Sikh community show solidarity for victim of vicious racist sex attack and rape and welcome the arrest last night of a man in his 30s for rape

Local MP “no platformed” and urged to immediately apologise to the victim of the rape for his terrible and insensitive comments Sikh community increase political pressure on PM and Home Secretary to address Anti-Sikh hate and recent racist attacks on Sikhs in the West Midlands

Birmingham – 15 September 2025

Yesterday there were prayers and a peaceful community protest to show solidarity for the young Sikh woman attacked and raped last Tuesday in Oldbury. The protest march began outside Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick before heading to the scene of the attack.

In the last few days there has been wall to wall media coverage of the brutal racist attack and rape of a young Sikh woman in Oldbury. This attack has come within weeks of an unprovoked racist attack on two elderly Sikh taxi drivers in their 60s and 70s in Wolverhampton where there was a video of the attack that went viral.

The local MP for Smethwick, Gurinder Josan was publicly criticised at the protest yesterday as there was anger he was paying lip-service and not taking up major issues of concern to the local Sikh community in Parliament. He was therefore not allowed to speak as he has been “no platformed” for ignoring all major issues of concern to Sikhs.

To make matters worse he later defended the failure of the new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood to condemn the rape telling Sky News “there is very little she can do” and distastefully stating “rape is a very difficult case to get a conviction”.

Protesters were angry with Kuldeep Singh Deol, who is a Lead Executive of the Sikh Federation (UK) branding the perpetrators of the brutal racist sex attack as “animals” for committing this heinous crime. Some Sikhs also urged the police to step up their efforts to find the racist perpetrators telling the officers “you have 48 hours”. It was therefore widely welcomed that last night police announced they had arrested a man in his 30s who has been detained on suspicion of rape.

Dabinderjit Singh OBE, the Lead Executive for Political Engagement at the Sikh Federation (UK) responding to the arrest said: “We thank West Midlands Police for finding and arresting one of the perpetrators for the brutal racist sexual attack and rape of the young Sikh woman in Oldbury.”

“We hope the other man will also be arrested, charged and prosecutions will quickly follow for this vile crime.”

“We have seen the local MPs terrible and very insensitive comments to the media on convictions for rape and inappropriate defence of the Home Secretary for staying silent and not condemning the brutal racist attack and rape.”

“He is simply an apologist and always making excuses to the local Sikh community for inaction by the Labour government.”

“He has totally lost the plot, is out of touch and should immediately apologise to the victim as he is a pathological apologist. He is the perfect example why politicians have a bad name.”

Dabinderjit continued: “The Sikh community is increasing political pressure and has put into effect a five-point action plan focused on the Prime Minister and his new Home Secretary.”

“They must address Anti-Sikh hate following the recent vicious racist attacks in the West Midlands on the most vulnerable in our community.”

The first part of the five-point action plan has been for the UK Gurdwara Alliance to send a letter to Shabana Mahmood, the new Home Secretary of behalf of all UK Gurdwaras giving her an ultimatum of one week to properly address Anti-Sikh hate. The letter was sent last night and copied to Steve Reed the new Communities Secretary.

This will be followed by a letter to the Prime Minister later today on behalf of over 450 UK Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations reminding him of his personal promise to address Anti-Sikh hate on a par with Antisemitism and Islamophobia where he has admitted successive governments have failed the Sikh community.

The letter from Gurdwaras to the new Home Secretary signed off by leading Gurdwaras in the West Midlands that co-ordinate activities for the UK Gurdwara Alliance in the region states: “Community feelings are running very high and Sikhs across the country joined by others may be forced to peacefully protest outside Downing Street after Donald Trump’s official visit” later this week.

The aim of the protest would be to remind Keir Starmer of his specific promise to the Sikh community and ask why his Ministers have for the last 15 months been ignoring Sikh community concerns and not setting out their plans to address Anti-Sikh hate.

The Gurdwara letter to the Home Secretary states: ”Despite wall to wall media coverage we note with deep disappointment you have made no public comment as Home Secretary unequivocally condemning the brutal racist attack and rape of the young Sikh woman last Tuesday. We need you to show public solidarity with the victim and the Sikh community. You represent the neighbouring constituency and as a Muslim woman will understand the abhorrent nature of this crime better than most.

The letter continues: “Silence from you and the Home Office following the racist sexual attack last Tuesday is unacceptable. We hope when you answer Parliamentary Questions tomorrow for the first time as Home Secretary you will use the opportunity to publicly condemn the racist sexual attack in Oldbury.”

The other action points are mainly designed to pressure individual MPs and opposition political parties as MPs go into the Conference Recess. Sikh activists have on request from the public set up a GoFundMe page[1] to address Anti-Sikh hate as people want to know about different ways they can help.

ENDS Jaspal Singh Lead Executive Sikh Federation (UK)