Met chief condemns 'vile' racist abuse of award-winning PC Fiona Shaik Umar

Sir Mark Rowley says online tirade marred officer's award for work supporting women in policing

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources2 outlets

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has condemned the "vile" racist and misogynistic abuse directed at a female Muslim police officer after she received an award for her work supporting women in policing.

PC Fiona Shaik Umar was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing Award at the Police Federation annual conference on Wednesday. In response, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that her achievement had been met with an "online tirade" of abuse.

"The federation put out this really positive thing about this award, and the online tirade of vileness, of racist, anti-Islam and all sorts of other abuse, and misogynistic, was horrific," he said. "I mean, the stuff out there is just vile."

Sir Mark said female officers and those from minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely to suffer online abuse. He added that the same was true for women MPs, noting Umar's role as an operational officer working to protect parliamentarians who face abuse and threats.

"This is a vile world to be a public servant in," he said.

Umar was commended by the federation for leading the development of the Hijab Project, through which new uniform options were introduced to meet the needs of Muslim women officers.

Reacting to receiving the award in a video shared on X by the Metropolitan Police Federation, Umar said: "I'm truly humbled to receive this award because I'm super passionate about the work I do around representation and inclusion for women in policing."

She recalled her daughter asking: "Can women like you do that job?" Umar said: "I was really offended because obviously she'd never seen anyone who looked like me being a police officer, and it's because of that that I have continued to do this work and to try and create a space for women who look like me in policing across the UK."

Analysis

Why This Matters

The abuse highlights the online hostility directed at public servants, particularly women and minority ethnic officers.
It raises questions about the working environment for those who represent underrepresented groups in policing.
Sir Mark Rowley has linked the treatment of officers to wider abuse faced by women MPs, connecting the issue to democratic and public safety roles.

Background

Policing in the UK has faced repeated scrutiny over how officers from minority backgrounds are treated, both internally and by the public. The Metropolitan Police have previously acknowledged problems around discrimination and have sought to improve representation through initiatives such as the Hijab Project, which introduced uniform options for Muslim women officers. The attention on online abuse reflects a broader concern about the impact of social media on people in public-facing roles.

Key Perspectives

Sir Mark Rowley: The Met Commissioner condemns the abuse as "vile" and argues that female and minority ethnic officers are disproportionately targeted online. He presents the hostility as part of a broader problem affecting public servants.

PC Fiona Shaik Umar: The award recipient frames her work as creating space for women who look like her in policing, motivated by a desire to improve representation and inclusion after her daughter questioned whether such a career was open to her.

Critics and skeptics: Those concerned about online abuse argue it could deter women and minority candidates from joining or staying in policing, and that little appears to be done to hold abusers accountable. The persistence of such abuse despite diversity initiatives is seen as a sign that cultural and institutional change remains incomplete.

What to Watch

Any formal response from social media platforms or police investigations into the abuse directed at Umar.
Statements from the Police Federation or Met leadership about further measures to protect officers from online hostility.
Whether the incident prompts new discussion about safeguarding public servants who face abuse because of their identity or role.

Sources

Met Commissioner slams 'awful abuse' of Muslim female officer · The Standard London
Met chief says PC's award marred by racist abuse · BBC London

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe Met chief condemned the “vile” racist and misogynistic abuse directed at Muslim officer Fiona Shaik Umar after she received an award.BBC London: “Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has condemned the "vile" racist abuse directed at a female Muslim police officer who was awarded for supporting women in policing.”
SupportedSir Mark Rowley said an online tirade marred Umar’s award for supporting women in policing.BBC London: “Sir Mark told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that Umar's achievement had been met with an "online tirade" of racist and misogynistic abuse.”
SupportedUmar received the Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing Award at the Police Federation annual conference on Wednesday.BBC London: “PC Fiona Shaik Umar was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing Award at the Police Federation annual conference on Wednesday.”
SupportedRowley said: “The federation put out this really positive thing about this award, and the online tirade of vileness, of racist, anti-Islam and all sorts of other abuse, and misogynistic, was horrific.”BBC London: “"The federation put out this really positive thing about this award, and the online tirade of vileness, of racist, anti-Islam and all sorts of other abuse, and misogynistic, was horrific," he said.”
SupportedRowley said: “I mean, the stuff out there is just vile.”BBC London: “"I mean, the stuff out there is just vile."”
SupportedRowley said female officers and people from minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to suffer online abuse.BBC London: “Sir Mark said female officers, and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, are more likely to suffer online abuse.”
SupportedRowley said women MPs also face online abuse, and noted Umar’s operational role protecting parliamentarians who face abuse and threats.BBC London: “He added that the same was true for women MPs, nodding to Umar's role as an operational officer working to protect parliamentarians who face abuse and threats.”
SupportedRowley said: “This is a vile world to be a public servant in.”BBC London: “"This is a vile world to be a public servant in," Sir Mark said.”
SupportedThe federation commended Umar for leading the Hijab Project, which introduced new uniform options for Muslim women officers.BBC London: “Umar was commended by the federation for leading the development of the Hijab Project, through which new uniform options were introduced to meet the needs of Muslim women officers.”
SupportedUmar said: “I'm truly humbled to receive this award because I'm super passionate about the work I do around representation and inclusion for women in policing.”BBC London: “"I'm truly humbled to receive this award because I'm super passionate about the work I do around representation and inclusion for women in policing.”
SupportedUmar recalled her daughter asking: “Can women like you do that job?”BBC London: “I never thought about a career in the police until my daughter at the time said to me, 'Can women like you do that job?'”
SupportedUmar said she was offended because her daughter had not seen anyone who looked like her being a police officer, and that this motivated her to create space for women like her in policing.BBC London: “I was really offended because obviously she'd never seen anyone who looked like me being a police officer, and it's because of that that I have continued to do this work and to try and create a space for women who look like me in policing across the UK.”