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Sikh women in the Midlands area are describing a spate of assaults driven by religious bias has caused widespread fear in their circles, forcing many to “completely alter” about their daily routines.

Recent Incidents Spark Alarm

Two rapes of Sikh women, each in their twenties, in Walsall and Oldbury, have come to light over the past few weeks. A 32-year-old man has been charged related to a faith-based sexual assault connected with the purported assault in Walsall.

These events, combined with a brutal assault on two elderly Sikh taxi drivers from Wolverhampton, led to a session in the House of Commons at the end of October about anti-Sikh hate crimes across the Midlands.

Women Altering Daily Lives

An advocate working with a women’s aid group in the West Midlands explained that females were altering their daily routines to ensure their security.

“The dread, the absolute transformation of everyday existence, is palpable. This is unprecedented in my experience,” 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.’”

Women were “not comfortable” visiting fitness centers, or walking or running now, she mentioned. “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 gurdwaras throughout the Midlands are now handing out personal safety devices to females as a measure for their protection.

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

Notably, she revealed she felt unsafe visiting the temple alone, and she cautioned her older mother to stay vigilant when opening her front door. “We’re all targets,” she affirmed. “No one is safe from harm, regardless of the hour.”

A different attendee stated she was adopting further protective steps during her travels to work. “I attempt to park closer to the transit hub,” she said. “I play paath [prayer] in my earpieces at minimal volume, ensuring I remain aware of traffic and my environment.”

Historical Dread Returns

A parent with three daughters expressed: “We go for walks, the girls and I, and it just feels very unsafe at the moment with all these crimes.

“We never previously considered such safety measures,” she continued. “I’m looking over my shoulder constantly.”

For a long-time resident, the mood recalls the racism older generations faced 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. “We used to have the National Front and all the people sat there and they used to spit at them, call them names or set dogs on them. For some reason, I’m going back to that. In my head, I think those times are almost back.”

A local councillor echoed this, noting individuals sensed “we’ve gone back in time … where there was a lot of open racism”.

“Individuals are afraid to leave their homes,” she said. “People are scared to wear the artefacts of their religion; turbans or head coverings.”

Government Measures and Supportive Statements

The local council had installed extra CCTV in the vicinity of places of worship to reassure the community.

Law enforcement officials stated they were holding meetings with public figures, female organizations, and local representatives, along with attending religious sites, to talk about ladies’ protection.

“It’s been a very difficult week for the community,” a senior officer informed a worship center group. “No one deserves to live in a community feeling afraid.”

The council affirmed it had been “actively working alongside the police with the Sikh community and our communities more widely to provide support and reassurance”.

A different municipal head commented: “We were all shocked by the awful incident in Oldbury.” She explained that the municipality collaborates with authorities via a protective coalition to address attacks on women and prejudice-motivated crimes.