"Why are minorities always the ones held responsible for the actions of a single perpetrator?" a 47-year-old Sikh man from the Midlands, who requested anonymity, told The New Arab . The man, who is visibly Sikh and wears a turban, said he has become increasingly concerned about the prospect of racial abuse and threats to his safety in Britain following the murder of 18-year-old Southampton student Henry Nowak by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa in December last year. "No matter how much we speak out against this horrific loss of life, no matter how strongly we condemn it, this tragedy has been exploited to make Britain hateful again," he continues. "It's sickening to see what our community is going through right now. The impact is being felt not only in Southampton but across the country." The release of police bodycam footage earlier this month reignited public scrutiny of the case. The footage showed Nowak being handcuffed while fatally wounded after the stabbing attack carried out by Digwa, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. It has since sparked demonstrations and fuelled claims of "two-tier policing" and anti-white racism promoted by some far-right figures and sections of the British media, contributing to unrest in Southampton. Although Sikh organisations swiftly condemned Nowak's murder and had no connection to the actions of his attacker, concerns grew as the case became a focal point for elements of the British far-right. Critics have argued that the prominence given to the narratives around race and policing has diverted attention from questions surrounding police conduct, accountability and public safety. "It's so sad how there has been little focus on the actual tragedy itself and where real accountability needs to be held because of policing failures and this shameful killer," 20-year-old university student Jas*, from London, told The New Arab. She added, "I have friends and family in Southampton, and since the riots, I have been relentlessly calling to check if it's safe for them to go out, or if they should head out to gurdwaras. Innocent people shouldn't be scared and responsible for a crime one person committed — it's just unfair." Another member of the Sikh community, a 28-year-old who asked to be identified only as A*, said the events of recent weeks had left many feeling distressed and frustrated, and had also prompted calls for reflection and dialogue within the community.
"For those I know in Southampton, I know they're fearful at the minute. For the rest of us, we're just so angry. I'm angry. Growing up as a Sikh, you go through a system, you go through schooling," he tells The New Arab. "How can you even commit such a grotesque act knowing the specifics of our religion? What happened was horrific, and while I know the toll it's had on our community, I also don't want people to feel pity for us."
He continued: "Sikhs are strong and resilient. Right now, what we need to do has to happen within our community to foster conversations about how something like that can never happen again." From police failures to culture war At the time of the attack, police mistakenly treated Nowak as a suspect rather than a victim after accepting Digwa's false claim that the teenager had racially abused him.
While handcuffed on the ground, Nowak repeatedly told officers that he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe. Following the release of the footage, around 1,000 people gathered outside Southampton Central Police Station before marching towards Digwa's family home in a residential area. Several prominent far-right figures, including Tommy Robinson and Laurence Fox, addressed the crowd. Violence subsequently broke out, with missiles thrown at police officers and damage caused to vehicles. Some participants were seen performing Nazi salutes while shouting "white power".
More than 20 people have since been charged in connection with the disorder, with investigations and court proceedings ongoing.
Meanwhile, prominent figures on the British right called for tougher measures in response to the case. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage urged the public to respond with "pure, cold rage", claiming that Britain had become a "two-tier Britain where the rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities".
The political reaction unfolded alongside wider culture-war debates, with sections of the media also amplifying these narratives through questions such as "Is Britain facing civilisational collapse?" and "Are the police anti-white?"
Britain's Sikh community has since called on the country to confront rising hostility towards its members, warning that narratives centred on race, diversity policies, and allegations of anti-white discrimination are overshadowing concerns about police accountability and public safety, while fuelling hostility towards innocent people with no connection to the crime. Debunking kirpan myths Members of the Sikh community who spoke to The New Arab say much of that hostility has been driven by confusion surrounding Sikh religious practices, particularly widespread discussions about the kirpan in the aftermath of the case.
They argue that the intense national and international focus on Digwa's religion has helped spread misconceptions about Sikhism and heightened concerns over the safety and wellbeing of Sikhs across Britain.
