London, United Kingdom – Azmat Khan, a British Pakistani taxi driver, is not usually much of a worrier.
But recently, as he drives his cab at night through London’s ice-cold streets, he has become increasingly anxious.
Elon Musk, a South African born tech billionaire, raged against British sexual abuse convicts of Pakistani descent using the social media platform he owns to vent his anger over the country’s recent unrest with misinformation that is fuelling far-right activists, partly thanks to X.
“This guy’s dangerous, and yes, I’m worried,” Khan, a 35-year-old father of three, told Al Jazeera, sharing his fears of collective punishment.
This kind of scapegoating has been practiced in our community before. But with Musk’s platform and resources, the threat has reached an entirely new level. ”
Khan claims to have noticed a troubling shift in back-seat conversations and is able to hear the city’s pulse through his passengers.
Some travelers have referred to the “threats” that Muslims and immigrants bring to the UK.
According to Khan, that kind of discussion might be related to Musk’s incendiary remarks about historical instances of child sex abuse.
When the news first appeared more than ten years ago, Khan said, it was a terrible time. “But to bring it up again now, while it’s being dealt with, and to finger-point at Pakistani Muslims specifically – it’s obvious he’s trying to cause trouble, a move towards the he attempted to start a civil war last summer. ”
In August last year, after three girls were killed in Southport, online agitators blamed the attack on a Muslim migrant. But 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who was sentenced this week to 52 years in jail, was neither a Muslim nor a migrant. Numerous riots were caused by the false claims. Responding to footage posted on X of the riots, Musk posted: “Civil war is inevitable. ”
In recent weeks, Musk has focused on child sexual assault cases that occurred in northern English towns like Rochdale, Oldham, and Telford for the past ten years.
Musk has called for a new national inquiry, expanded posts that suggest dual national prisoners should be barred from their UK citizenship, and targeted Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, accusing politicians of a “cover-up,” in addition to sharing dreadful details of the cases involving British Pakistani men, many of whom are taxi drivers.
It is impossible to say that British Pakistanis are more likely to commit the crime, despite the fact that there have been instances of child sex abuse involving a number of men of British Pakistani descent.
There is no conclusive evidence that demonstrates an ethnic disproportionality in those who commit this violence, according to Shabna Begum, the head of the racial equality think tank Runnymede Trust.
This view was supported by a 2020 UK Home Office report.
“By propelling misinformation, he’s creating mistrust and a volatile environment,” Begum said. Without giving any consideration to the victims and survivors of this violence, it intentionally stirs fear, prejudice, and division, and fails to take any steps to address the real issues of misogyny and child sexual abuse. ”
In 2022, 83 percent of defendants who were charged with child sexual abuse were white, and 2 percent were of Pakistani descent, according to the Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA Centre).
The center compiled its report using data from children’s social care, policing, criminal justice, and health departments, but warned that the overrepresentation of white defendants was likely to be related to the underreported status of children in minority ethnic communities.
However, Khan claimed that Musk doesn’t seem to be trying to paint a distorted picture and instead doubles down on a false and divisive narrative.
He frequently criticizes former Crown Prosecution Service chief prosecutor and head of the country, Prime Minister Starmer.
Starmer served as Crown Prosecution’s head for six years, according to Musk’s post on X.
Requests for a second national inquiry have been repeatedly rejected by the government. However, last week it announced a plan to fund five new local inquiries, including one in Oldham.
One of the most thorough investigations of its kind was conducted in the UK over the course of seven years (2014-2021).
Its final report, published in October 2022, drew on extensive research, multiple investigations, and victim testimonies. The report made strong recommendations for improving safeguarding and accountability and revealed systemic failings in protecting children.
Critics contend that the extent of the abuse committed has been neglected for years, even so.
The real problem is inventing a society that shields young girls from predators of all kinds, Khan said. “But Musk isn’t interested in solutions – he’s interested in scapegoating one community. It doesn’t bode well for Britain or even Europe where he’s also been meddling. ”
In Rochdale, where British Pakistanis make up about 14 percent of the population, some are weary of being vilified.
“Most of us are working-class, honest folk,” said Mohammed Sheraz, a 48-year-old “Rochdalian”, as he described himself.
He continued, “We’re tired of being portrayed as troublesome Muslims or brown men to be scared of,” adding that he was raised and raised in the town. Some men did disgusting crimes, but they were as far away from Islam as you can get. They are criminals, and they deserve to be. They don’t represent us in any way. ”
Sheraz, who has for years overseen the Rochdale soup kitchen, which serves people of all backgrounds, believes that Musk’s interventions are dangerous.
“It’s like he’s sowing the seeds for some major anti-Muslim war,” he said.
Sheraz attributed the resilience of the British public to the xenophobic riots that erupted elsewhere over the summer.
Remember that there was a collective resistance to the right-wing thuggery that Musk appears to support, which prevented those riots from escalating. ”
Musk’s endorsement of the jailed far-right activist Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, has been particularly contentious.
Robinson, a figure renowned for stoking anti-Muslim sentiment in the UK, is currently serving time in prison for contempt of court.
Musk has called for Robinson’s release and portrayed him as a champion of free speech, drawing widespread condemnation.
The populist Reform Party, which Musk has previously flirted with, has been led by Richard Tice and Nigel Farage.
Even so, Musk’s rhetoric has emboldened fringe movements. His posts echo the language of far-right activists, conflating cultural integration with a rise in criminality.
Sheraz is concerned about his influence because he is one of the richest men in the world and a top adviser to the new US administration under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
“Tommy Robinson has been to Rochdale before in 2011 to stoke up hate, divide and conquer, it didn’t work. The neighborhood worked together to prevent our town from ignominating. Tesla is backing those folks. Who knows what’ll happen next? ”
A thinly veiled attempt to discriminate against women.
Begum at Runnymede described Musk’s rhetoric as “dangerous and irresponsible”, especially following the “worst racist rioting the UK has seen in generations”.
All children must be protected from sexual violence and exploitation, according to Begum, who said that victims of child sexual abuse deserve justice.
In order to advance their own agendas, powerful men are using blatant sexual violence against women.
What is essentially a gendered issue is thinly veiled by calling for deportation or citizenship stripping from Pakistani Muslim men. ”
As the UK grapples with Musk’s growing influence, unity should be the strongest defence against a divisive agenda, said Sheraz.
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