ABSTRACT
The term 'hate crime' has come under increasing scrutiny and sharp focus after cases such as Stephen Lawrence, who was murdered in a racist attack in Britain in 1993, to the long history of racially-motivated hate crimes and violence committed against minorities in Europe and the United States. Hate crime is not limited to just physical attacks, but includes a wide range of potential crimes from offensive graffiti, damage to property, abusive and threatening messages, harassment, intimidation and verbal abuse. Anti-Muslim hate crime falls under the category of religious hate crime. Overall, policing cyberspace and people's activity via social media sites remains difficult and the recent Leveson Inquiry in the UK which was set up by the British government to investigate the culture, practices and ethics of the Press also acknowledges that it is problematic to regulate.
