🔗 Share this article

Sikh women across the Midlands are explaining a wave of hate crimes based on faith has caused deep-seated anxiety within their community, compelling some to “change everything” about their daily routines.

Series of Attacks Causes Fear

Two sexual assaults of Sikh women, each in their twenties, in Walsall and Oldbury, have been reported during the last several weeks. An individual aged 32 faces charges associated with a religiously aggravated rape connected with the reported Walsall incident.

These events, along with a violent attack targeting two older Sikh cab drivers from Wolverhampton, prompted a parliamentary gathering at the end of October concerning bias-motivated crimes targeting Sikhs within the area.

Females Changing Routines

An advocate working with a women’s aid group in the West Midlands explained that women were altering their regular habits for their own safety.

“The dread, the absolute transformation of everyday existence, is palpable. This is unprecedented in my experience,” she noted. “For the first time since establishing Sikh Women’s Aid, women have expressed: ‘We’ve ceased pursuing our passions out of fear for our safety.’”

Women were “not comfortable” attending workout facilities, or taking strolls or jogs now, she said. “They now undertake these activities collectively. They notify friends or relatives of their whereabouts.

“A violent incident in Walsall causes anxiety for ladies in Coventry as it’s part of the same region,” she emphasized. “There has definitely been a shift in the way women think about their own safety.”

Public Reactions and Defensive Steps

Sikh temples across the Midlands are now handing out personal safety devices to women as a measure for their protection.

At one Walsall gurdwara, a frequent visitor remarked that the attacks had “altered everything” for Sikhs living in the area.

Specifically, she expressed she was anxious going to the gurdwara on her own, and she advised her senior parent to stay vigilant when opening her front door. “We’re all targets,” she affirmed. “Assaults can occur anytime, day or night.”

One more individual explained she was adopting further protective steps when going to work. “I attempt to park closer to the transit hub,” she noted. “I play paath [prayer] in my earpieces at minimal volume, ensuring I remain aware of traffic and my environment.”

Generational Fears Resurface

A parent with three daughters expressed: “We stroll together, yet the prevalence of offenses renders the atmosphere threatening.”

“We’ve never thought about taking these precautions before,” she continued. “I’m looking over my shoulder constantly.”

For someone who grew up locally, the atmosphere echoes the racism older generations faced in the 1970s and 80s.

“We’ve experienced all this in the 1980s when our mums used to go past where the community hall is,” she recalled. “Extremist groups would occupy that space, spitting, using slurs, or siccing dogs on them. Irrationally, I’m reverting to that mindset. I believe that period is nearly here again.”

A public official echoed this, stating residents believed “we’ve gone back in time … where there was a lot of open racism”.

“Residents fear venturing into public spaces,” she declared. “There’s apprehension about wearing faith-based items such as headwear.”

Official Responses and Reassurances

Municipal authorities had provided additional surveillance cameras in the vicinity of places of worship to ease public concerns.

Law enforcement officials stated they were conducting discussions with public figures, women’s groups, and local representatives, along with attending religious sites, to discuss women’s safety.

“The past week has been tough for the public,” a senior officer informed a temple board. “Everyone merits a life free from terror in their community.”

Local government stated they had been “engaging jointly with authorities, the Sikh public, and wider society to deliver assistance and peace of mind”.

A different municipal head commented: “Everyone was stunned by the horrific event in Oldbury.” She added that the council worked with the police as part of a safety partnership to tackle violence against women and girls and hate crime.