Punish the guilty but not the innocent

I was travelling up to Oldham to facilitate and co-ordinate several meetings with women, encouraging them to use their vote in the upcoming bi-election when I read the horror story revealed in The Times of the sexual exploitation of young girls in the Yorkshire area, Oldham being one of them. 

But, as well as the horror of the crimes I also thought ‘Here we go again, the Muslim tag applied yet again, somehow people will bring it back to Islam’.  It irks me that  people do not see that crimes are committed by people not religions. 

Heinous as these crimes are, the Times accorded it disproportionate space to their investigation. A 5-page spread - further creating, reinforcing, encouraging an image that Pakistani men are dangerous.  If they are not terrorists blowing people up, they are terrorising our girls.  Does one particular group really deserve this based on the actions of a few?

What this also reveals, I am sad to say, is a tip of the iceberg, perhaps not just in the crime itself but what it says about our care system.  What made it easy for these men to prey on these girls is numerous, ranging from the men’s professions - the easy access to vulnerable girls, as well as the fact that the girls were dismally failed by the care system.

However, if certain types of crime seem to be committed by people from certain groups, then that intelligence should be used to crack that crime, there should be no excuse to ‘leave well alone’, nor use the outcome to unjustifiably vilify a particular group. 

Society as a whole needs to take a sensible view of these issues, leaving behind the ‘let’s not offend’ view in matters that need to be dealt with, but also take steps to  put a stop to those who want to further the agenda of prejudice and damaging stereotypes.

We need a responsible media that considers the influence it holds in shaping public attitudes; And a government that cares enough for vulnerable children in society so that they don’t become prime prey for manipulative, abusive adults, whatever their background.

We also need communities to be brave enough to look outwards and never hide or protect criminals -  they must be punished – a benefit to all communities.

But, I for one, as a woman whose heritage lies within a minority community want an end to a growing culture of labelling an entire community with one charge.

AdeelaShafi was the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bristol East and is Lecturer in Psychology at the University of the West of England (UWE)