Addressing claims that the weapon used to kill Nowak was a kirpan, Jasveer Singh, a representative of the Sikh Press Association, condemned what he described as misleading rhetoric surrounding the ceremonial article of faith.
"Sikh organisations have readily condemned any attempt to debate Sikh freedom of practice in Britain in relation to the kirpan, not only because of the blatant discrimination behind it, but also because of the illogical idea that it may impact knife crime in the UK," Singh tells The New Arab , adding: " The kirpan was not used in the tragic Henry Nowak murder."
Although several media reports initially described the weapon as a kirpan, Sikh organisations and experts dispute that characterisation, saying they believe the blade used was a pesh-kabz rather than the ceremonial article of faith.
Mejindarpal Kaur, a human rights lawyer and Legal Director of United Sikhs, emphasised the legal safeguards for minority religious practices, specifically the Sikh kirpan, stating that while the ceremonial sword is an article of faith, it is fundamentally a religious practice. "For initiated, or Amritdhari, Sikhs, wearing a kirpan is a religious requirement and is protected under UK law, so there are no problems," Kaur tells The New Arab .
"According to Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, it states that whilst it is an offence for anyone to carry a bladed or pointed article if it is more than three inches, there is a defence in law if you can do so for a lawful reason and for a good reason," Kaur adds. "There is no offence, but as soon as that person misuses it, that very moment onwards, that ceases to be a kirpan. It is an offensive weapon and has to be treated with the rigour of the law."
Despite repeated clarifications from Sikh activists, religious leaders and legal experts regarding Sikh traditions, many have raised concerns that such lines of questioning about the faith risk fuelling racial tension, with some reports already indicating hate crimes in Southampton. Just days after Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Nowak, a Sikh priest from Digwa's former place of worship in Southampton was reportedly attacked while out shopping. Singh clarified that "no data has yet been released," indicating a confirmed rise in hostility online or offline.
However, he added that "there has been a massive surge of anti-Sikh hate."
"Sikh groups are organising to work on safeguarding the vulnerable," Singh explains, adding: "Across the country, increased incidents of abuse, malicious accusations towards even children, and at least one violent assault have all been reported in regards to anti-Sikh hate." The family of Nowak had previously called for unity and action on knife crime while expressing their grief over the loss of the 18-year-old student. "This is not a case about Sikhism. This is not a case about racism. This is a case about murder," said Nowak's father, Mark. When grief becomes political Alongside hard-right rhetoric from figures such as Nigel Farage in the UK, senior officials from President Donald Trump’s administration in the United States, including Vice-President JD Vance, have also commented on the case, framing it as part of wider criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government. They have accused the government of lacking the Trump administration's "political will and leadership" to address mass migration and uphold national sovereignty. "In regard to wider debate about the case, there are, of course, requirements for police reform which were exposed in this case. However, making any reforms through the lens of race — especially the idea of whites vs non-whites as Farage framed it — is incredibly dangerous for the future of Britain,” Singh tells The New Arab. "Whilst investigations into police conduct continue, the larger focus must be on tackling street violence in the UK."
Meanwhile, Harjap Singh Bhangal, a prominent British-Punjabi solicitor known as the “Immigration Guru”, told The New Arab that scapegoating entire communities risks undermining legitimate debate on immigration policy. "It is entirely reasonable to debate immigration levels, border security, integration policies and the effectiveness of government decisions. In a democracy, these are important discussions to have," Bhangal said. "The problem arises when criticism of policy turns into hostility towards people simply because of their nationality, ethnicity or religion. We cannot blame entire communities for the actions of a small number of individuals." Harmeet Shah Singh, Communications and Advocacy Director of United Sikhs, also warned that public perceptions of immigration and integration in Britain reflect a historical pattern of anti-Sikh sentiment, urging stronger strategic communication and greater community resilience. "Henry Nowak's death is being used cynically by political actors and online networks whose interest is not justice for Henry or answers for his family," Shah Singh told The New Arab .
"Their interest, unfortunately, is in amplifying division, in converting grief into political currency, in using a young man's murder as ammunition in cultural wars that were being fought long before he died. It is a moral obscenity."
