UK government to study the Anti-Hindu Leicester Violence

The months of August and September saw Anti-Hindu violence on the streets of the UK. The violence started off from being a march for peace to a hate-crime against the residents of the micro-minority Hindu community of Leicester, UK. The mayor of the city is recruiting an independent report to study the incident, recognize the tipping point, and enlist corrective actions required to protect the country from a repeat of this incident.

Independent Review of the Leicester Violence

Recently, the UK government appointed Lord Austin as the new head of the committee to review the events of last year in Leicester. He was formerly the Minister for West Midlands. The Hindu and Jain temple authorities have raised objections to the appointment of Dr. Allen by the mayor of Leicester. Dr. Allen is a known Islamic sympathizer. Thus, the UK Hindus felt he would be unable to present an unbiased report on the incident.

Henry Jackson Society’s Report on Leicester Violence

Charlotte Littlewood conducted an in-depth review of the events leading to the entire Hindu-Muslim violence in Leicester on behalf of the Henry Jackson Society. The Society promotes human rights and liberties irrespective of religion, gender, or politics. Their report was released in the UK Parliament. The Society does not affiliate with any political ideology. The study confirmed that RSS and Hindutva elements do not have any presence in the Leicester community. It also affirmed that the entire violence was an act of Hinduphobia.

Alarmingly, the report questions the representation of Majid Freeman as the spokesperson of the Muslims of Leicester. Majid Freeman’s claim to fame is his love for ISIS’s Muslims as an influencer. The report also brings to light the connection of ‘D Company’ of Dawood Ibrahim and Norman Khan, aka Dutch Raja. He is a self-acknowledged UK gangster. The report specifically enlist several campaigns of misinformation that were spread by Norman Khan. He incited the Muslim youth of Leicester using false information. These prominent influencers flexed the power of their influence in the face of British Police Forces in the Leicester violence case. 

Some point of misinformation campaign that were the root of violence are:

1. Fake news about the abduction of Muslim girl by a Hindu.
2. Misinformation about Hindu March against Islam.
3. False news about Muslim Policeman being attacked by Hindu Mob.
4. Fake propaganda in the name of the presence of Hindu extremists on the streets of Leicester.
5. Misappropriate use of pictures of Hindu boys to spread Hinduphobia.
6. Fake news about demolition of a Mosque by Hindutva elements. 

The report also indicated claims of involvement of the D Company and its UK associates in inciting the Muslim youth and instigating the Muslim mob to commit violence.

Moreover, the report specifies that the media used the misinformation spread by influencers on social media to present a false picture of Hindu extremists elements in the area.

Thereby, the media actively contributed to propagation of Hinduphobia in the region. 

The report also shares concerns on the involvement of Hizb ut-Tahrir in instigation of anti-Hindu violence in Leicester. Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international organization that aims to establish the Islamic Caliphate in the world. It is banned in 15 countries and its members have links to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. This organization participated in the propagation of false news about the local Hindu diaspora. 

Consequences of the Leicester Violence on the Local Hindus

The Hindu community of Leicester continues to fear the radicals that marched their streets. These gangs of Hinduphobic mobs heckled their families, destroyed their temples, and vandalized their property. The inability of the police force to control these extremists and radicals has deeply affected the daily lives of Leicester Hindus. 

Some steps undertaken by Hindus of Leicester to protect themselves:

1. Self imposed curfews are being followed by Hindus in Leicester.
2. Temporary relocation till calm and peace is restored, and justice is served.
3. Hiding symbols of their Hindu identity to protect themselves from discrimination, vandalism, and violence.

Thus, the presence of Majid Freeman like radicals that have the mayor’s ear does not reassure the local Hindus of Leicester. In light of the protests by the Hindu diaspora and the people of UK, the government has decided to investigate the anti-Hindu violence of last year. The UK government hopes that using an independent committee headed by a person neutral to both religions may help them identify definitive actions that must be taken to propagate peace and harmony in the area.  

References:

1. https://organiser.org/2023/03/25/166242/world/fact-finding-report-on-leicester-violence-released-in-uk-parliament-gives-4-key-recommendations-to-protect-hindus/
2. https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CRTLeicesterFinalReport-FINAL-VERSION.pdf