CBC News interviews Imran Awan, deputy director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University, and Fiyaz Mughal of Tell MAMA on the rise of anti-Muslim hatred on the internet.

The far right is taking advantage of legal loopholes, notably the absence of an effective law against incitement to religious hatred, and reluctance by the authorities to take action against hate speech on social media, in order to target the Muslim community.

CBC also spoke to “Simon North” of the English Defence League who brazenly denies his organisation’s role in inciting anti-Muslim hatred online, claiming that “some Islamophobic messages might emanate from the group’s regional divisions. But they do not reflect the group’s overall thinking”.

And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything. Here is a small selection of the numerous abusive and violent comments posted on the national EDL’s official Facebook page over the past few days:

“Smash the f**king p4ki c**ts up and burn them alive… Utter pieces of scum… Living off our benefits, our jobs and on our land”

“we should burn ALL the mosque’s down!!!”

“We need to remove our political class as they are merely rolling over and appeasing the muslims, then we can remove the muslims from our nation and demolish the mosques that have been built. Wherever there are plans for a mosque to be built pigs should be buried in the ground.”

“We need to build concentration camps/death camps to put them all in.”

“about time we bumped a few off to hell with you stuff the government and the police all traitors”

“Kick out muslims out of your country, otherwise sooner or later there will be riots targeting innocent White Britishers … DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO TAKEOVER YOUR COUNTRY THROUGH DEMOCRACY, DO NOT LET THEM TO LIVE IN YOUR COUNTRY.”

“What do u expect if u allow babarians to settle in your country. How can your politicians allow such mass immigration where your own race ;culture and norms are replaced with alian norms.”

“Islam out of Europe now!!! Generation Identity!!!”

“Get these ragheads away from our children and out the country!”

“there are no ‘moderate’ muslims !!!!!”

“Those animals are hatching new terror plots each week how long before they successful attack English civilians again even if it’s a lone wolf style attack enough is enough every Muslim is the same some are better lairs then others they all have to go.”

“Yeah and most of them are discusting vile animals!!”

“seriously need to be murdered these muslims”