At a London sports ground, Maya Hassan watches with pride as about 30 women, almost all of whom are Muslim and from ethnic minorities, join a self-defense class she organized in response to a wave of riots that resulted in violent and racist attacks on women. Muslims and ethnic minorities.
The 28-year-old martial arts expert said she wanted to help black women learn how to deal with abuse and build connections and trust after more than a week of unrest aimed at mosques, asylum seeker hotels and police.
“It gives you a little more confidence,” she said. “You know what to look for, how to be socially aware, how to identify things and how to get out of a really bad situation.”
Muslim and ethnic minority communities expressed shock at the disorder, which was sparked by false reports online that the alleged killer of three young men in a knife attack in Southport, northwest England, was a Muslim migrant.
Martial arts instructor Stewart McGill said he has seen more women signing up for classes since the unrest began. He taught them how to defend themselves with tactics that included kicks and improvised weapons such as belts.
One participant, Elza Annan, 24, said she felt more confident.
“Obviously, I don’t want to have to use these techniques, but it’s helpful and beneficial to have them… especially given recent events where far-right racists have come out and attacked people of color,” she said.
Islamophobia on the rise
The riots largely targeted migrants, Muslims and Asian people, spreading fear in ethnic minority communities and shining a light on the UK’s history of integration.
Tell MAMA UK, a group that monitors anti-Muslim incidents, said that hatred directed at Muslims has been growing in the UK for some time, especially since October 7 last year, the start of Israel’s war in Gaza.
Since the start of the riots, it has received more than 500 calls and online reports of anti-Muslim behavior across the UK.
Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, which focuses on migration and identity, said that at its best the UK is a “confident multi-ethnic democracy”.
But he said successive governments have lacked a strategy to integrate different communities.
Although those who recently arrived from Ukraine and Hong Kong received government support, this was not the case for everyone.
The asylum system has faced particular pressures, with a huge backlog of claims and some Britons worried about pressure on housing, healthcare and education.
“With asylum there is a visible lack of control, and that can fuel fear,” Katwala said.
The riots have largely ceased since thousands of anti-racism protesters showed up to protect potential targets such as immigration counseling centers, mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
Hassan, who wears a hijab and is a Swiss citizen of Somali origin, moved to the UK in 2008, in part because she felt the country was more welcoming to ethnic minorities than many parts of Europe. She is thinking about organizing more classes.
A similar event was planned for Manchester in northern England, and a campaign group, the Three Hijabis, held a major online conference call with Muslim women this week to discuss the psychological impact of Islamophobic violence.
Shaista Aziz, the group’s director, said some women feared the violence could trigger confrontations or abuse, prompting many to stay close to home.
“Today I advised a sister I love very much to consider removing her hijab to stay safe as she travels through the northeast…” she said on X during the riots.
“Across the country, British Muslims are having the same conversations.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who ordered extra protection for the Muslim community, described the protesters as “far-right thugs”. Almost 800 people were arrested, some of them quickly taken to court and imprisoned.
Anti-racism protests will likely continue.
For Maki Omori, 23, who identifies as non-binary, Saturday’s class would help prepare for counterprotests.
“I found it really intimidating to think about how I would defend myself,” Omori said. “I want to make sure that if something happens, I feel ready.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
