Things have worsened' Muslims say attacks initiated a climate of hostility in race relations

For many in the British Muslim community, the tragedy of 7 July 2005 lives long in the memory.

- Geneva Abdul

The bombings sent shockwaves through the nation but also marked a turning point that left many grappling with grief, fear and a new scrutiny of their identity.

Twenty years on, feelings of suspicion, isolation and hostility experienced in the aftermath of the attacks have, for some, only worsened after decades of British counter-terrorism policies, and a political landscape they say has allowed Islamophobia to flourish.

"The emotional and social toll of 7/7 on Muslim communities was profound and is felt by many to this day," said the imam Qari Asim.

After the four London bombings, which killed 52 people and injured more than 700, police recorded 180 racist incidents in three days, of which 58 were faith-related. Mosques were also targeted with arson. A Guardian poll at the time found two-thirds of Muslims considered leaving Britain.

Asim, who was living in Leeds, where three of the four bombers came from, recalled a collective grief as the country mourned. But there was also a silent suffering for the Muslim community, he said: guilt and the need to justify their sense of belonging.