LONDON: Southport, a seaside town in Merseyside, has dominated headlines for being the scene of riots fuelled by hatred and disinformation after the brutal and tragic killing of three young girls.

Violence also spilled into Manchester and London, with authorities anticipating more than two dozen more protests organising by far-right groups in the coming days.

The stabbing during a dance class sparked a wave of violent anti-Muslim protests and attacks across the UK, despite the assailant being identified as a 17-year-old Welsh boy named Axel Rudakubana.

Hateful content spread via social networks alleges that the suspect was a Muslim. Far-right figures like Andrew Tate amplified false narratives, including claims that the attacker was a Muslim immigrant. This disinformation led to violent protests, with mobs chanting “Save our kids,” “We want our country back,” and “Stop the boats.”

In a country where prominent Tory leaders over the last decade have demonised asylum seekers and migrants and used racist language to describe Muslims and Pakistanis, perhaps the hatred that spilled onto the streets of a peaceful town like Southport had been simmering for some time.

Channel 4 interviewed Ibrahim Hussein, imam at the Southport mosque that was attacked by far-right groups in the aftermath of the stabbing, who expressed his dismay: “It’s crazy to see all these people behaving the way they are. We should be concentrating on the families [of the victims], not on us.”

In an interview to Andalou Agency, Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region said, “We see far-right extremism across Europe, and we’re no different.”

PM Keir Starmer, however, described the rioters as a “tiny, mindless minority”. He called for public support in giving families space to grieve and allowing authorities to conduct their investigations.

Muslims fearful

Mosques around the UK have ramped up security measures in response to the violent protests. “Everyone is being extra careful, making sure they don’t congregate in large groups or walk down the street together,” Ibrahim Syed, coordinator of the Liverpool Region Mosque Network, highlighted the community’s caution.

Volunteers at the Nasir mosque in Hartlepool where violence also erupted have taken on security duties. “Our main gate is always open because we welcome people to come in and have a look at the mosque and ask us any questions, but that’s been closed since yesterday on police advice,” said Mohammad Ali Ahmad, a representative of the mosque administration.

He told the Guardian, “Obviously [the Muslim community] will be concerned for their own safety, for the safety of their families and of their mosque,” he said. “You do look over your shoulder at times like these, which isn’t reassuring and [is] troubling … I said to my mother, who’s 65: ‘Don’t go outside for a few days – let things calm down.’”

The Runnymede Trust, a think tank dedicated to race equality, highlighted the link between the violence and rising Islamophobia: “This is the inevitable, devastating outcome of rising Islamophobia that’s enabled to fester on social media, in mainstream media, and by our political class.”

Muslim leaders and community organisations have called for greater protection and support.

Despite the attacks, the Muslim community has received significant support from local residents. Ibrahim Hussein thanked the police and community members who helped protect the Southport Mosque. “We came under attack for absolutely no reason… We would like to thank the police very much because they took a lot of casualties, and they didn’t need to,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2024