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Fatima Mahmood* decided to wear niqab, face veil For the first time this summer When commuting on the tube in London. A man on the platform at Whitechapel station stared at her and shook his head, then screamed and pretended to punch the air.
The man imitated the mask by placing his fingers over his eyes like glasses. His friend took his photo, causing the man to run towards them and try to hit them while witnesses confronted him.
Despite being a British-born and raised Muslim, the 23-year-old told Independent: “I don’t feel safe at all here in the UK. I drive as little as possible and try to be mindful of my surroundings. Public transport now scares me, especially because this incident happened in the afternoon. It was not dark outside.
“I was afraid to wear a mask again until I built up my confidence. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder in case someone punches me from behind.”
Her story comes at a time when almost half of Muslim women (45 percent) feel unsafe on public transportationNationally, only 8 percent of Muslims are women, according to a new census report.
More than one in three (34 percent) Muslim women said they have experienced Islamophobic or racist abuse while traveling, A survey of 1,155 people in November 2025 found.
The study said these experiences included hitting, verbal abuse, spitting, pulling headscarves and even urinating.
Ms Mahmood said she reported the incident to the police but there was no progress. British Transport Police (BTP) said the investigation had been closed until new evidence emerged, as all existing lines of inquiry had been followed.
Nearly two-thirds of Muslim women believe they are targeted because they wear a hijab, niqab or other visible signs of Muslim identity.
Data from Tell Mama, which stands to measure anti-Muslim attacks, shows that many visible Muslim women “face repeated and multiple incidents of anti-Muslim hatred throughout their lives”, and many have even taken off their identifying clothing out of fear.
Iman Atta, director of MAMA, said: “We have had cases where Muslim women wearing the niqab were denied access to services, and where bus drivers did not stop at bus stops for them.”
‘I was kicked at a tube station’
Furwah Shah was left dazed, confused and in pain at a tube station after being physically attacked by a stranger.
26 year old woman wearing hijab told Independent She was just entering Marble Arch station when a young blonde woman kicked her and said, “You deserve it.”
Ms Shah was removed from her post in early September, just a week before “Unite the Kingdom” rally in London 150,000 people participated. It follows a wave of anti-immigrant protests over the summer Hotels are used to accommodate asylum seekers,
According to the survey, during far-right demonstrations, almost all Muslims (93.8 percent) feel less safe, and 84.9 percent actively adjust their travel behavior. For women, the figures are even higher, with 96.3 percent feeling less safe and 90.7 percent changing their travel plans.
Ms Shah said: “It’s a symptom of the growing feeling of being on the far-right. People feel emboldened to do things like this, and we’re the ones who suffer. I’m more cautious on public transport and also on the sidelines in general because I’m afraid this is not a one-time event.”
Ms Atta said far-right protests had a psychological impact and could “create a sense of fear and trauma”, particularly on Muslim women and youth.
Ms Shah reported the incident to the police as a hate crime, but in the end, they decided not to pursue the case further.
,I was called a racial slur’
Sumaiya Khan*, 24, was six months pregnant when she said she was racially profiled in August 2024. Amidst the Southport riots,
Ms Khan was waiting at the Luton Station bus stop when a middle-aged white man sat next to her. She said he began saying, “There were a lot of ‘brownies’ around. Then he looked at me and called me a ‘f***ing p***’.”
She described feeling “angry” and “afraid to go out in public”, considering such abuses to be outdated in her parents’ generation. He did not inform the police about the incident.
The survey found that only 12.5 percent of incidents are reported to the BTP, local police or transport staff. Of those reported, 69 percent did not have confidence that it would be taken seriously.
Most Muslims, 83.1 percent, believe Islamophobia is taken less seriously than other hate crimes Home Office findings Prosecution rates for religiously serious crimes remain low.
Ms Atta said: “Anti-Muslim hatred, or Islamophobia, is on the rise and the rhetoric about Muslim immigrants is exacerbating it. This gives established British Muslims the feeling that they are ‘other’ and not accepted.
“It can have real-world impacts on social cohesion, integration and extremism and it also divides communities in the ‘culture war’ debate. Some politicians have a lot to answer for in order to gain power.”
Mandy McGregor, police chief for Transport for London, said: “We are absolutely shocked to hear of these horrific incidents. Islamophobia and all forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable and we are deeply sorry.” [they] Have experienced this on our network. We work closely with the police to eliminate hate crime on our networks and we are contacting the police about these incidents.
A BTP spokesperson said: “Abuse, threats and violence – especially that motivated by hatred – will never be tolerated, and we have acted swiftly and decisively when we receive reports of hate crimes on the network.”
Hate crime victims or witnesses are encouraged to report it via text to 61016 or call 0800 405040.
The Home Office declined to comment further.
*names have been changed