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London, UK – Azmate Khan, a British-Pakistani taxi driver, usually doesn't worry much.
But lately, as he is driving his taxi overnight on the ice-cold streets of London, he is becoming more worrying.
“We just had summer with misinformation Nourishing far -right activists in this country, partly thanks to X, and now he returned, igniting the flames again, “Khan told South Africa a technological billionaire Ilan Musk, who uses the social media platform he owns to rage British convicted For sexual abuse of Pakistani origin.
“This man is dangerous and yes, I'm worried,” Han, a 35-year-old father of three, told Al Jazeera, sharing his fears of collective punishment.
“Our community has seen this kind of scapegoat before. But with the platform and resources of Musk, the threat has reached a whole new level.
Khan heads to the heart rate of the city through his passengers and says he has noticed a disturbing change in the back seat conversations.
Some passengers have talked about what they call the “threats” that Muslims and migrants carry in the United Kingdom.
This type of discourse can be associated with Musk's incitement comments on historical cases of sexual abuse of children, Han said.
“It was a horrific time when the news came out for the first time more than a decade ago,” Khan said. “But to lift it again now as it is considered, and to point to the finger specifically the Pakistani Muslims – it is obvious that he is trying to create problems, a movement to the Civil War that was trying to ignite last summer.”
Last August, after three girls were killed in Soutport, online agitators accused the Muslim migrant of the attack. But 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana who was convicted this week Up to 52 years in prison, he was neither a Muslim nor a migrant. False statements led to mass riots. In response to footage published on X by the riots, Musk published: “The Civil War is inevitable.”
In recent weeks, Musk has turned his attention to cases of sexual assault on children that have happened for several decades in northern English cities such as Rochdale, Oldam and Telford.
In addition to the ruthless sharing of gloomy details about cases involving British Pakistanis, several of whom are taxi drivers, Musk has called for a new national investigation, expanded publications that suggest that those convicted with dual nationality should be deprived of their British citizenship and headed for Prime Minister Kir Labor Government of Starrmer, who accuses politicians of concealment.
Although some cases of sexual abuse of children include several men of British Pakistani, it is impossible to assume that British Pakistanis are more likely to commit the crime.
Shabina Begum, leader of RunnyMede Trust, a cerebral trust for racial equality, said “there is no convincing evidence to demonstrate ethnic disproportionality in those who commit this violence.”
A report from the UK's Ministry of Interior in 2020 supported this opinion.
“By spreading misinformation, it creates distrust and an unstable environment,” Begum said. “This purposefully ignites fear, prejudice and division, without taking care of the victims and survivors of this violence, and makes no effort to deal with the true problems of female and sexual abuse of children.”
According to the Expert Center for the Sexual Abuse of Children (CSA Center) in 2022, 83 percent of the defendants against which a case for sexual abuse of children was filed were white, while 2 percent were of Pakistani origin.
The Center uses data from the social care departments for children, police, criminal justice and healthcare to prepare its report, but warned that the over -presentation of white defendants “is probably related to the overall insufficient identification of sexual abuse of children in minority ethnic communities” S
But Musk seems to intend to draw a distorted picture instead of doubled the dividing and misleading story, Han said.
Musk puts a ruthless pressure on the government, led by Starrmer, a former prosecutor and head of the Royal Prosecutor's Office.
“Starrmer was an accomplice in the rape of Britain when he was the head of the prosecutor's office for 6 years,” Musk published at X.
The government has repeatedly rejected the calls for a second national investigation. However last week it announced Plan for funding five new local investigations, including one in Oldam.
The UK's seven-year national investigation into sexual abuse of children (2014-2021) was one of the most comprehensive investigations of its kind.
His final report, published in October 2022, is based on in -depth research, numerous investigations and testimonies of victims. The report reveals system gaps in child protection and makes powerful recommendations to improve protection and accountability.
However, critics say the real scale of the violence has been neglected for years.
“The real problem is the creation of a society that protects young girls from predators of all origin,” Khan said. “But Musk is not interested in decisions – he is interested in the scapegoat of a community. This does not bother anything good for the UK or even for Europe where he also kneads. ”
In Rochdale, where British Pakistanis make up about 14 percent of the population, some are tired of being blasphemed.
“Most of us are honest working-class people,” said Mohammed Sheraz, a 48-year-old Rodchall, as he described.
Born and grew up in the city, he added: “We are tired of presenting us as unpleasant Muslims or brown men we should be afraid of. Yes, some men committed disgusting crimes, but they were as far away from Islam as possible. They are criminals and must be treated as criminals. They do not represent us in any way. “
Sheraz, who has been leading the Army of Kindness for years – a Kitchen for soups in Rochdale, which serves people of all origin – considers Musk's interventions dangerous.
“It seems to be sowing the seeds for some great Antimusl war,” he said.
Rochdale kept peace of mind in the summer, when elsewhere, a xenophobic riots erupted, a sense of peace, which she shakes the attribute of the resistance of the British public.
“Remember what stopped these riots of escalation: people of all races and origin stood together Against the right -wing banditism that Musk seems determined to support.
Musk's support for the far-right activist Stephen Christopher Jaculi-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, was particularly contested.
A Synonym for Antimuslim sentiment in the United Kingdom, Robinson is currently serving a sentence in the court of disrespect.
Musk has called for Robinson's release And he describes him as a defender of freedom of expression, provoking widespread condemnation.
Nigel Farage and Richard Tis, who run the populist Reformation Party, with which Musk was already flirting, distanced themselves from Robinson.
However, Musk's rhetoric encouraged marginal movements. Its publications reflect the language of far -right activists mixing cultural integration with the increase in crime.
His influence-as one of the richest people in the world and advisor to the new United States administration, led by President Donald Trump, worries Sharaz.
“Tommy Robinson was in Rochdale before in 2011 to ignite hatred, divide and conquer, but did not work. The community is united to ensure that our city will not burn in flames … But now Mr. Tesla is supporting these people. Who knows what will happen next?
“A slightly veiled attempt to racism a gender -related problem”
Begum of Runnymede described Musk's rhetoric as “dangerous and irresponsible”, especially after the “worst racist riots that the United Kingdom has seen for generations.”
“The victims of sexual abuse of children deserve justice and, of course, all children must be protected from sexual abuse and exploitation – this is understood by itself,” Begum said.
“What we are witnessing are powerful men who use horrifying sexual abuse against women to earn political points and to pursue their own programs.
“Focusing on Pakistani Muslim men and the intercession for deportation or citizenship withdrawal is a poorly veiled attempt at racism of what is basically related to a gender question.”
While the United Kingdom is struggling with the growing influence of Musk, unity must be the strongest protection against the dividing program, Sheraz said.
“We have encountered hatred before and we will face it again. But we are the British – we will face it together. “
