Muslim Hikers, founded by Haroon Mota, led a group of more than 100 people on the December 25 hike in the Peak District. MORE: Ian Van Dahl to DJ at couple’s New Year’s Eve wedding in Chesterfield But after hikers shared photos of the trip on Facebook, Mr Mota said ‘some very racist comments’ were made. He told the PA news agency: “These type of comments, racist comments, only make it more problematic for those from our community who feel less empowered to get outside. “For people who might be joining for the first time, they might think ‘oh wow, is this what people actually think?’ “One of the reasons why we set up Muslim Hikers was so that we could stand together and for greater diversity and inclusion. “We’ve been working extremely hard to create a culture of confidence in the outdoors.” Salma Mehboob, who was on the hike, said she saw ‘some racist comments such as comparing the walkers to the Serengeti wildebeest migration’. After Muslim Hikers exposed some of the hateful remarks on the group’s Twitter account, many people hit out at the racists and expressed their support for the walkers. Mr Mota said: “After sharing these comments we’ve had such an overwhelming response in terms of solidarity from the wider community. “In a positive way it has given us an opportunity to really call that type of behaviour out.” MORE: Remembering lives lost to coronavirus in Derbyshire as Chesterfield hospital death toll passes 500 Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Visit www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/subscriptions
