LONDON: British TV presenter Adil Ray revealed on Friday that he has received “horrendous” threats and racist abuse amid a reported surge in Islamophobic incidents across the UK.
Ray, who co-hosts ITV’s “Good Morning Britain,” said the wave of anti-Muslim hostility came as tensions escalated over the government’s handling of asylum-seekers and immigration.
“I’ve experienced it, I’ve had people DM me on Instagram, talk about remigration,” said Ray, who is of Pakistani Muslim background, during his show appearance. “I’ve had threats to watch myself on the streets.”
The 51-year-old said prominent Muslim politicians had also received violent threats, and members of the public told him they were living in fear.
“People who work here, and several friends of theirs who are Muslim, don’t want to go to the mosque anymore,” he added.
His remarks follow a rise in anti-Muslim incidents reported across the country. Several mosques have been vandalized in recent weeks.
Ray criticized the lack of political response. “The thing that strikes me about this is no one seems to be talking about it. These are anti-Muslim hate crimes,” he said. “There doesn’t seem to be any politician that’s standing up and reassuring millions of Muslims in this country that the country is behind them.”
He warned that this silence was “deeply concerning,” adding: “We’re seeing a rise in anti-Muslim hate crime.”
