Attacks against Muslims have become alarmingly common - in its severity, it’s devastation and the sustained impact to entire communities - as we wake up today nothing has changed.
In Edinburgh a knife wielding bare chested white 36yrs old man motivated by anti Muslim hatred went on a rampage, kicked down doors, stabbed innocent bystanders and hurled Islamophobic abuse saying he’s "protecting this country from f*****g Muslims”. It left five injured, of which several were from the Muslim community.
More than 24 hours later 👉🏽
▪️Media is uncharacteristically quiet. No frenzy. Neither any public duty of awareness or outcry.
▪️Almost no one knows of what is a national emergency, or in parallel what another community experienced just weeks ago that became a national outcry.
▪️No MP’s or senior officials expressing rage or even hands to deck public solidarity statements.
▪️No urgent travel into community or city incident by any prominent leader. Not the PM, not the Foreign Secretary, no one.
▪️No COBRA meetings.
▪️No prompt response of increased community security, funding or extra power or laws much like parallel communities have.
If there is no hierarchy in hate, race and religion then why do responses time and again tell a different reality?
It’s something many of us speak about, bravely share our own stories, even spotlight others. We work hard to dismantle the system and correct the narrative. We too so vulnerably ask you not to hate. Yet we’re in exactly the same place, same severity and same oh well spot that sees zero interest in stopping this vicious cycle.
Instead false harmful narratives are pushed daily by politicians and agitators inciting hatred and division. Strategically putting a target on the back of Muslims. Home Office and Tell MAMA data tells us this hasn’t happened in a vacuum and is what these rhetorics produce - The license of repeated hate and violence against an entire community as if it were justice, with no care in the world.
Our Communities, including Muslim ones deserve to live, breath and be safe in an environment in which the law and leadership response is applied with the same urgency and stringency that is brought for any other community whom have been subjected to a alarming, threatening and horrific crime.
The question remains, why still now after evidence, data and a clear repeated escalation of crimes against the Muslim community adequate and on par priority is not given with the urgency required?
When will this vicious cycle end?
We require a concerted action and a plan from our Prime Minister and Government (alongside organisations and community leaders) that sets out how he will protect Muslims and end this cycle.
For now, I ask that we be there for each other. For our colleagues, our neighbours and friends. We’re the best we’ve got. We’ve got each other, and we’re going to make it count.
