By Nadine Osman
London, (The Muslim News): The Indian Workers Association (Great Britain) has warned of a sharp increase in anti-Sikh hate crimes after a series of violent, racially motivated attacks in the West Midlands. The association expressed its “deep anger and shock” in response to the racially aggravated rape of a young Sikh woman in Oldbury, Birmingham, and a reported racially aggravated assault on Sikh taxi drivers in Wolverhampton. These attacks, the IWA (GB) stated, are symptomatic of a worsening climate for minority and immigrant communities across the United Kingdom.
In a strongly worded statement, Sital Singh Gill, General Secretary of the IWA (GB), condemned the Oldbury rape as a “barbaric crime that has shocked every decent person.” He emphasised that the assault was not an isolated tragedy but “an assault on the dignity and safety of all women and minority communities.”
The Oldbury incident occurred on Tuesday, September 9, just before 8:30 a.m. on Tame Road. Police are treating the attack as a racially aggravated hate crime.
The victim, a woman in her 20s, reported that she was assaulted while being subjected to racist abuse. Following an extensive investigation, West Midlands Police have made significant progress. A man in his 30s was initially arrested in connection with the attack on September 14. More recently, on 20 October, a 49-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of two counts of rape, one of which relates directly to the Oldbury incident. Both have been bailed with conditions as enquiries continue, while specialist officers remain engaged in reviewing evidence and pursuing all lines of investigation.
Photo: A young Sikh woman was the victim of a racially aggravated rape on Tuesday, September 9, just before 8:30 a.m. on Tame Road, Oldbury, Birmingham. Police are treating the incident as a racially motivated hate crime. (Credit: West Midlands Police)
The victim, speaking through the Sikh Federation UK, expressed her gratitude to her family and the community for their support, saying she wanted to “sincerely thank everyone for supporting me and my family during this very difficult time. We are going through a lot, but the strength and kindness shown by the right people in the community has been incredible, and I can’t thank them enough for being my voice. I would never wish this on anyone. All I was doing was going about my day on my way to work, and what has happened has deeply affected us. Through it all, my family has been my rock, and my community has stood strong beside me. The police are doing their best to find those responsible and I truly hope they are caught so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Chief Superintendent Kim Madill, who leads local policing in Sandwell, described the arrests as a “significant development in the investigation” and thanked the community for its support. She said officers fully understood the anger and worry caused by the incident and had been reviewing CCTV footage, examining forensic evidence, and speaking to anyone who may have vital information. “Our neighbourhood officers have been patrolling the area since the incident, and these enhanced patrols will remain in place,” she said, adding that specialist officers are supporting the victim and her family and working closely with community leaders, women’s charities, and faith representatives to address concerns about women’s safety.
Community groups and MPs voiced their outrage over the attacks. Dabinderjit Singh OBE, from the Sikh Federation UK, said the community simply wanted answers and to work with the government, noting, “We find the government is just silent on the issue in terms of it doesn’t even recognise anti-Sikh hate.” Gurinder Singh Josan, Labour MP for Smethwick, described the attack as a “truly horrific incident” being treated as a hate crime. Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, said the community, particularly women, was experiencing a “heightened sense of fear,” and she had been warning her daughters and others to remain vigilant. Sarah Coombes, Labour MP for West Bromwich, which includes Oldbury, called the incident “absolutely horrible” and added that such violence and hatred had no place in society.
Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, condemned racist attacks against women of Punjabi Sikh heritage in the West Midlands, including one in Walsall and another in Oldbury. On October 27, Khan posted on X: “Heartbroken to hear of another Sikh woman raped in a racially aggregated offence. No one should ever face such violence. Justice must be swift, and society must stand together against racism & hate!”.
The attacks have spurred wider community initiatives, including the distribution of rape alarms to Sikh students in the region. Sikh campaigners also highlighted concerns that the true scale of anti-Sikh hate crimes is underreported, as Sikhs are not listed as a distinct ethnic category by public authorities. According to Preet Kaur Gill, this invisibility “matters in terms of fairness” and contributes to the community feeling “forgotten” and ignored by policymakers.
The IWA (GB) directly criticised political rhetoric scapegoating immigrants, stating that such divisive tactics actively “encourage racism and hatred,” and called on “all fair-minded people to reject such politics of division and to stand together in unity and solidarity.” Reaffirming its long-standing commitment to anti-racism, the IWA (GB) is mobilising a broader coalition for justice, urging trade unions, faith groups, and community organisations to unite against racism and misogyny, asserting that “an attack on one community is an attack on all communities.”
The organisation has also called upon the UK Government, police authorities, and the Crown Prosecution Service to take urgent action to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice and to improve protections for vulnerable communities. A Home Office spokesperson said, “British Sikhs make an outstanding contribution to the strength and richness of our society. We have zero tolerance for any form of religious hatred and fully support the police in taking robust action against those who target specific communities.”
Feature photo: Police held a well-attended meeting on September 19 with women’s charities, female community leaders, community safety partners, the independent advisory group, and local politicians to address concerns about women’s safety. (Credit: West Midlands Police)
