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Sikh females in the Midlands area are recounting a wave of assaults driven by religious bias has instilled deep-seated anxiety within their community, forcing many to “change everything” regarding their everyday habits.

Series of Attacks Causes Fear

Two sexual assaults of Sikh women, each in their twenties, occurring in Walsall and Oldbury, have been reported over the past few weeks. A man in his early thirties faces charges in connection with a religiously aggravated rape connected with the reported Walsall incident.

Those incidents, along with a physical aggression against two senior Sikh chauffeurs from Wolverhampton, prompted a session in the House of Commons at the end of October about anti-Sikh hate crimes across the Midlands.

Females Changing Routines

A leader working with a women’s aid group based in the West Midlands explained that women were modifying their regular habits to protect themselves.

“The dread, the absolute transformation of everyday existence, is palpable. This is unprecedented in my experience,” she remarked. “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 taking strolls or jogs now, she mentioned. “They are doing this in groups. They are sharing their location with their friends or a family member.

“An assault in Walsall will frighten females in Coventry since it’s within the Midlands,” she emphasized. “Undoubtedly, there’s been a change in how females perceive their personal security.”

Collective Actions and Safety Measures

Sikh temples across the Midlands have started providing personal safety devices to females in an effort to keep them safe.

In a Walsall temple, a frequent visitor mentioned that the events had “transformed everything” for the Sikh community there.

Notably, she expressed she was anxious going to the gurdwara on her own, and she advised her senior parent to stay vigilant when opening her front door. “Everyone is a potential victim,” she declared. “Anyone can be attacked day or night.”

Another member explained she was adopting further protective steps when going to work. “I attempt to park closer to the transit hub,” 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 parent with three daughters remarked: “We go for walks, the girls and I, and it just feels very unsafe at the moment with all these crimes.

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

For a long-time resident, the mood recalls the discrimination endured by elders during the seventies and eighties.

“We’ve experienced all this in the 1980s when our mums used to go past where the community hall is,” she said. “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 public official agreed with 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 declared. “There’s apprehension about wearing faith-based items such as headwear.”

Government Measures and Supportive Statements

The local council had installed extra CCTV near temples to reassure the community.

Authorities stated they were organizing talks with community leaders, women’s groups, and community leaders, and going to worship centers, to discuss women’s safety.

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

The council declared it was “collaborating closely with law enforcement and the Sikh population, as well as broader groups, to offer aid and comfort”.

One more local authority figure stated: “Everyone was stunned by the horrific event in Oldbury.” She explained that the municipality collaborates with authorities via a protective coalition to address attacks on women and prejudice-motivated crimes.