He added: "The Sikh community has rapidly underestimated the communications challenge it faces, and that underestimation has costs — as, for example, in the newspaper age, Sikhs struggled to tell their own story. In the television age, they remained largely invisible as shapers of their own narrative. In the early digital age, many institutions still lacked basic professional communications infrastructure."
Cautioning against what he described as "manufactured outrage," amplified by algorithms designed to prioritise emotional reactions, Shah Singh urged the Sikh community to take a more proactive approach to navigating today's media landscape.
He said communities "require active stewardship in every new media environment," adding that this work must begin "with urgency, with professionalism, and with a clear understanding of how the modern information ecosystem actually works." Social media and manufactured outrage Rights organisations such as Amnesty UK have previously accused social media platforms of facilitating the spread of racist violence against marginalised communities, raising concerns that algorithms may actively amplify and escalate "xenophobic discourse."
In 2024, Pat de Brún, Deputy Director at Amnesty Tech, warned that such algorithms are reportedly designed to prioritise engagement and act as "incendiaries that fuel division, disinformation, and hate."
He also pointed to Big Tech companies' surveillance-based business model, which seeks to accumulate ever greater amounts of users' personal data, arguing that this may have long-term consequences for minority communities. "In recent years, there has been growing support for anti-immigration views, especially in the build-up to Brexit and subsequently after the vote," Bhangal explains. "Figures such as Nigel Farage, Laurence Fox, Paul Golding, Katie Hopkins and Tommy Robinson often highlight these types of crimes, which can increase anger and fear within communities," he adds. "These views are then amplified by bots and right-wing accounts on platforms such as X and Instagram."
Following the unrest in Southampton, Northern Ireland experienced a wave of anti-immigrant violence earlier this week. Hundreds of masked rioters reportedly attacked properties, set vehicles alight and forced families from their homes in Belfast on Tuesday and Wednesday after a stabbing attack allegedly carried out by a Sudanese refugee. The New Arab previously reported that footage of the Belfast stabbing was rapidly exploited and distorted by fundamentalist and far-right accounts in Britain and overseas, helping to inflame hostility towards migrants and members of the Sudanese community. The post, shared on X by Robinson on Monday, was widely circulated online and attracted a flood of responses, including xenophobic comments and racist imagery. "Lessons should already have been learned from the Southport incident, which led to similar riots in 2024. Social media also plays a major role in shaping people's views and reactions," Bhangal says. "I know this because I have experienced it personally. I have faced vile racist abuse online, and in 2024, my law firm was on a list of law firms targeted by the far-right." He continued: "Tragedies should never be used for political point-scoring or to advance personal agendas. Politicians, the media and community leaders all have a responsibility to encourage calm, promote accurate information and bring communities together rather than drive them apart." In an effort to secure justice for Henry and challenge the rise in anti-Sikh rhetoric, several faith-based organisations, including the Sikh Federation UK, have called for a judge-led public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Nowak's death.
They argue that the ongoing investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), launched after the force referred itself to the watchdog, is insufficient, and that misinformation surrounding the murder weapon has caused significant harm to Sikh communities across the UK.
In Southampton, community leaders such as Harjap Singh, former Chair of the Council of Southampton Gurdwaras, have since emphasised the importance of cohesion and mutual respect, citing recent counter-protests against far-right activity and messages of solidarity from other religious groups. "Christians, Muslims, Hindus, they have all been very supportive. They have reached out, sending good messages, and they came to the Gurdwara to express their solidarity with us," Singh tells The New Arab . "They told us how much they understand how it is, what it is and said simply put, 'we are with you.' I'm ever so thankful to all of them," he adds. Singh continues: "I would say to those who I hope will receive this message, never think that one community is responsible for one's wrongdoing, and things like this sadly happen in every community, every country and can be done by people from all backgrounds. So let's come together and live in harmony and peace." * Full names not used or changed for security concerns Assiah Hamed is a staff writer at The New Arab. Follow her on X: @AssiahHamed