(Updates headline with no change to text) By Yoruk Bahceli LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Jews suffered the highest rate of religious hate crimes in England and Wales in the year to March, interior ministry data showed on Thursday. Muslims experienced the highest outright level of such crimes, but with them making up a larger proportion of the population, the rate was lower in the data that shows how social tensions, elevated by the war in Gaza, have remained high. A total of 2,873 religious hate crimes were recorded against victims perceived to be Jewish, equivalent to 106 crimes per 10,000 Jews. For people perceived to be Muslim the total was 4,478, or 12 per 10,000 Muslims. An attack against a synagogue in northern England last week led to the deaths of two Jewish men. The data showed a spike in offences against Muslims after the murder of three young girls at a dance event in Southport in July 2024 that led to violent anti-Muslim protests. "Today's hate crime statistics show that too many people are living in fear because of who they are, what they believe, or where they come from," said Britain's interior minister Shabana Mahmood. "I will not tolerate British people being targeted simply because of their religion, race, or identity," she said, noting police patrols have been stepped up at synagogues and mosques since last week's attack. Thursday's data was skewed by the exclusion of crimes recorded by police in London due to a change in its methodology designed to prevent overcounting. As a result, Thursday's figures were not directly comparable to previous years, but were broadly consistent with a pattern of increased religious hate crimes in Britain. ($1 = 0.7479 pounds) (Reporting by Yoruk Bahceli; Editing by Alison Williams)
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