Violent thuggery in more than 20 towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland has targeted British Muslims, who are now in fear for their lives. Mosques have been attacked, hotels with asylum seekers have been surrounded by protesters, shops with Muslim owners have been ransacked or burned, and areas with high immigrant populations have been vandalised with cars overturned and torched, and bricks hurled through windows as families sat inside. Children as young as 14 have been arrested and many people have already been charged and imprisoned.
In this RMC briefing, more than 20 community leaders from all parts of England tell their stories of riots, fear and distress, appeal for support to re-create stability, and express their anger that people outside the towns had come in to organise the trouble. They are shocked at the scale and ferocity of the attacks and while clean-up operations prove there is goodwill, there is also uncertainty over how to restore confidence among Muslims who are too afraid to leave their homes.
Hosted by Ruth Peacock, guests were Zara Mohammed, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain; and Phil Champain, Director of the Faith and Belief Forum. Community leaders joined from Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, Bradford, Middlesborough and Plymouth.
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