This is The Guardian.

Today, how did British Muslims become the problem?

Last year in a small city, about an hour north of London, I was out for a walk with my nieces when we came across a man walking his dog.

One niece wanted to pet it, so we stopped for a chap.

The dog owner couldn't get his head round it, because as far as he knew, all Muslims hate dogs.

And that's why the government was trying to take our dogs away.

This man, I'd say he was probably in his 60s, was genuinely serious.

He thought that Kiyosthama was trying to ban all dogs and that he was doing it for Muslims.

I wasn't shocked. I probably should have been more

affronted than amused. But this is where toxic political rhetoric and the internet has gotten us.

There's a lot of conversation had about Muslims in Britain. Not a lot of listening, but a lot of

myths and outright lies peddled

to make the public think that Muslims aren't just a problem, but a threat.

And the impact is violent and it's scary.

The pictures may be grainy, but the sound of a laugh is clear.

The object was a pig's head.

Randomly, this man came to me, punched me right in my face and told me to go back to my country. Hello, you do take away? Yes. Okay, so I'll come over and take away your life.

I'll come over and take away your life since the voice left on his answer phone.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes in England and Wales doubled in 2024.

Attacks on mosques, on women, on doctors and taxi drivers on children.

And that's just the reported ones.

Meanwhile, the government has stated that it can't even agree on a definition of what Islamophobia is.

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