Muslim groups have agreed with a report by the EU race watchdog that anti-Islamic feeling has “detonated” in the UK since 11 September.
The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) said there had been a big rise in attacks – including physical assaults – on Muslims in Britain since the US terror attacks.
It monitored a period from 11 September until the end of December last year, and found numerous reports of attacks on Muslim people and institutions such as mosques.
They included women and children being harassed in the street, and one taxi-driver who was paralysed from the neck down in an attack in which 11 September was mentioned.
Muslim groups said anti-Islamic feeling was still running high in the UK even now – more than eight months after the attacks thought to have been masterminded by Saudi dissident Osama Bin Laden.