Independent MP Adnan Hussain has backed Southampton’s Sikh community after reports of rising fear and intimidation following the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, saying no group should be blamed for the actions of an individual.In a post on X, the Blackburn MP said Sikh residents should not face harassment over a crime committed by a single person.“This is awful. No community should have to live in fear like this, and no community should be held responsible for the crimes of an individual,” Hussain wrote.“Solidarity with the Sikh community. The government must ensure its safety is prioritised and necessary reassurance is provided.” His comments come after Sikh community leaders in Southampton reported an increase in racial abuse and hostility following the conviction of 23-year-old Vickrum Singh Digwa for the murder of Nowak.Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years for fatally stabbing the university student in December 2025 with a 21cm kirpan, a ceremonial blade carried by some Sikhs as an article of faith. During the investigation, Digwa falsely claimed he had been subjected to racial abuse, a claim rejected by the court.Representatives from Southampton’s Sikh community told The Times many residents now feel unsafe in public and are avoiding routine activities, including visits to local gurdwaras. A spokesperson for Gurdwara Khalsa Darbar said some members had faced racial abuse at workplaces, supermarkets and care facilities, and that a community memorial event was cancelled over safety concerns.“We are feeling victimised and people are scared to come out of their house,” the spokesperson said, adding that public discussion surrounding the case had unfairly associated the wider Sikh community with the actions of one individual.Community leaders have also pushed back against criticism of the kirpan, arguing that the weapon used in the attack should not define a religious article observed by Sikhs worldwide.Community representatives have also called for calm and urged residents not to direct anger at the broader Sikh population, stressing that the murder was the act of an individual rather than a reflection of an entire faith community.
