As a Muslim woman, it’s been incredibly difficult to watch the racist, Islamophobic riots unfolding across the UK. My family WhatsApp messages have been inundated with videos of mosques under attack, images of hotels being set alight and even ‘race checkpoints’ that screen drivers' ethnicity. My mum has told me and my sisters ‘don’t go out unless you have to’ and ‘don’t go out alone.’ My sister wears the Hijab and her workplace in Birmingham City Centre has told them not to come in. As the most at-risk MP online, I’ve always had to take precautions about my security. But this week, I’ve had to really think about whether I should leave the house. In the past few days, I have not.
I’ve received countless emails from my constituents which highlight their anxieties about the situation. Everyone is scared, and that’s frightening to see in 2024. My dad grew up in the 70s and 80s and witnessed the National Front targeting people. That generation are horrified that they, and their children, are seeing this violence play out again.
Language is so important when it comes to discussing the riots. What we’re witnessing in towns and cities across the country is targeted violence. People are setting fire to hotels housing asylum seekers. There are reports of Muslim women who wear the Hijab being targeted and having their Hijabs ripped off. We’ve seen videos of black and brown people being assaulted while out in their communities. It’s important to call this violence what it is: racist, Islamophobic and steeped in anti-migrant politics. If you use broad terms such as ‘thuggery’, and you don’t speak about who the perpetuators are and what type of violence it is, how can you possibly speak about its causes and the solutions?
We also have to consider how language got us to this point. Headlines that fan the flame of hatred have become normalised in the right-wing press. This type of language is being used by very mainstream politicians, too, and it has a knock-on effect. We’re hearing the rioters say phrases such as ‘take back control’ and ‘stop the boats’, which have been repeated and repeated by people occupying the highest offices in the country.
This week, I appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss why I believed it was important to describe the riots as racist and Islamophobic. Before I could even answer, I was repeatedly interrupted and sneered at. The episode attracted 8,201 complaints, according to Ofcom. There’s been a huge spike in the amount of online abuse I’ve received in the last few days, including direct threats of physical violence. This means I’m even more aware of my safety than usual. The only thing I’ve done in the past few days is attend an event at Coventry Cathedral – it was a ticketed event, there were lots of people there and I had staff with me. But I’m also blown away by kindness and support I’ve received from people across the country. It’s been overwhelming, in a positive way.
People are saying that the violence we are seeing is based on legitimate concerns, but most of the British public are disgusted by it. As someone who got elected in 2019, I have always highlighted how austerity decimated our communities, the need for stronger public services, and for workers to have good pay terms and conditions. I understand legitimate grievances around our economic system, but what we’re seeing isn’t valid concerns – it’s emboldened racism. Black and brown people across the country will have found it disappointing that there has been such a reluctance to call this out.
The impact of this period will be long-lasting. People aren’t going to forget what’s been said, and how they’ve been made to feel. Moving forward, political leaders need to be clear of the racism and Islamophobia that is happening. I’ve called on parliament to be recalled, showing that we are taking the concerns of our constituents seriously and to ask questions of some of the decisions being made. Ultimately, it’s about building anti-racist, working-class unity. We need to remind people that it doesn’t matter if you’re black, brown, or white – if you’re working class, you have a shared interest in properly funding the NHS, building council homes, in raising living standards and building a fairer society. We must remember we have more in common than we do with those who are seeking to divide us. That’s the job for everyone.
There is unity, kindness and love out there. It’s been beautiful to see people come out to challenge racism and the anti-migrant rhetoric, whether through defending asylum-seeker hotels or rebuilding the wall of the mosque in Southport. It’s served as a reminder that we are the majority who believe in an equal, safe, and diverse Britain. This is what gives me hope for the future.
As told to Alice Hall