🔗 Share this article

Sikh females throughout the Midlands region are explaining a spate of religiously motivated attacks has created deep-seated anxiety among their people, forcing many to “radically modify” about their daily routines.

String of Events Triggers Concern

Two sexual assaults of Sikh women, both in their 20s, in Walsall and Oldbury, have been reported over the past few weeks. A 32-year-old man is now accused associated with a faith-based sexual assault linked to the alleged Walsall attack.

Those incidents, combined with a violent attack targeting two older Sikh cab drivers located in Wolverhampton, prompted a session in the House of Commons at the end of October about anti-Sikh hate crimes across the Midlands.

Females Changing Routines

A leader working with a women’s aid group based in the West Midlands stated that women were altering their regular habits to ensure their security.

“The dread, the absolute transformation of everyday existence, is palpable. This is unprecedented in my experience,” she remarked. “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 going for walks or runs now, she said. “They are doing this in groups. They are sharing their location with their friends or a family member.

“An attack in Walsall is going to make women in Coventry feel scared because it’s the Midlands,” she explained. “Undoubtedly, there’s been a change in how females perceive their personal security.”

Collective Actions and Safety Measures

Sikh gurdwaras across the Midlands are now handing out personal safety devices to women in an effort to keep them safe.

At one Walsall gurdwara, a regular attender mentioned that the events had “transformed everything” for Sikhs living in the area.

Specifically, she expressed she felt unsafe going to the gurdwara on her own, and she had told her older mother to be careful when opening her front door. “We’re all targets,” she said. “Assaults can occur anytime, day or night.”

Another member explained she was taking extra precautions during her travels to work. “I attempt to park closer to the transit hub,” she noted. “I listen to paath [prayer] through headphones but keep it quiet enough to detect passing vehicles and ambient noise.”

Echoes of Past Anxieties

A mother of three stated: “We go for walks, the girls and I, and it just feels very unsafe at the moment with all these crimes.

“In the past, we didn’t contemplate these defensive actions,” she continued. “I’m looking over my shoulder constantly.”

For an individual raised in the area, the atmosphere is reminiscent of the discrimination endured by elders during the seventies and eighties.

“We lived through similar times in the 80s as our mothers passed the community center,” she said. “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 community representative agreed with this, noting individuals sensed “we’ve gone back in time … where there was a lot of open racism”.

“People are scared to go out in the community,” she said. “People are scared to wear the artefacts of their religion; turbans or head coverings.”

Official Responses and Reassurances

City officials had installed more monitoring systems near temples to comfort residents.

Authorities announced they were conducting discussions with local politicians, female organizations, and local representatives, as well as visiting faith establishments, to address female security.

“This has been a challenging period for residents,” a chief superintendent told a gurdwara committee. “No one should reside in a neighborhood filled with fear.”

Local government stated it was “collaborating closely with law enforcement and the Sikh population, as well as broader groups, to offer aid and comfort”.

Another council leader commented: “Everyone was stunned by the horrific event in Oldbury.” She explained that the municipality collaborates with authorities via a protective coalition to address attacks on women and prejudice-motivated crimes.