Representational, photo courtesy of metro.co.uk
London: Some prominent women in UK have come out against the right wing’s ‘racist lies about ‘protecting’ women and girls’, The Guardian reported.
The musicians Paloma Faith, Charlotte Church and Anoushka Shankar along with politicians including Kim Johnson, Ellie Chowns, Diane Abbott and Zarah Sultana have signed a letter calling out the far right’s move to ‘link sexual violence in Britain to asylum seekers’.
The letter ‘titled Women Against the Far Right’ signed by the musicians and Labour, Green and independent MPs said ‘We reject the far right’s racist lies about ‘protecting’ women and girls. They are not defenders of women – they exploit violence against women to fuel hate and division’.
The open letter by these prominent personalities follows protests carried out by far rights outside accommodation housing asylum seekers.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, linked the rise in sexual offences in the country to government immigration policies in what is viewed as an attempt to further the far right narratives against asylum seekers.
Joining the protesters, UK’s shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick earlier said that he was concerned about the safety of his three young daughters because of what he said asylum seekers with ‘medieval attitudes’ arriving in Britain.
Organised by Stand up to Racism, the letter stated: ‘There is no evidence that people seeking refuge are more likely to commit acts of sexual violence. Many are themselves survivors of violence, war, and persecution. Blaming them distracts from tackling the deep-rooted causes of abuse and from holding those truly responsible to account’.
The letter pointed out that misinformation, protests outside hotels housing refugees would not make women safer in the country.
The signatories announced that they would support a gathering later this month opposing a major demonstration called by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson in London.