🔗 Share this article

Sikh women across the Midlands are describing how a series of hate crimes based on faith has instilled widespread fear among their people, compelling some to “change everything” about their daily routines.

Series of Attacks Causes Fear

Two sexual assaults of Sikh women, both in their 20s, in Walsall and Oldbury, were recently disclosed over the past few weeks. A man in his early thirties faces charges associated with a hate-motivated rape connected with the purported assault in Walsall.

Those incidents, coupled with a brutal assault against two senior Sikh chauffeurs in Wolverhampton, resulted in a session in the House of Commons in late October regarding hate offenses against Sikhs across the Midlands.

Women Altering Daily Lives

An advocate from a domestic abuse charity across the West Midlands stated that ladies were altering their everyday schedules to protect themselves.

“The dread, the absolute transformation of everyday existence, is palpable. This is unprecedented in my experience,” she said. “This is the first time since I’ve set up Sikh Women’s Aid where women have said to us: ‘We are no longer doing the things that we enjoy because we might get harmed doing them.’”

Females felt “uneasy” visiting fitness centers, or going for walks or runs 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 explained. “There has definitely been a shift in the way women think about their own safety.”

Collective Actions and Safety Measures

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

Within a Walsall place of worship, a devoted member stated that the attacks had “transformed everything” for local Sikh residents.

Notably, she expressed she was anxious going to the gurdwara on her own, and she advised her elderly mother to stay vigilant when opening her front door. “All of us are at risk,” she said. “No one is safe from harm, regardless of the hour.”

A different attendee explained she was adopting further protective steps during her travels to work. “I attempt to park closer to the transit hub,” she said. “I play paath [prayer] in my earpieces at minimal volume, ensuring I remain aware of traffic and my environment.”

Generational Fears Resurface

A mother of three expressed: “My daughters and I take walks, but current crime levels make it feel highly dangerous.

“In the past, we didn’t contemplate these defensive actions,” she continued. “I’m always watching my back.”

For a long-time resident, the environment is reminiscent of the bigotry experienced by prior generations in the 1970s and 80s.

“This mirrors the 1980s, when our mothers walked near the local hall,” she recalled. “The National Front members would sit there, spitting, hurling insults, or unleashing dogs. Somehow, I’m reliving that era. Mentally, I feel those days have returned.”

A local councillor agreed with this, saying people felt “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

The local council had set up additional surveillance cameras in the vicinity of places of worship to comfort residents.

Authorities stated they were holding meetings with local politicians, female organizations, and local representatives, and going to worship centers, to discuss women’s safety.

“The past week has been tough for the public,” a chief superintendent informed a temple board. “No one should reside in a neighborhood filled with fear.”

Local government stated it had been “actively working alongside the police with the Sikh community and our communities more widely to provide support and reassurance”.

A different municipal head commented: “We were all shocked by the awful incident in Oldbury.” She noted that officials cooperate with law enforcement through a security alliance to combat aggression towards females and bias-driven offenses.