a headscarf? Is it to punish these innocent women for the crimes of a minority group? or is this the governments tac tic of dividing and ruling society? Whatever it is it must stop! There is no place for this behaviour in Britain!

I take pride in knowing that Britain is a diverse country and to live it in is a pleasure, however there are some ignorant and mindless people out there who are simply ruining this peaceful and diverse society we live in. First of all the media are to blame, they are brain washing the mindless common folk and should take some responsibility for the consequences of their biased headlines and publishing. Secondly, there are those who stand by and take no action whatsoever when they witness these awful incidents, if you see an injustice please stand up and do something, whether it be shouting across for people to stop or by calling the police, don't just stand there and watch. Lastly, to all the sisters who have been victimised please please report whatever has happened. Stand up for yourselves. There are helplines that can be called to report these incidents- which i will attach some details for at the bottom of this post. Also get on social media and make these incidents be known to everyone, we live in a world where things go viral online, use this to your advantage- if you have been a victim- tweet it, Facebook it, and tell everyone so the world can be aware that this is not on and we will not sit there quietly and take this abuse.

It is now upon us muslim women to make sure we are not victimised any further, the first step is to report any instances of islamophobia immediately. Do not be deterred by going out in your hijab, as anything that is done for the sake of Allah (swt) will always benefit you. Another bit of advice i would give is be vigilant, unfortunately we are being targeted, so keep an eye on your surroundings as this could be the thing to save you. Little things like standing back at the platform rather then near the yellow line, sticking to well lit areas and not travelling alone (if possible) are all safeguards that we can take.

A message to the general public who may read this, please do not just stand and watch, call the police if you witness an attack and intervene if it is safe to do so. The women walking around on the streets who wear a headscarf are not terrorists, they are just ordinary human beings like you are and they also deserve to be able to walk freely without the fear of being attacked or verbally abused. Islam teaches peace, kindness and humility.

Do not let the media and the stereotypes and biased headlines ruin what was once a society that lived in harmony. Britain prides itself on being diverse therefore someone being attacked due to their faith is against British values. It is happening too much now and must be stopped. Why should we allow ignorant and racist people ruin a great country?!

What to do if you have been a victim of islamophobia:

Contact and submit a report on  Tellmama.org (0800-456-1226) This is an organisation that supports victims of Anti-muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti muslim anti muslim incidents.

Contact Muslim Womens Helpline- mwnhelpline.co.uk (0800 999 5786) This is again an organisation that can provide support and help to any women who have been victims of racism and islamophobia amongst other things.

Report it to your local police station.

I hope this post can encourage everyone to report attacks, encourage bystanders to take action and highlight to everyone that this is NOT acceptable.