London: (By Hannah Chowdhry) MP warns against protesting at Hindu Temple and tells Hindus to leave defence of a Brent Temple to Police. War between faiths rages on after Leicester riots

A London MP has sent out an alarming tweet suggesting that a protest may take place outside a London Mosque today [25th September 2022].

MP Barry Strachan Gardiner the Shadow Secretary off State for Trade, warned against a planned protest outside a Hindu temple in his constituency.  On his twitter account he wrote:

“I’ve contacted the police about the incitement to demonstrate at a Hindu temple in my constituency tomorrow.

“Anyone thinking of demonstrating should stay away and recognise that hate crimes carry jail sentences. Hindus should not go to “defend” the mandir.

“That is the police job.”

The tweet comes in the wake of mass riots in East Leicester between Muslims and Hindus, following simmering hatred and an Indian win over Pakistan in August.

Video: A man can be heard calling police while screaming down to others on the street warning them of Muslim men with knives and poles on the road. Filmed 6th September 2022.

Muslims and Hindu’s are both saying that the angst and schism between them is more historical than the cricket match in August in which India beat Pakistan.  Please read our earlier article to gain a fuller understanding.

The riots in Leicester on 17th September 2022, 2 days before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, left a shocked Leicestershire police force overwhelmed.

Leicestershire constabulary had to cope with two large gatherings of young men from opposing faiths with reduced numbers, due to large swathes of their officers being seconded to London.

Police officers were harassed, abused and subjected to violence and glass bottle missiles as they bravely attempted to keep to rival faith groups apart, in alarming scenes of interfaith violence.

On 17th September hundreds of Hindu young men aged from 17 – 30 held what they called was a peaceful protest through Leicester. Most of the participants wore face masks and coverings including balaclavas and some were carrying weapons, suggesting the protest was not peaceful.

Video: A Muslim couple can be heard discussing the unplanned protest which has continued into Sunday Morning 18.09.22.

By the end of the night their were several skirmishes within Leicester with glass bottles missiles being thrown from both groups at their counterparts, A Hindu man was hospitalized after he had been beaten up  and had his car smashed.  There were various other attacks between men of the two opposing faiths that same night.

Video: Muslim and Hindu Rioters take over Leicester streets on Sunday morning (18th September) and police seem overwhelmed. In the video Hindu men attack two Muslim men until stopped by local police.

Leicestershire police tried bravely to control the situation but their stretched service could not cope with the size and scale of the rioting groups. This meant that the riots continued into the next day.

On Sunday 18th September, Muslim rioters had their own ‘peaceful demonstration’ in which men could be seeing climbing on a temple before aghast Hindu parishioner.  Religious flags were ripped off the temple roof and burned while Muslim rioters laughed and jeered. Some Hindu parishioners including children were trapped inside the building while the trouble outside ensued.

Video: Muslim man removes a flag with an Om symbol (click here) from Hindu temple on Melton Road while police watch. Terrified Hindu families were hostage inside the temple. This is the protest (17th September) that the author of 5 Pillars stated had small outbreaks of civil disobedience.

 On Sunday however, Police were better able to get a handle over the situation, as they called back all staff seconded to London to protect visitors to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and drew in further support from neighbouring constabularies.

By Sunday evening 19 arrests had taken place and one man named Amos Noronha of Illingworth Road, Leicester had been arrested.  he was later sentenced to ten months for possession of an offensive weapon on Monday 18th September, after pleading guilty.

18 other people in total were arrested on Sunday night for a number of offences including affray, common assault, possession of an offensive weapon and violent disorder.

Since then, the total number of arrests has risen to 47 people.  though most arrests were from men residing in Leicester.  However several arrests were of men from outside the city with Birmingham being named as one of the cities that commuters came from.

Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said:

“This quick charge reflects the hard work the officers have put in, with overwhelming evidence against Noronha.

“The sentence is reflective of the fact that this was a serious offence and he has ended up with time in prison.”

Adam Yusuf (21 yrs), received a suspended jail sentence after admitting possessing a knife at a march on Sunday.

Police have charged a further five men in relation to disorder in Leicester.

The five new men charged are:

Paresh Pravin, 25, of Langford Way, Leicester. He is charged with drink driving, after being arrested on 6 September.

Akshay Jiva, 27, of Rotherby Avenue, Leicester. He is charged with possession of an offensive weapon, after being arrested on 7 September.

Aslan Ibrahim, 28, Canon Street, Leicester. He is charged with making threats to kill, after being arrested on 7 September.

Rahul Manikane, 21, of Clevedon Crescent, Leicester. He is charged with drink driving, after being arrested on 10 September.

Sanket Dansukh, 26, of Mornington Street, Leicester. He is charged with possession of an offensive weapon, after being arrested on 11 September.

The Leicester violence seems to be spreading and has already impacted in Birmingham where a 200-strong masked mob surround Durga Bhawan Hindu temple, Spon Lane, Smethwick. Riot police donned helmets as they were being pelted with bottles and firecrackers during the ‘peaceful protests on the evening of 20th September 2022.

Frightened Hindu parishioners film Muslim riot before their temple.

The protest was said to be in defiance of a visting Hindi preacher who was to give a sermon. The invite to Indian activist Sadhvi Rithambara has been described as provocative in the aftermath of recent tensions in Leicester. Mr Rithambara is said to be an exponent of Hindutva (Hindu facism) with links to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an all-male Hindu nationalist volunteer group, often described as a paramilitary organisation and to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP_, the ruling political party in India which has been accused of passing policies and pursuing a religiously divisive agenda.

The visit was called off and Sandwell Police reported Rithambara was “leaving the country”, a decision which is believed to have curbed more people from joining the protest.

Juliet Chowdhry, Trustee for British Asian Christian Association, said:

“The ease in which gathering of Hindus and Muslims against one another is taking place in the UK is a very worrying signs.

“Peace-keepers from both communities and wider communities are trying their best to ease tensions, but it would seem this is at this juncture to no avail.

“Scenes in Leicester and Birmingham two of the larger cities in the UK is a poor indictment of community/interfaith harmony in Britain.

“The prevent strategy has failed.

“I fear that foreign more radical ideologies are consuming our younger generation through social media, this is a very disturbing and dangerous trajectory for the UK.

“More must be done to eradicate fundamentalism and its exponents from social media.

The UK needs to adopt stronger laws and practices in regards to hate speech.