Following violence and targeted misinformation campaign against Hindus in Leicester and Birmingham, the UK’s opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer vowed to combat hate crimes of all sorts in its first direct reference to the term “Hinduphobia.”
On Wednesday evening, Labour Leader Keir Starmer addressed a crowd of hundreds of British Indian Hindus at one of Europe’s largest Navratri celebrations, saying that he was committed to putting an end to divisive politics and extremist forces using social media to propagate hatred within communities. According to several diaspora organisations in the UK, the upheaval in Leicester last month reflected Hinduphobia or hate crimes directed at Hindus, which were made worse by false information on social media.
“Hinduphobia has absolutely no place in our society anywhere and we must all fight this together,” Starmer said.
“I know that many people are targeted because of their religion, and hate crimes have increased in recent years. I’m so tired of our divisive politics. I’m saddened by the division we have seen on the streets of Leicester and Birmingham in recent weeks; violence and hatred spread by extremists exploiting social media. Together, we must stand firm against all attempts to spread hate” he added.
Keir Starmer also laid emphasis on the need to respect religion, places, and symbols of worship, and put an end to divisive politics.
“Nor will we tolerate the far right attempting to exploit grievances. We have more that unites us than divides us. Our religion, places, and symbols of worship must and will be respected. A Labour government will bring people back together and end this divisive politics,” he stated.
The opposition leader stated that it was his first time attending Dussehra celebrations in London and spoke of the greater significance of Navratri as personified in Goddess Durga’s resilience and strength, which demonstrates the importance of the female divine and women’s empowerment.
“It’s an honour for me to be here with you for the Vijayadashami celebrations. The fires that burn effigies of Ravana all over the world serve as a reminder of our need to extinguish the evil that’s facing our society the need to defeat poverty, injustice, and hate, and to attack our own shadows and bad habits, Starmer added.
Keir Starmer took the opportunity to thank the Hindu community for their huge contribution to Britain and also asserted that the British Hindus are an integral part of Britain.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Hindu community for your contribution to Britain, for everything you do for us, whether its culture, business, the financial sector, the NHS, supporting your community through the cost of living. Your contribution to Britain is huge. You are an integral part of Britain, the past, the present, and very much the future,” Starmer said.
“Dussehra is a time for celebration and the victory of good over evil when the world sees the power of resilience in the face of adversity,” tweeted Starmer.
Dussehra is a time for celebration and the victory of good over evil, when the world sees the power of resilience in the face of adversity.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 6, 2022
Thank you @SKLPC_UK for sharing the spirit of this auspicious occasion with us. #HappyVijayadashmi pic.twitter.com/QxyRmFR5CX
After 12 long years, the Labour Party would finally be the government on the side of the people, said Starmer, criticizing the ruling Conservative Party for plunging the nation into a crisis. The opposition party has been preparing for the UK’s upcoming general election, which is scheduled for around 2024 and is seeking to take advantage of the recent uptick in polls amid dwindling support for the conservatives owing to an ongoing economic crisis.
Leicester violence, Hinduphobia, and misinformation campaign
Leicester City in England’s East Midlands region had witnessed a significant uptick in targeted attacks against the Hindu community. The onslaught of violence by Islamists began soon after India clinched victory against Pakistan in the group stage match of the Asia Cup on August 28. Following that, there were violent attacks directed at Hindus in which Hindu houses were set on fire, Hindu men were attacked by mobs, cars were wrecked, and temples were vandalized.
Islamists disseminating misleading information on social media with a specific focus on Hindus exacerbated the violence. A dangerous lie spread by one of the Islamists, Majid Freeman, about a mosque being vandalized and a Hindu man trying to kidnap a Muslim girl was later debunked by Leicester police.
They denigrated an event where Sadhvi Ritambhara was slated to appear as justification to attack a Hindu temple in Birmingham. Due to Sadhvi’s health, the event was postponed. However, the Islamists did not back off and attacked the temple. They rushed forward and called to circle the temple to terrify Hindus while clearly knowing that not only that particular event but the whole tour had been postponed.
When there was an outbreak of violence against Hindus in Leicester, Islamists also propagated the rumour that a Muslim traffic warden had been assaulted by Hindus. On September 12, the Hinduphobic South Asian Journal published a video in which an imam was seen conversing with his nephew, who was purportedly a traffic warden. In contrast, Leceister Police’s investigation revealed that the assertions were complete fabrications.
