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Female members of the Sikh community in the Midlands area are recounting how a series of assaults driven by religious bias has instilled widespread fear within their community, compelling some to “radically modify” about their daily routines.

Series of Attacks Causes Fear

Two sexual assaults against Sikh ladies, each in their twenties, in Walsall and Oldbury, were recently disclosed during the last several weeks. An individual aged 32 has been charged associated with a hate-motivated rape in relation to the purported assault in Walsall.

Those incidents, combined with a physical aggression targeting two older Sikh cab drivers located in Wolverhampton, resulted in a session in the House of Commons in late October concerning bias-motivated crimes targeting Sikhs in the region.

Ladies Modifying Habits

An advocate working with a women’s aid group based in the West Midlands commented that women were altering their everyday schedules for their own safety.

“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” attending workout facilities, or taking strolls or jogs 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 gurdwaras across the Midlands have started providing personal safety devices to ladies in an effort to keep them safe.

At one Walsall gurdwara, a devoted member mentioned that the events had “transformed everything” for Sikhs living in the area.

In particular, she expressed she felt unsafe going to the gurdwara on her own, and she had told her elderly mother to be careful upon unlocking her entrance. “Everyone is a potential victim,” she affirmed. “Assaults can occur anytime, day or night.”

A different attendee stated she was implementing additional safety measures when going to work. “I try and find parking nearer to the bus station,” she said. “I listen to paath [prayer] through headphones but keep it quiet enough to detect passing vehicles and ambient noise.”

Historical Dread Returns

A woman raising three girls remarked: “My daughters and I take walks, but current crime levels make it feel highly dangerous.

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

For a long-time resident, the environment recalls the bigotry experienced by prior generations back in the 70s and 80s.

“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 local councillor supported this view, stating residents believed “we’ve regressed to an era … marked by overt racism”.

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

Government Measures and Supportive Statements

City officials had provided extra CCTV near temples to ease public concerns.

Law enforcement officials announced they were holding meetings with community leaders, ladies’ associations, and local representatives, along with attending religious sites, to address female security.

“It’s been a very difficult week for the community,” a senior officer told a gurdwara committee. “Everyone merits a life free from terror in their community.”

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

One more local authority figure stated: “The terrible occurrence in Oldbury left us all appalled.” 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.