Controversial academician Dr Chris Allen stepped down from the position of the lead for the independent review inquiry commissioned to investigate the anti-Hindu Leicester violence, after the Hindus of the United Kingdom (UK) opposed his appointment. As per reports, representatives of 15 Hindu organizations of Leicester said that they will boycott the review done by Allen.
“I have reluctantly taken the decision to stand down from the role on the basis that I no longer feel confident that my team and I are able to conduct the review in a way that the ensuing findings would meet the necessary levels of academic scrutiny,” Allen said while informing about his decision.
Further, Allen claimed that his decision was not in response to the allegations made against him. “It is important to stress that my decision was not made in response to the unprecedented levels of hate that has been directed towards me in recent weeks or the spurious allegations circulating on social media. While many are outright lies, some are rather more pernicious: distorting and misrepresenting the truth for their own individual and ideological gain,” he added.
Allen, who is working as an associate professor of hate studies at the University of Leicester, has been reportedly involved in developing the working definition of ‘Islamophobia’ by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. He was also part of the various government bodies of ‘Islamophobia’, ‘anti-Muslim hate’, and the Commission on Islam.
In the article published in The Conversation UK titled “Leicester’s unrest is a problem of the whole city, not just Hindu and Muslim communities”, Allen blamed Hindu nationalists and the slogan of Jai Shri Ram for the violence that erupted in Leicester. Further in the article, Allen said that there is no evidence of the involvement of Islamists in the violence and blamed Hindutva. Allen said in the article that Hindutva has been imported into the UK from 2014 onwards and added that Hindutva’s influence in the UK cannot be overlooked.
The Hindu and Jain Temple Leaders of Leicester wrote a letter to the Leicester Mayor opposing the appointment of Allen and said that he ruled out Islamist extremism as a factor in the September 2022 anti-Hindu violence in the city. The letter said:
The Hindu community of Leicester will boycott the review process examining the recent unrest in the city.
The announcement of the review process disturbed the festive celebration of the Hindu New Year on 26th October. This announcement came despite Sir Peter Soulsby’s (City Mayor of Leicester) promise to leaders of the Hindu Community on 14th October, that he would wait until the Diwali and New Years festive period was concluded. Leaders of the Hindu community were left very disappointed in his broken promise.
Hindu leaders were dealt a further blow learning the review will be led by Chris Allen, an expert on ‘Islamophobia’. His recent comment on Twitter explicitly ruing out Islamist extremism, has cast strong doubt on his suitability to lead the review. Though we don’t cast any judgment as to the presence of any extreme Islamist influence in the unrest, to assert a conclusion ahead of the review, sheds Allen’s inability to remain independent.
With Peter Soulsby yet to apologise or retract his recent statements on Hindutva being the cause of the unrest, it leaves the leadership of the Hindu community of Leicester little confidence in the process. How is this review independent when conclusive opinions are already being peddled by those commissioning and those leading this review?
The review process is now already muddied before it’s even started. We the undersigned are left with no further option than to boycott the process. We immediately appeal to the Home Secretary to intervene and assign a truly independent panel with clarity on selection process and appointee’s terms of reference.
The Hindu community leaders remain dedicated to working across community and with assigned agencies for a truly independent review delivered with the highest level of transparency and integrity.
Hindus in the UK faced multiple attacks by Muslims since August 28, following the Asia Cup India-Pakistan cricket match. On September 13, a British Islamist named Majid Freeman posted fake news alleging that Hindus tried to kidnap a Muslim girl, after which violence escalated against Hindus in the UK. A day later, Leicestershire Police stated after investigating and stated that “the incident did not take place”.
A Hindu temple was then vandalized in Leicester and a saffron flag was desecrated by Muslims. According to reports, the Muslim mobs tried to keep Hindus hostage, including children. The report added that cars and other Hindu-owned properties were vandalized by the Muslim mob. It was reported earlier that in one of the letters written by the Hindu community of Leicester to the local MP, it was informed that Muslims used the Islamic term “Mushriks” for Hindus while attacking them, which is a derogatory term used for pagan idol worshippers.
Later on September 20, a Hindu temple named Durga Bhawan Hindu Centre in Smethwick was attacked by a Muslim mob. Crackers and bottles were reportedly thrown inside the temple by the Muslim mob who was shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogans.
