Muslim healthcare workers in UK face 'racist abuse' amid far-right riots

The British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) has recorded a significant rise in “racist abuse” against Muslim NHS (National Health Service) workers following the onset of far-right riots across the UK, leaving many healthcare professionals in fear, local media reported.

Dr Salman Waqar, the president of BIMA, which represents around 7,000 Muslim healthcare staff, told The Guardian that NHS workers have been deeply affected both personally and professionally by the escalating intimidation.

He mentioned having seen alarming messages, particularly from Belfast and Greater Manchester, where healthcare workers were forced to close their practices early or refrain from home visits due to safety concerns, according to the media outlet.

He also stressed the unprecedented fear among members, noting that some international colleagues are now questioning their future in the UK.

In addition, the British Egyptian Medical Association (BEMA), representing approximately 11,000 healthcare professionals, also echoed similar concerns, noting a “troubling” rise in “racist abuse and discrimination,” according to The Guardian.

It reported that the “hostile” environment has disrupted healthcare delivery, leading to “increased absenteeism and reduced morale” among medical professionals.

Both associations have stressed the need for urgent action to protect healthcare workers and ensure their safety amid these rising tensions, the media outlet added.

Besides medical professionals, students from African and Asian countries studying in the UK have also taken extra precautions owing to their skin colour, which can easily be identified by far-right rioters, limiting themselves to their apartments and hostels with barely stored groceries.

The UK has been rocked by turmoil for days, with violent far-right rioters spewing racist and Islamophobic vitriol targeting Muslims, minority groups and migrants.

The riots were fueled by false claims spread online that a suspect arrested for the July 29 fatal stabbings of three children in the seaside town of Southport was a Muslim asylum seeker. This misinformation has triggered a dangerous wave of violence and heightened tensions across the UK.

Authorities have since identified the attacker as Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old born in Cardiff, Wales to Rwandan parents, but this has done little to deter the far-right mobs.