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British Sikhs condemn use of term 'Asian' in child sex abuse scandal
They said they are being smeared for crimes in which they have no involvement.
The charity emphasized the issue's significance, noting its broad public interest. / NSO
The Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO) has strongly criticized the usage of the blanket term “Asian grooming gangs” by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer while referring to the child sex abuse scandal in the United Kingdom. The charity pointed out that it had previously also raised concerns over vague terminology used to describe grooming gangs.
Starmer, speaking on Jan.6 , revealed that during his tenure as head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2008 to 2013, he had re-opened cases and secured the first prosecution of an “Asian grooming gang” in Rochdale, a town in north-west England.
In a statement, NSO expressed disappointment with the Prime Minister's use of the term "Asian" in relation to grooming gangs. "This use of the vague reference to 'Asian' grooming gangs is extremely disappointing from the Prime Minister," the Sikh group said.
NSO further argued that a reluctance to openly discuss the ethnicity or religion of the perpetrators has hindered efforts to address the issue. "Part of the problem with this issue has been a fear of not speaking openly about the ethnicity and (or) religion of the majority of perpetrators. This has, in some instances, made it worse for the victims," the statement continued, calling for more accurate and specific reporting on the matter.
The charity emphasized the issue's significance, noting its broad public interest. "This is a matter of significant public interest, and criminality that has impacted our communities too," NSO said.
Back in 2012, the NSO, along with The Hindu Forum of Britain and The Sikh Media Monitoring Group UK, issued a joint statement following the conviction of nine men involved in a grooming ring in Rochdale. The statement criticized the media and government for avoiding discussions about the "disproportionate representation of Muslims" in such cases, pointing out that victims were "almost always non-Muslim girls”.
"The reluctance of the media and the government to discuss the 'disproportionate representation of Muslims in such cases'...is adding to the cause of far-right groups such as the BNP," the 2012 statement read.
The groups also expressed concern that the blanket use of the term "Asian" unfairly generalized the issue and obscured responsibility. "We believe that in this case the government itself is sanctioning the use of the term 'Asian' as a way of clouding responsibility," the groups said.
The statement went on to highlight that sex gangs have targeted Hindu and Sikh girls, but these cases often fail to reach the courts and are rarely reported. The groups believe that political correctness has stifled open debate and hindered the search for solutions to these crimes.
"We believe that political correctness stifles debate and will not facilitate a frank and mature discussion or solutions to get to the root of why the above pattern is emerging in these crimes and how to help find a solution to the problem," the groups added.
NSO also posted a message on X, criticizing politicians for prioritizing votes over addressing the root causes of such crimes. "Politicians by continuing to use the misleading term 'Asian grooming gangs' shows they are more worried about votes and do not have a clue how to address a perverse upbringing mixed with a religious philosophy of forced religious conversion that has been allowed to thrive for decades without being called out," the charity stated.
This use of the vague reference to ‘Asian’ grooming gangs is extremely disappointing from the Prime Minister.
— Network of Sikh Orgs (@SikhMessenger) January 6, 2025
Part of the problem with this issue has been a fear of not speaking openly about the ethnicity and (or) religion of the majority of perpetrators. This has, in some… https://t.co/jrKD8gf09C
British Hindu groups have echoed similar concerns, highlighting the failure of UK authorities to adequately address the issue and protect the victims of these crimes.
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