The 28-year-old martial arts expert said she wanted to help at-risk women learn how to cope with abuse, build relationships and gain confidence after more than a week of attacks on mosques, refugee hotels and police.

“It gives you more confidence,” says Maya Hassan. “You know what to look for, how to be socially aware, how to spot things and get out of bad situations.”

Muslim and ethnic minority communities have expressed shock at the chaos sparked by online misinformation that the suspect in the stabbing murder of three young girls in Southport, north-west England, was a Muslim immigrant.

Martial arts instructor Stewart McGill said more girls have signed up for classes since the unrest began. He teaches them self-defense with kicks and improvised weapons like belts.

Elza Annan, 24, said she had become more confident: “I don't want to have to use them but it's been helpful to know how to defend myself against racists lately."

The riots were largely targeted at migrants, Muslims and Asians, spreading fear among minority communities in the UK.

Tell MAMA UK, a watchdog group, said that hate directed at Muslims has been on the rise in the UK for some time, particularly since the conflict that broke out in Gaza on 7 October last year.

Since the riots began, there have been more than 500 calls and online reports of anti-Muslim behaviour across the UK.

Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, a think tank on migration and identity issues, said the UK was a "multi-ethnic democracy".

But he said previous administrations had not been strategic in integrating other communities. While people from Ukraine or Hong Kong were supported by the government, that support did not reach all groups.

The asylum system is under pressure, with a huge backlog of applications and concerns among the country's population about housing, health care and education. "You can see a lack of control and that leads to fear," he said.

The riots largely stopped when thousands of anti-racism protesters turned out to protect immigration advice centres, mosques and hotels housing refugees.

Hassan, a Swiss citizen of Somali descent, moved to the UK in 2008 because she felt it was more welcoming to ethnic minorities than elsewhere in Europe. She is considering running more classes.

Campaign group The Three Hijabis has held an online conference call with Muslim women in Manchester, northern England, to discuss the psychological impact of violence.

The Three Hijabis director Shaista Aziz said some were concerned that the violence could spark conflict or abuse, keeping many people away from the streets.

"Today, I advised a sister I love very much to consider taking off her hijab for her own safety..." she shared on social media X. "All across the UK, Muslims are having similar conversations."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has ordered increased protection for the Muslim community, described the rioters as “far-right thugs”. Nearly 800 people were arrested, with some quickly brought to court and sentenced to prison.

"It's really scary to think about how I'm going to defend myself," said Maki Omori, 23, a self-defense class participant. "I want to make sure that if something happens, I feel ready."

Ha Trang (according to Reuters)