Children’s Commissioner report shows abuse is not necessarily specific to any ethnic group

An interim report by  the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England showed that at least 2,409 children were raped or abused by gangs or groups in England between August 2010 and October 2011.The most in-depth investigation to date of child exploitation by gangs and groups in England – found a further 16,500 children were at “high risk” of abuse.

In those limited cases where the ethnicity of the perpetrators was known, white men in gangs were responsible for most of the abuse. In relation to the size of the Black and Asian populations in Britain, Asian perpetrators were over-represented as were Black.

The widely publicised Rochdale grooming case involving 9 Pakistani men tapped into an undercurrent of racism and anti-Muslim feeling with the media and politicians quick to blame culture and religion for why Asian men targeted young white girls.

Given the multitude of child abuse claims that have come to light in the wake of hundreds of sexual abuse allegations against Jimmy Savile, the media and the politicians will try to divert attention and exploit this report to highlight the disproportionate representation of particular ethnic groups as perpetrators. In reality, the report shows abuse is not necessarily specific to any ethnic group. This is itself telling. It means underlying societal values are in fact responsible and not ethnicity, religion, nationality or social class.

Common to all the abuse are western vices of drink, soft drugs, promiscuity, pornography which are by and large legal and are used to ply young girls. Due to liberal values of freedom these are generated on an industrial scale and therefore pervade society. Mixed with the idea that people are answerable to themselves and their desires is it surprising that this Molotov-cocktail has left all manner of social ills and problems in society.

Looking beyond the western centric world there is an alternative set of values which considers accountability of man to a Creator. Islam offers this creed, which is both political and spiritual in nature, and so looks to human beings to be guided in their personal beliefs and society, by a feeling of accountability to more than themselves or the law – i.e. the Creator.  Furthermore, an attitude which is rooted in a rejection of notions such as personal freedom helps create an environment in an Islamic society, whether people are Muslim or otherwise, which sees freedom as counterproductive to society as large. Furthermore Islamic law (Sharia law) prohibits alcohol, drugs, pornography and only accepts sexual relations within marriage.

Islam thus has a set of values and laws which are founded upon people feeling responsibility towards one another. This spans not abusing peoples beliefs to violence and physical abuse. It doesn’t consider the protection of people from ‘immoral’ images or attitudes to be old fashioned or outmoded. In fact it is probably more crucial now than it ever has been, given the findings of the report.

Islam also believes that the protection of children from anything that will cause them harm including images or values which belittle them or take away their rights is crucial.  The goal of the Islamic state, which has the capacity to deal very harshly with mistreatment of its citizens young or old, male or female and Muslim or Non Muslim, starts upon notions of  morality and responsibility towards others as the core of how society succeeds.

Allah (swt) says;

“O You who believe! Show integrity for the sake of God, bearing witness with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just. That is closer to faith. Heed God [alone]. God is aware of what you do.” (Surah 5:8)

And He (SWT) says:

“ Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for God alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, God is well able to look after them. Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth.…” (Surah 4:135)

Sultanah Parvin
Womens Media Representative
Hizb ut-Tahrir  Britain