🔗 Share this article

Sikh women throughout the Midlands region are describing how a series of religiously motivated attacks has caused widespread fear within their community, forcing many to “radically modify” regarding their everyday habits.

Recent Incidents Spark Alarm

Two sexual assaults targeting Sikh females, both in their 20s, occurring in Walsall and Oldbury, have come to light during the last several weeks. A man in his early thirties faces charges in connection with a religiously aggravated rape connected with the purported assault in Walsall.

These events, coupled with a violent attack targeting two older Sikh cab drivers in Wolverhampton, resulted in a meeting in parliament at the end of October concerning bias-motivated crimes targeting Sikhs in the region.

Females Changing Routines

An advocate from a domestic abuse charity across the West Midlands commented that women were modifying their daily routines for their own safety.

“The fear, the now complete changing of your day-to-day living, that is real. I have not seen that before,” she said. “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” visiting fitness centers, or going for walks or runs at present, she said. “They are doing this in groups. They are sharing their location with their friends or a family member.

“An assault in Walsall will frighten females in Coventry since it’s within the Midlands,” she said. “Clearly, there’s a transformation in the manner ladies approach their own protection.”

Collective Actions and Safety Measures

Sikh gurdwaras across the Midlands are now handing out rape and security alarms to females as a measure for their protection.

At one Walsall gurdwara, a regular attender remarked that the attacks had “altered everything” for local Sikh residents.

Notably, she said she felt unsafe visiting the temple alone, and she cautioned her elderly mother to stay vigilant while answering the door. “Everyone is a potential victim,” she declared. “No one is safe from harm, regardless of the hour.”

Another member mentioned she was implementing additional safety measures while commuting to her job. “I seek parking spots adjacent to the bus depot,” 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 woman raising three girls 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 mood recalls 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 reflected. “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 local councillor echoed 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 emphasized. “Many hesitate to display religious symbols like turbans or scarves.”

Authority Actions and Comforting Words

Municipal authorities had installed extra CCTV near temples to reassure the community.

Law enforcement officials stated they were organizing talks with local politicians, ladies’ associations, and public advocates, along with attending religious sites, to discuss women’s safety.

“This has been a challenging period for residents,” a senior officer told a temple board. “Everyone merits a life free from terror in their community.”

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

Another council leader 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.