A member of Sikhs Against the EDL contacted us with the following press release in regards to a saddening flare up in violence over false rumors regarding the alleged rape of a teenage Sikh girl.
We add our voice to that of Sikhs Against the EDL and likewise appeal for calm. Only Islamophobes and bigots of all kinds benefit from such hostility.:
‘Sikhs Against the EDL’ appeal for calm after a Muslim-owned restaurant attacked by 40-strong Sikh mob.
It has been reported in the media that the police and faith leaders in Leicester met last Thursday night to find ways of easing tensions after the ransacking of a Muslim-owned restaurant by a 40-strong Sikh mob.
The attack took place at the Moghul Durbar restaurant, in East Park Road, Spinney Hills, last Monday, 14th Jan, night. Some workers and diners were injured when the mob piled into the restaurant smashing doors and windows and three men were reported to have been hospitalised. Police has said they were worried the incident – which they said was fuelled by false rumours – would lead to revenge attacks and escalate as both groups sought retaliation.
City police commander Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon has said that Monday’s attack was sparked by misinformation regarding the rape of a teenage Sikh girl. “We are aware of a number of rumours and misinformation which is circulating within the communities in Leicester,” he told the Leicester Mercury.
“As part of a separate investigation, officers are speaking with a girl and her family in relation to concerns her family have raised for her welfare. We are unable to comment further on this investigation. “Leicestershire Police urges members of the community not to listen to rumour or speculate about the incident,” he added further.
It has now been reported that police have arrested five men and a youth in relation to their investigation of an alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl after her family raised concerns.
However, since the incident at the restaurant a number of shops have also been attacked in the area, including a Sikh owned shop, which have led to further appeals by the police for calm. Six men have now also been charged over the restaurant attack.
Balwinder Singh Rana, spokesperson for ‘Sikhs Against the EDL’, said, “We add our voice to that of the police and urge people to keep calm. If they have any concerns then they should report to the police and not try to take the law into their own hands.”
He further added,” Any such conflict between members of the Sikh and Muslim communities would only play into the hands of the racists like the English Defence League (EDL). They would try to exploit the situation for their own purposes.
Last year they tried to hijack a Sikh protest outside the police station in Luton and they are always looking for opportunities to ‘divide & rule’. “But when the racists and fascists attack us they do not distinguish between Sikhs and Muslims – as in the case of Wisconsin massacre last year. Furthermore, we should learn from what is happening in Greece today where the racists of the Golden Dawn have been attacking all immigrants whether they are Sikh, Hindu, Muslim or anyone else.
“That’s why the ‘Sikhs Against the EDL’ supported a protest outside the Greek embassy in London on Saturday 19th Jan, called by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in solidarity with a major anti-fascist demonstration in Athens the same day. We wanted to show solidarity with all immigrants in Greece and warn people here that with the continued economic crisis and austerity plans in this country too, soon the home grown racists and fascists could also turn on all of us, unless we all unite to oppose them.”
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