Violence against British Muslims On British Streets

Ishtiaq Ahmed 

London: The streets of Britain are being turned into the Islamophobic and racial war zones following the murder of three young girls at Taylor Swift-themed in Southport by a 17-year-old Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, a Rwandan of Christian descent.

The English far right has exploited the tragic incident to target Muslim neighbourhoods in Southport, Sunderland, Liverpool and Leeds targeting Mosques, businesses, and residents. Even the police forces have not been spared with violence against the frontline officers and police stations.

The violence erupted after misinformation by the far right regarding the identity of the perpetrator. It was mischievously claimed that the perpetrator of the killings was of a Muslim faith. This spontaneously ignited an anti Muslim Islamophobic outpour of public emotions. 

The misinformation about the identity of the young murderer was deliberately planted by the country’s far right to provoke a violent reaction against Muslims and immigrant communities.

The murder of three young girls in Southport  is indefensibly barbaric and beyond comprehension. This heinous unprovoked crime has shocked the nation. The outpouring of grief has touched the hearts of millions.

Naturally, we extend our heartfelt condolences and love to the parents, families and friends of the murdered young girls. 

But the misinformation and the violence spurred against British Muslims and the immigrant communities are equally contemptible.

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The fascist mob is on march to exploit the stirred emotions of the British public. They are not concerned or touched by the loss of three young lives, but are entirely focused on exploiting the situation for their violent fascist design .

EDL, the fascist organisation, in the forefront of the current violence, has published a list of cities and towns they intend to target. Initially, it was felt this may be an entirely scaremongering exercise on their part.

This is not the first time this fascist organisation has tried spreading misinformation to heighten public fears but with escalation of violence in Sunderland, Liverpool and Leeds , this is no hawk, the EDL intent is blatantly clear. They are determined to exploit the situation.

It is increasingly becoming clear that the situation is becoming out of control. Watching the mindless racism, Islamophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric as well as attacks on Mosques, businesses , residents and the police, one cannot help sensing that this is part of a larger far right plot.

The situation is deliberately being escalated. As somebody who has lived through several far-right campaigns against minorities, the violence being unfolded this time around is unprecedented. 

The deafening silence of the new labour government is both uncomfortable and telling. One would have expected a concerted effort on the part of the Keir Starmar government to show some urgency in correcting the misinformation to calm the public emotions but shamefully this has been slow in coming. 

Local police forces are under enormous pressure and this has led to calls for the mobilisation of the army to help to protect local communities, businesses, places of faith and community hubs.

The violence predominantly against Muslim and migrant communities has the hallmark of being premeditated. It has no relevance to the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport. 

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The rioting and violent protests which have exploded in different parts of the country are undoubtedly rooted in the anti-immigrant and Islamophobic rhetoric of major political parties but more significantly that of Conservatives and the emerging far right UK that continue to persistently and ferociously push the Islamophobic undertones and blame the country’s economic failures on minorities and unchecked immigration.

This in an attempt to distract the public attention away from the failures of the political fraternity to reverse the life sapping growing poverty underpinned by the spiralling cost of living, worsening health care, inadequate social housing, and cuts in social care benefits. The non -white minorities and newly arriving communities are simply being scapegoated .

 The far-right has ceased this rhetoric. Many are bewildered as to why EDL and its leader Tommy Robinson have not been incarcerated because incitement of hatred is a serious punishable crime in British law.

Maybe it suits the establishment design. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that their incitement of Islamophobic and racial hatred and anti-immigration agenda is being cajoled to provide political foundation for more draconian anti-immigration measures.

These are frightening times for British Muslims, British minorities and the immigrant communities. Interestingly, as the British Pakistani diaspora is bearing the brunt of far-right hatred, the Pakistani government is mute on the issue.

Perhaps, this is to be expected of a floundering political regime.

The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.

The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.