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Female members of the Sikh community in the Midlands area are describing how a series of religiously motivated attacks has caused widespread fear in their circles, pushing certain individuals to “completely alter” concerning their day-to-day activities.

String of Events Triggers Concern

Two sexual assaults targeting Sikh females, each in their twenties, in Walsall and Oldbury, have been reported over the past few weeks. A man in his early thirties is now accused in connection with a hate-motivated rape in relation to the reported Walsall incident.

These events, along with a brutal assault against two senior Sikh chauffeurs located in Wolverhampton, led to a parliamentary gathering towards October's close about anti-Sikh hate crimes in the region.

Females Changing Routines

An advocate working with a women’s aid group across the West Midlands explained that women were changing their regular habits to ensure their security.

“The terror, the total overhaul of daily life, is genuine. I’ve never witnessed this previously,” she noted. “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” going to the gym, or walking or running at present, she indicated. “They now undertake these activities collectively. They notify friends or relatives of their whereabouts.

“An attack in Walsall is going to make women in Coventry feel scared because it’s the Midlands,” she emphasized. “There has definitely been a shift in the way women think about their own safety.”

Collective Actions and Safety Measures

Sikh places of worship across the Midlands are now handing out protective alarms to women as a measure for their protection.

In a Walsall temple, a frequent visitor remarked that the events had “transformed everything” for the Sikh community there.

Notably, she expressed she was anxious attending worship by herself, and she cautioned her older mother to be careful upon unlocking her entrance. “We’re all targets,” she declared. “No one is safe from harm, regardless of the hour.”

One more individual explained she was taking extra precautions when going to work. “I seek parking spots adjacent to the bus depot,” she commented. “I play paath [prayer] in my earpieces at minimal volume, ensuring I remain aware of traffic and my environment.”

Historical Dread Returns

A mother of three remarked: “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 always watching my back.”

For a long-time resident, the atmosphere is reminiscent of the racism older generations faced during the seventies and eighties.

“We lived through similar times in the 80s as our mothers passed the community center,” she said. “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 public official echoed 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 declared. “People are scared to wear the artefacts of their religion; turbans or head coverings.”

Government Measures and Supportive Statements

City officials had set up additional surveillance cameras around gurdwaras to comfort residents.

Law enforcement officials confirmed they were holding meetings with public figures, female organizations, and public advocates, and going to worship centers, to discuss women’s safety.

“This has been a challenging period for residents,” a senior officer told a worship center group. “No one deserves to live in a community feeling afraid.”

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

Another council leader remarked: “We were all shocked by the awful incident 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.