Musk’s Dangerous Antics Could Ignite Devastating Violence

Divide and Rule: The Oldest Political Strategy. Reject this Dangerous Narrative!

Let’s get one thing absolutely clear; the grooming and exploitation of women, girls, and children is an unconscionable crime that no society can tolerate. As a Muslim, I unequivocally denounce such heinous acts. Islam, like all major religions, holds the sanctity and protection of the vulnerable as paramount. The Quran condemns injustice and exploitation, and under Sharia law, those who perpetrate such crimes would face the most severe punishments.

I’d go further; hack off their manhoods and let their victims beat them to death with cricket bats. Too dark? Perhaps. But it’s an emotion stemming from the utter anger and disgust I feel about the terrible acts of such debased individuals. As both a regular person and a Muslim, I find the excrements of humanity that carry out such horrendous acts despicable and indefensible. There should be no tolerance for those who harm the innocent and vulnerable, regardless of their background.

A Billionaire’s Misguided and Dangerous Accusations

In recent days, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, and owner of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter (now X), one of the largest and most influential social media platforms on the planet, has made inflammatory accusations targeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, alleging failures to prosecute grooming gangs and protect victims of child sexual exploitation. He has gone further, singling out British Muslims of Pakistani heritage, perpetuating the harmful narrative that these crimes are somehow endemic to our community.

Phillips did indeed decline requests for a government-led public inquiry into the Oldham grooming scandal, advocating instead for local authorities to conduct their own investigations; however, this merely aligns with the government’s stance that local inquiries can be more effective.

In fact, there actually have been inquiries lasting years and costing hundreds of millions of pounds, recommendations were given, and there has been a failure to fully implement them. And it’s fair to say that is the responsibility of the current and previous governments.

But for Musk to accuse Philips of being a “rape genocide apologist” and “witch” is not only absurd but irresponsible as it opens her up to direct attacks and endangers her safety and wellbeing.

So the demand to keep “white British woman safe” is putting a “white British woman” directly in danger. Is the ridiculous irony of this not yet visible to everyone? For the record Philips spent five years working for Women’s Aid in the Midlands, supporting female victims of domestic abuse, and ran rape crisis refuges. How does it make sense to present someone who’s spent their life combating violence against women and girls as a villain?

Why Heed a “Foreigner”?

Musk’s claims are not only factually incorrect but profoundly disingenuous. I’m no fan of Sir Kier Starmer, that’s for sure. However, as Starmer frequently reminds us, he was the Director of Public Prosecutions where, to be fair, he did introduce critical reforms to improve the handling of child sexual exploitation cases. While no system is perfect, to paint him as negligent is to ignore the complexity of systemic failures across institutions, which are not the responsibility of one individual or community.

Additionally, and here’s a second irony coming at you, he’s OUR Prime Minister. And if there’s an ounce of patriotism actually within you, I’d take umbrage at a “foreigner” (none of his three passports are British) lambasting our elected leader on the international stage.

Frankly, he has no right to interfere in our politics, no place to call for the Prime Minister to be jailed, or tell the British public which party should be ruling them, or who should, or shouldn’t, be leading that party. We are the electorate. We can hold our government to task. We alone decide when and who to replace it with. For an outside entity to create such interference… well, wars have started on less than this.

Playing Fast and Loose with Community Relations

As for Musk’s assertion that these crimes are unique to British Muslims or Pakistanis, the data tells a different story. While there is no denying what occurred and all our sympathies must lie with the victims, it must be recognised that grooming and sexual exploitation are horrific acts that occur across all demographics. And the vast majority of such crimes in the UK are perpetrated by white men, who statistically form the largest demographic.

If you really want to categorise crimes with such labels as Asian, Pakistani or even Muslim Grooming Gangs, then shouldn’t we label the cabal of child-sex abusers in high-profile public roles or the news and entertainment industry as “White Male Child Sex Abusers”? After all, we’re talking about the likes of Jimmy Savile, Gary Glitter, Rolf Harris, and even recently, Huw Edwards.

Plus let’s then also see more headlines about “Christian Church Child Sex Scandals” concerning the widespread documented abuse within institutions like the Catholic and Anglican Churches, rife with cover-ups.

Personally, I feel that a criminal is a criminal regardless of what race, religion, or creed he, she or they belong to. Sadly there are good and bad people everywhere and in all communities and sectors of society, yet they do not define entire collectives. It is crucial to underscore that exploitation knows no racial or religious boundaries.

Yet Musk’s focus on a single community is not just misleading; it is incendiary. By pandering to the far-right and their prejudices, he is fuelling ignorance, hatred, and division. He is weaponising a societal problem for personal or ideological gain, with no regard for the consequences.

The Dire Consequences of Provocation

This kind of rhetoric is not benign – it has the power to provoke violence and unrest. We saw that in the summer of 2024, through the shocking and saddening race riots that erupted in the UK, bringing back painful memories for many, myself included.

Growing up in a mostly white Central London in the 1970s, I faced racist taunts and attacks on a regular and near-daily basis. I remember the fear, the humiliation, and the sense of being unwelcome in my own country. The riots last year felt like history repeating itself, reigniting traumas I thought had been left behind.

During the harrowing events of last year, Musk tweeted a claim that a civil war in the UK was inevitable. Is he now seeking to prove himself right? This reckless interference risks creating self-fulfilling prophecies, stoking division where unity is desperately needed.

Does he realise the devastation this would bring – not just to the Muslim community, but to the UK as a whole? The economic repercussions of social division, the erosion of trust between communities, and the loss of the UK’s hard-won multicultural harmony would be catastrophic. At a time when the country is already grappling with economic uncertainty, social fragmentation is the last thing we need.

The Personal Toll

For me, and for so many others in the British Muslim community, this rhetoric is deeply damaging, dangerous and concerning. It feels like every step forward we’ve taken – every effort to integrate, to build bridges, to contribute to the society we love – is being undone.

The narrative Musk is promoting doesn’t just hurt our reputations; it puts us and our families in danger. It emboldens those who would harm us, isolates us from those who might otherwise stand with us, and leaves us questioning whether we truly belong. Which of course only drives a bigger wedge even further and deeper between communities.

We feel the weight of suspicion and prejudice every time these narratives resurface. We are left to defend ourselves against crimes (and indeed acts of terror) we neither condone nor have any association with. And we live with the fear that one inflammatory tweet or headline could lead to another riot, another attack, and another child traumatised by blinkered, ignorant hatred.

Resist the Discord, Champion Diversity

To those in positions of power and influence, I urge you to consider your words (and your tweets) carefully. The rhetoric you use matters. It has real consequences for real people. It shapes public perception, fuels societal attitudes, and can ignite tensions that take years, if not decades, to heal. You must reject divisive narratives and instead promote understanding, unity, and truth.

To ordinary people, I appeal to your sense of fairness and humanity. Reject the racism and Islamophobia embedded in these stories. Look beyond the headlines and seek the truth. Recognise that the actions of a few do not define an entire community. Reject hatred, for the sake of peace, harmony, and the betterment of our shared society.

Now, more than ever, we must work together to build bridges, not walls. We must reject those who seek to divide us and instead focus on what unites us. The future of our communities – and our country – depends on it.