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Sikh women in the Midlands area are describing how a series of assaults driven by religious bias has caused pervasive terror within their community, compelling some to “completely alter” about their daily routines.

String of Events Triggers Concern

Two violent attacks targeting Sikh females, each in their twenties, reported from Walsall and Oldbury, were recently disclosed during the last several weeks. A man in his early thirties is now accused associated with a religiously aggravated rape linked to the reported Walsall incident.

Such occurrences, along with a violent attack on two elderly Sikh taxi drivers in Wolverhampton, resulted in a session in the House of Commons in late October concerning bias-motivated crimes targeting Sikhs within the area.

Females Changing Routines

An advocate working with a women’s aid group based in the West Midlands explained that females were changing their everyday schedules 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” visiting fitness centers, or going for walks or runs at present, she said. “They participate in these endeavors together. They update loved ones on their location.”

“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.”

Community Responses and Precautions

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

At one Walsall gurdwara, a frequent visitor remarked that the attacks had “changed everything” for the Sikh community there.

Specifically, she revealed she felt unsafe attending worship by herself, and she advised her senior parent to exercise caution upon unlocking her entrance. “Everyone is a potential victim,” she said. “Anyone can be attacked day or night.”

Another member stated she was implementing additional safety measures during her travels to work. “I attempt to park closer to the transit hub,” she noted. “I put paath [prayer] in my headphones but it’s on a very low volume, to the point where I can still hear cars go past, I can still hear surroundings around me.”

Echoes of Past Anxieties

A mother of three stated: “We stroll together, yet the prevalence of offenses renders the atmosphere threatening.”

“We’ve never thought about taking these precautions before,” she said. “I’m looking over my shoulder constantly.”

For a long-time resident, the atmosphere is reminiscent of the bigotry experienced by prior generations back in the 70s and 80s.

“We’ve experienced all this in the 1980s when our mums used to go past where the community hall is,” 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 returned to a period … characterized by blatant bigotry”.

“People are scared to go out in the community,” she said. “There’s apprehension about wearing faith-based items such as headwear.”

Authority Actions and Comforting Words

City officials had installed extra CCTV in the vicinity of places of worship to reassure the community.

Authorities announced they were conducting discussions with public figures, women’s groups, and local representatives, along with attending religious sites, to discuss women’s safety.

“It’s been a very difficult week for the community,” a chief superintendent addressed a gurdwara committee. “No one deserves to live in a community feeling afraid.”

Municipal leadership stated they had been “engaging jointly with authorities, the Sikh public, and wider society to deliver assistance and peace of mind”.

Another council leader stated: “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.