Press Trust of India Posted online: Friday, July 29, 2005 at 1838 hours IST Updated: Friday, July 29, 2005 at 1840 hours IST
London, July 29: Assaults on Asians in Britain has increased by over 13-fold after the London bomb blasts, with reports of attacks on mosques, firebombing and faith-based insults on streets and homes, police and Muslim groups said on Friday.
"9 mosques have been attacked, a garage firebombed, people assaulted in the street and homes had had their windows broken since July 7 London bombing incidents. It is really very worrying," Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of Islamic Human Rights Commission told BBC.
He said three days after the July 7 bombings, Kamal Butt, 48, from Pakistan was murdered outside a corner shop in Nottingham. Eight juveniles and a man have been arrested in that connection.
The number of such attacks reported to the Islamic Human Rights Commission - not including those reported to police - has gone up more than 13-fold, he said.
The total number of 'faith-related' attacks reported across London rose 500 per cent compared with the same period last year, the Muslim Safety Forum said.
The "backlash is exactly what those who promote terrorism want," police said.
Association of Chief Police Officers Community and Counter-Terrorism head assistant chief constable Rob Beckley told BBC News the police would protect Asians and Muslims.
"We have to, and we will sustain a response to this," he said on Friday morning.
