IA “FAKT” already wrote about the tragic incident that occurred on July 29 during a dance event in Southport, Great Britain. A knife attack by a 17-year-old teenager on little girls started a whole chain of anti-Islamist protests and pogroms. Protests spread to Liverpool, Manchester, Portsmouth, Belfast and other cities “mistress of the seas”. Protesters clashed with the police, threw fireworks and bricks. The police were given the right to use the strictest possible measures to suppress riots.
The world’s media have been giving vivid reports of horrific racist attacks by far-right mobs, mosques under siege, street killings, massacres, looting of shops and the burning of public facilities across the country, including the library and the Citizens Advice Bureau building.
Reasons for protests in Sunderland and London
In the city of Sunderland, citizens set fire to a police station and ransacked everything around to protest police inaction after the killing of girls at a Southport dance school and the arrest of Tommy Robbins, a far-right activist who opposes mass migration and the Islamization of England.
A rally was held in London in defense of Tommy Robinson, who was arrested a few days ago on suspicion of terrorism. The British came out with anti-Islamist slogans “give them back their country”, “give their children a safe future” and “stop accepting boats” (with migrants).
Protest activity spread across the country like wildfire. It seems that the collective unconscious demands détente and the killing of girls by an alleged Muslim minor was just a trigger. And it seems that it will be very difficult to stop this element.
The first word is more expensive than the second
No one knows for sure if the juvenile killer of the three girls was a Muslim. But it seems that it is beneficial for the British to believe in this version, which took over their minds after information was thrown on the network that the murder was committed by a “Muslim immigrant who came from Africa”. Later, officials gave a denial, according to which the killer is a resident of the UK and his mother is Catholic, but this official did not go public.
The British media and law enforcement officers put forward the version that the Russian IPSO is behind the incitement to pogroms, which spread data about a black Muslim and called on everyone to go out on the streets wearing masks. In this chaos, it is currently difficult to see the forest for the trees, to figure out what is really happening – is Russia inciting problems, or is it being blamed in order to extinguish anti-Islamist sentiments?
The role of the “League for the Protection of Islam” in the burning of hotels for migrants in the UK
A hotel housing asylum seekers has been besieged by the far-right in Rotherham
Leading world media covered the presence of right-wing extremists near the Holiday Inn hotel, where the migrants were to be accommodated. They reported that the right-wing protested against the accommodation of migrants in the hotel and that there were clashes between them and the police.
The events in Rotherham were also covered on social media, with many users concerned about the rise of anti-migrant sentiment and Islamophobia in the UK. This concern is natural. After all, the number of hate crimes against Muslims has increased in the country in recent years. This makes Muslim communities feel vulnerable and scared.
The British government has condemned the presence of right-wing extremists in Rotherham and promised to take measures to protect Muslim communities. The police have increased patrolling in areas where the Muslim population lives. Officials are committed to working with the media and social media to combat misinformation and hate speech against Muslims.
It is worth noting that the riots outside the Holiday Inn Express migrant hotel in Rotherham, organized by far-right extremists, had precedents in the recent past. So, last February in Dover, Kent, WB, there was also an arson attack on a hotel for migrants. Police are investigating the arson as a hate crime and all lines of inquiry remain open.
But the red thread in the investigation of the arson of the hotel in Dover runs through the “League for the Defense of Islam” (LDO) – a far-right group banned in Great Britain, which opposes Islam and Muslims. The group has a history of violence and intimidation against Muslims in England.
Government response to extremism
Public figures and leaders have given their views on the protests and the incident in Southport. Many of them call for peace and unity, stressing the importance of not succumbing to provocations and not inciting hatred.
The Prime Minister of Great Britain condemned the violence and called for a peaceful solution to the conflict, stressing that such incidents should not divide society. Leaders of Muslim communities expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and condemned the actions of the attacker, stressing that his act does not reflect the true values of Islam. Human rights organizations call for a thorough investigation and warn of the possible consequences of growing Islamophobia in society.
Racism, murders and attacks on Muslims
Here are some of the bloody incidents that happened within the framework of the protest action these days. A man, believed to be Muslim, was stabbed to death at Blundelllands and Crosby train station in Liverpool, hours before far-right riots broke out at the nearby Abdullah Quilliam Mosque.
Police officers clashed with rioters in Liverpool
The incident, captured on video that went viral on X/Twitter, shows a man being attacked by a mob in Piccadilly Gardens. One of them is wrapped in the flag of England, and the other is wearing a mask. The victim is knocked to the ground and kicked, while a masked man throws a metal fence in his direction. At first he is surrounded by more than half a dozen attackers, and then a huge crowd gathers.
Footage has surfaced online showing aggressive far-right rioters pulling an Asian-looking man out of his car in Halle, racially abusing him and damaging the car. The man was probably a taxi driver. The incident forced many immigrant taxi drivers to refrain from going to work out of fear for their lives.
Historical, economic, political and social causes of anti-immigrant sentiment and Islamophobia in the UK
or
The causes and origins of anti-immigrant sentiment and Islamophobia in Great Britain
This complex social conflict in one of the most civilized countries in the world has a long history and, obviously, it can hardly be exhausted if we do not understand its root causes. Among the obvious historical drivers of Islamophobia in the United Kingdom is its long history of colonialism and immigration. This has led to difficult relations between the indigenous population and immigrants, especially from Muslim-majority countries. The increase in immigration from Muslim-majority countries in recent decades has caused discontent and fear among some people.
Some residents believe that immigrants are taking jobs and housing away from them. The global financial crisis of 2008 led to economic hardship for many Britons, which increased anti-immigrant sentiment in society.
Some politicians are capitalizing on anti-immigrant sentiment for their own benefit. The growth of populist and nationalist movements in the WB increased anti-migrant sentiments. Government policies aimed at reducing immigration are likely to have also contributed to the public perception of immigrants as a burden.
Social factors include the fact that some people find it difficult to communicate with people from other cultures and religions. Apparently, terrorist acts committed by Islamists have led to the growth of Islamophobia. The spread of misinformation and hate speech about Muslims on social networks has intensified the Islamophobic atmosphere.
Some of the natives of the “mistress of the seas” believe that Islam is incompatible with British values. That is, the growth of anti-immigrant sentiments and Islamophobia was greatly facilitated by the spread of cultural conservatism and nationalism in Great Britain.
Of course, the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment and Islamophobia has had a negative impact on Muslim communities in Great Britain. Muslims feel less welcome and more vulnerable. This has led to an increase in hate crimes against Muslims.
Tatyana Morarash
