Pakistan Decries 'Islamophobia' Amid Global Spotlight on Pakistani Muslim Grooming Gangs in the UK

Amid social media outrage over the widespread issue of Muslim grooming gangs in the United Kingdom, Pakistan shifted the focus of the public discourse towards ‘Islamophobia’ rather than expressing solidarity with the victims.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, January 13th, it stated, “We note with deep concern the increasingly racist and Islamophobic political and media commentary in the UK that is aimed at conflating the reprehensible actions of a few individuals with the entire 1.7 million British Pakistani diaspora.”

Shehbaz Sharif (left), Grooming gang in the UK (right), images via Reuters and Iftikhar Chaudri/ Facebook

Pakistan claimed that its diaspora played a role in supporting the UK's growth, development, and freedom.

In response to growing criticism of Muslim grooming gangs, it asserted, “An exceptionally large number of predominantly Muslim soldiers from what is now Pakistan served in the British Indian army and laid down their lives for the cause of democracy in both World Wars.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the public discourse around Pakistani grooming gangs as "xenophobic" and emphasized that British Pakistanis play a vital role as the backbone of the UK’s service, retail, and health sectors.

While still refraining from condemning the grooming gangs, it additionally stated, “Many British Pakistanis hold high public office, and thousands serve their communities as Members of Parliament, mayors, councillors, and as members of local police and municipal services.”

“British Pakistanis have excelled in sports and arts. Their cuisine and music enriches British culture. To demonize such a large and diverse community on the basis of the actions of a few individuals needs to be condemned,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

In summary, Pakistan refrained from condemning its diaspora grooming gangs, instead attempting to minimize the severity of these heinous crimes by referring to them as the "reprehensible actions of a few individuals." The country then shifted the narrative to highlight how Pakistanis are "enriching" the culture of the United Kingdom.

The grooming gangs of the United Kingdom

Investigations into child sexual abuse cases in the UK have uncovered the involvement of grooming gangs, primarily consisting of British-Pakistani men, who have been exploiting children in various cities across the country.

In 2023, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak initiated a task force, led by the National Crime Agency, to combat the serious threat posed by these gangs.

Regions in the UK such as Rochdale, Rotherham, Oxford, Telford, Leeds, Birmingham, Norwich, Burnley, High Wycombe, Leicester, Dewsbury, Middlesbrough, Peterborough, Bristol, Halifax, Newcastle, Huddersfield, and Hull have witnessed the sexual exploitation of children by these Islamist grooming gangs.

In November of the previous year, twenty men were convicted of raping young girls and received sentences totaling over 219 years in prison.

In 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse released its final report, calling the sexual abuse of children an “epidemic” that devastates tens of thousands of victims in its harmful wake.

The inquiry focused on child abuse by organized groups, following numerous convictions for sexual offences against children in the UK between 2010 and 2014.

Professor Alexis Jay, who led the inquiry and exposed the widespread issue of grooming gangs in the UK, expressed feeling “frustrated” that none of the 20 recommendations made by the inquiry had been enacted, even two years after the report’s conclusion.

What is the controversy surrounding grooming gangs in the UK?

Elon Musk's criticism of Keir Starmer centers on the issue of rape and sexual exploitation of thousands of girls and young women across multiple towns in England over several decades, as reported by news agency AFP.

The perpetrators, often men of Pakistani descent, primarily targeted vulnerable white girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those living in children's homes.

These gangs operated in various towns and cities throughout England, especially in Rotherham and Rochdale in the north, as well as in Oxford and Bristol, spanning nearly four decades.

In Rotherham, a town with a population of 265,000, a gang drugged, raped, and sexually exploited at least 1,400 girls over a 16-year period starting in 1997, as revealed by a public inquiry in 2014.

The Jay Report from the inquiry strongly criticized both the police and local authorities for their handling of the scandal, which shocked the nation.

The incident has also sparked debates, particularly among those on the political right, who argue that there is a "two-tier" justice system that treats ethnic minority communities differently.

The National Crime Agency initiated Operation Stovewood, the UK's largest investigation of its kind, to examine the Rotherham gangs, resulting in long prison sentences for approximately 30 individuals so far.

More than 1,000 individuals affected

An independent investigation commissioned by the local authorities in Telford, located in western England, found that over a 35-year period, more than 1,000 victims had been affected by grooming gangs.

Similarly, another investigation in Rochdale, near Manchester in the northwest, revealed that courts had sentenced around 40 men for committing sexual violence against 13 children who were "at the mercy of a gang" between 2004 and 2013.

The report further highlighted that 96 men are still considered a potential threat to children, emphasizing that this number represents "only a fraction" of those involved in the abuse.

(This Article was originally published by OpIndia and Hindustan Times)