ISTANBUL

Roshan Muhammed Salih, a British journalist and editor of the UK-based news site 5 Pillars, has expressed deep concern over the surge in racist and Islamophobic violence initiated by far-right groups in the seaside town of Southport and spreading to other cities across the UK.

Speaking to Anadolu, Salih emphasized that Muslims in the country no longer feel safe.

The troubling events were triggered by a stabbing incident on July 29 at a dance school in Southport where three children lost their lives. Despite the authorities confirming that the suspect was not Muslim, misinformation rapidly spread online suggesting that the attacker was an "Islamist immigrant."

The suspect was identified on Thursday as Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Wales to Rwandan parents.

Rudakubana was charged with the murders of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, as well as with 10 counts of attempted murder for stabbing eight other children and two adults who tried to help them.

"This was a horrific attack, but soon after, disinformation spread online that the attacker was Muslim," Salih said.

"This led to a large group of middle-aged, white, far-right men gathering around a mosque in Southport, attacking the police, setting a van on fire and throwing objects at the mosque while chanting Islamophobic slogans. Something that had nothing to do with Muslims was turned into a Muslim issue," he said.

Salih noted that this misinformation was primarily spread by anonymous accounts on social media designed to foster Islamophobia and portray Muslims as terrorists, violent and misogynistic.

Islamophobia is widespread, not marginal

Salih highlighted that far-right politicians and popular social media accounts in the UK have been instrumental in spreading this false narrative, leading to anti-Muslim violence in various regions, including Hartlepool, London, Sunderland, Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester.

He pointed out the role of Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right Reform UK party, whose statement "the truth is being hidden from us" exacerbated tensions.

Salih criticized the lack of accountability for such rhetoric.

"In this country, when you're in Parliament, you can say whatever you want without fear of being sued. This is called parliamentary privilege. Thus, politicians can attack Muslims from the parliamentary platform without facing any consequences," he said.

Scapegoating Muslims amid economic crisis

Salih attributed some of the anger towards Muslims to the ongoing economic crisis in the UK.

"Many countries are going through economic downturns, but Britain is in a particularly tough period.

"Everything is expensive here. People are struggling to find good housing. Especially young people feel like they have no future in this country. When there's economic decline, the easiest people to blame are those who look different, sound different, maybe wear a headscarf or, like me today, wear Pakistani clothes," he said.

Salih also pointed to the growing visibility and influence of the four million-strong Muslim population in the UK as a source of discomfort for some Britons.

Muslims no longer feel comfortable in this country

Salih expressed concern that the UK is no longer a welcoming place for Muslims.

"This country is no longer a good place to be a Muslim. Honestly, I've spent most of my life here. Maybe 20 years ago we had a relatively liberal, multicultural society where Muslims were much more welcomed and free to speak.

"But now, we're moving towards a strict secularism like the French model, where the space for Muslims to express themselves is shrinking," he warned.

He also pointed out that even supporting Palestine openly is becoming increasingly difficult for Muslims in the UK.

"If the UK claims to be a secular country that respects diversity of thought and freedom of expression, as long as it doesn't promote violence, then we should have the right to say what we want. But now, we feel targeted, and many Muslims want to leave this country. They no longer feel comfortable here and are seeking a safer place abroad," he said.