It’s not just Muslims in India who say they no longer feel safe due to rising Islamophobia. Britain too is reported to be facing a ‘brain drain’ of middle-class Muslims amid an increasing sense of insecurity. In the wake of recent race riots that saw their businesses, homes and mosques being attacked by far-right white supremacist gangs, the feeling of being treated as outsiders in their adopted country has grown, especially among the generation born and bred in Britain.
“I was born here, I was raised here. Seeing this, it just doesn’t feel like home. What happened has gotten me scared,” Abdulwase Sufian, a 20-year-old student, told Reuters .
The riots were sparked by a social media campaign of misinformation blaming a Muslim migrant for the fatal stabbing of three young girls during a music event in the English town of Southport. The real suspect has since been identified as Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old British citizen of Rwandan origin. King Charles has been apprised of the Muslim community’s concerns.
Harris Bokhari, who has advised the royal family and government on race relations, said recent rioting had fuelled Muslim fears that the UK was no longer a welcoming place for people from different cultures. He also revealed that he had discussed leaving the UK with his family despite being “somebody who loves this country beyond anything”. “The way I view it now is that we have a brain drain.
So, from the Muslim community, we have really talented people.