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Sanjay Suri in London
An Afghan taxi driver was left paralysed after an attack and a Muslim woman assaulted with a baseball bat in a wave of racist violence in Britain.
Panic calls from Muslims were reported all over Britain. Thousands said they were afraid to move out of their homes following last week's attacks in the US that are suspected to have been carried out by Islamic terrorists.
Several mosques have been attacked across Britain. The police have increased security at mosques and in areas with high Muslim population, and the Muslim Council of Britain has set up a hotline to report attacks and abuse.
Three men who had hired a taxi driven by an Afghan provoked a discussion on the terrorist attacks in the US and then kicked him so viciously that he was left paralysed neck down. The driver was hit on his head and neck again and again with a bottle.
Police found the paralysed driver lying on the street at about 3 am. The three men were later arrested.
In another case, two white men beat up a 19-year-old Muslim girl wearing an Islamic headscarf with a baseball bat.
Muslim women are being targeted particularly for abuse and even assault, Muslim leaders said.
"Unfortunately, the hijab or scarf they wear means they stand out as Muslims," Mushtaq Laishari, a councillor in Kensington, told IANS. "We are seeing cases of abuse of Muslim women all over the country."
Ghiyasuddin Siddiqui, a Muslim leader, said media reports are "fanning abuse and attacks directed at Muslims all over the country.
"Television pictures of a few Muslims celebrating in Jerusalem and of supporters of the Taleban in Pakistan are leading people to think all Muslims support the attacks in America."
Sikhs too have been threatened as they sport beards and turbans much like Saudi exile Osama bin Laden, who is a prime suspect in the US strikes.
Sikh groups have launched a media campaign by writing to editors of newspapers asking their readers to make a distinction between Sikhs and Muslims.
"We are not saying that members of any community should be attacked," said Gurjit Singh Rahi who is leading the Sikh campaign. "But a lot of the attacks on Sikhs arise from mistaken identity."
Indo-Asian News Service
The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage
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