London murder sparks anti-Muslim backlash

There has been a large increase in anti-Muslim incidents since the murder of a British soldier in Woolwich, an inter-faith charity has said.
Faith Matters, which runs a helpline, said they had received 162 calls since Wednesday’s attack, up from a daily average of six, according to the BBC.
A number of people have been charged after allegedly offensive comments were made on social media websites.
Drummer Lee Rigby was killed near Woolwich Barracks on Wednesday.
Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, said the nature of the incidents ranged from attacks against mosques, graffiti, the pulling off of Muslim women’s head scarves and more general name calling and abuse. He told BBC Radio Five Live: “What’s really concerning is the spread of these incidents. They’re coming in from right across the country. Secondly, some of them are quite aggressive very focused, very aggressive attacks.
“And thirdly, there also seems to be significant online activity ... suggesting co-ordination of incidents and attacks against institutions or places where Muslims congregate.”
Since the attack, a number of people have been charged after allegedly offensive messages were posted on social media websites.
These include a 22-year-old man from Lincoln, a 28-year-old man from London, a 23-year-old woman from Southsea, and a 19-year-old man from Woking. Three men — two from Gateshead and one from Stockton — have been arrested by Northumbria Police on suspicion of posting racist tweets.