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Headscarf-wearing ‘Ninjabis’ are learning the art of self-defence in a move to protect themselves against the rise of Islamophobia in Britain.
Around 30 Muslim women, most wearing veils, gather in a community centre in Newham, east London, every week to learn how to block, knee and punch would-be attackers.
The organisers have named the classes after Japanese Ninja warriors and women who wear the hijab saying Muslim women are looking to fight back against unwanted advances and a rising number of anti-Muslim attacks.
"The ladies love the Ninjabi thing. It gives them a good giggle," said class instructor Dee Terry, who is not a Muslim herself.
One of the attendees, 31-year-old mother Mahmuda Mazid, said she took up the classes after a gang of youths tried to rob her teenage brother while she was with him in a local park.
"There was this sheer feeling of helplessness that I couldn't help myself or my brother... and there was absolute rage," she said.
"I knew I had to do something to equip myself.
"In the classes I saw protection and self defence. That's what I needed."
The classes are strictly women only maintaining the Islamic practice of gender segregation.
The loose full-length clothing favoured by Muslim women rules out high-kicking manoeuvres but does not otherwise hinder movement, says Terry.
The Hijab and the Niqab - which covers the face and leaves only the eyes visible - clearly identify Muslim women, increasing their chances of becoming victims of anti-Muslim hostility.
But Terry says Islamic clothing itself does not make it easier to attack a woman.
"An attacker can pull your headscarf but they can also pull your hair, so Islamic clothes don't make that much of a difference," added Terry, who also teaches Judo, Jujitsu and Kickboxing.
Muslim women said their biggest worry was harassment from "pervy men" and the violent anti-social behaviour of teenagers popularly called "hoodies" and "chavs".
The organisers said the classes were a response to overwhelming demand from Muslim women.
The organisers said the light-hearted approach which respects the women's faith has made the Ninjabi classes massively popular.
Attacks on Muslims in London nearly quadrupled in the days after the July attacks. Figures collated by London's Metropolitan Police, and presented in a report by the Muslim Safety Forum, showed 303 attacks in July 2005, up from 82 in the previous month.
An initiative by London's police to engage with Muslim women found many did not report attacks because they felt the police would not act.
Others had limited English and were unable to register complaints without help.
