The far-right rioters came for a hotel housing 130 asylum seekers.
Residents toldThe Timesreporter Tom Witherow that they were terrified of being harmed.
One shared avideo of a rioter threatening to slit the throatsof those in the building.
A man throws a rock at a hotel housing asylum seekers during far-right riots in the UK.Getty/Florian Weichelt/Unsplash
This was just one moment during six days of disorder in Britain this month.
Elon Musk saw the anti-immigration rage and stoked it.
TikTok and Telegram allowed it to fester on their platforms.
“Stop the far-right” counter-protests in London
The far-rights online venom spilled onto the streets.
South Asian residents feared for their safety.
Others signposted welfare support for employees from diverse backgrounds or made accommodations.
Most are pessimistic about the prospect of meaningful change.
Fatima Salaria, the former boss ofThe Apprentice UKproducer Naked, spoke for many.
Ofcom is yet to commit to launching an investigation.
ITV defended the show, arguing that it was balanced, fair and duly impartial.
Salaria was not alone in watching riot coverage and reflecting on experiences of prejudice.
The failure to call Islamophobia by its name was a recurring theme in conversations with South Asian industry figures.
Deadline reviewed several internal staff emails from broadcasters and producers last week as employers signposted welfare support.
Most memos referenced racism, but only one labeled it Islamophobia.
This racist Islamophobic violence impacts how safe we feel.
Some say that without this definition, attempts to label Islamophobia fall at the first hurdle.
But when Muslims are the victims, it feels as if it is ignored or silenced.
The reluctance to even use the term Islamophobia is problematic.
The conflict in Gaza was held up as another complicating factor.
Some argue that pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been painted as Hamas sympathizers.
So theres this kind of underlying self-censoring of how people respond to Muslims or matters of Islam.
What happened last week is the culmination of many years of demonizing Muslims.
It was a tinderbox waiting to happen, he says.
Im in the autumn of my career and I am dismayed we are still having the same conversations.
The UK hasnt moved on.
There needs to be a change of mindset [among decision-makers]; they cant just sit back.
Nobody is asking for positive representation, all we are asking for is fairer representation.
Interviewees pleaded for more consistently nuanced portrayals.
Muslims are not one homogenized community, you would never say theres one Christian identity.
How can you speak about two billion people as one?
asks Mariayah Kaderbhai, head of programs at BAFTA.
People dont understand the vastness of our culture.
Put simply, there are far fewer people of South Asian heritage making television than there should be.
The Bodyguard Problem
Drama was seen as one of the worst offenders by many who spoke with Deadline.
Kaamil Shah, creator of ITV comedyCount Abdulla, argues that drama is in an extremely unhealthy place.
Similar issues are cited in unscripted.
It is crucial for our industry to recognize its role and accountability in shaping perceptions.
Mahmood, the TV Asia co-founder, agrees.
Mahmood says the broadcaster rejected the film, citing its reluctance to greenlight a World War II story.
Soon after, the same broadcaster commissioned a holocaust series featuring a majority white cast.
Interviewees did acknowledge examples of good practice.
Gurinder Chadhas new featureChristmas Karma, a Bollywood take onA Christmas Carol, is highly anticipated.
Others pointed to 2023Race Across The Worldcontestants Zainib Khan and Mobeen Qureshi.
There was, however, a deep sense of apathy about the appetite for change.
The industry has failed and it doesnt even want to acknowledge that its failed, says one person.
Dhadwal, the story producer, adds: Theres an infantilization of brown people.
We are told that there are no brown writers who are big enough names.
How can we get those names when were not given those opportunities?
So it feels like were in a loop that we cant get out of.
Its just so tiring.
