Farage call for ‘rage’ after Henry Nowak murder will cause fear in minority communities, Sikh professor says

Nigel Farage’s appeal for “pure cold anger” after the murder of Henry Nowak by a Sikh man risks “stirring up fear” in minority communities, a religious expert has warned.

Professor Jagbir Jhutti-Johal, Professor of Sikh Studies at the University of Birmingham, criticized political leaders for framing the case as an example of two-tiered policing, stating that such suggestions could “deepen mistrust and encourage division”.

The comments followed the murder of 18-year-old Mr Nowak by Vickrum Digwa. Digwa stabbed himself and then falsely accused the victim of being drunk and carrying out a racist attack.

Professor Jhutti-Johal said Digwa’s post-attack hoax was “un-Sikh”.

Digwa’s relatives later apologized to Mr Nowak’s family and the Sikh community for bringing them into “disrepute”.

Mr Nowak’s family has highlighted a stark disparity in police treatment, saying their loved one was handcuffed and disbelieved as he lay dying, while his killer was “given courtesy” and “believed”.

They said: “The contrast is intolerable.”

Mr Farage, the UK Reform Leader, said Mr Nowak’s family had “responded to this with dignity in the most extraordinary way”.

He added in a video statement: “But I suggest the rest of us respond with pure cold rage.”

The political leader said Mr Nowak was “treated in a way that essentially meant that the charge of racial slurs was to be taken more seriously than the act of murder” and claimed that the case and the reaction to it were “evidence that we live in a two-tiered culture in this country where the rights and privileges of white people are less important than those of ethnic minorities”.

Mr Nowak’s family called for a full investigation into the actions of police officers at the scene and their actions in relation to knife crime but insisted they “did not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension”.

Prof Jhutti-Johal told the Press Association: “I think Farage’s comments will strike fear not just in the Sikh community but in all minority communities.”

He added: “I believe it is a mistake for political leaders to use this case as evidence of systemic bias, two-tiered policing, or to frame it as an example of ‘us versus them’.

“Suggesting that communities are treated differently by police without clear evidence can deepen mistrust and encourage division between groups that are supposed to work together.”

He called on political figures to “lead responsibly and avoid language that pits communities against each other.”

Prof Jhutti-Johal added: “The focus must remain on truth, accountability and justice for all, rather than narratives that create fear, anger and division.”

Meanwhile, a group of Sikh MPs expressed solidarity with Mr Nowak’s family following the “senseless” murder.

Calling for calm among the public, they wrote: “At a time when emotions are understandably raw, we urge people not to allow the actions of a killer to divide communities or fuel hostility against innocent people.

“The Sikh community shares the pain, shock and anger felt across the country.

“We mourn the loss of Henry Novak, stand with his family, and support his quest for truth, justice, and accountability.”

A Labor MP said Reform UK and Restore Britain were politicizing pain and using the Sikh community as a “scapegoat” following the murder of Mr Nowak.

Following the murder, Reform and Restore called for a ban on the Kirpan, a small ceremonial knife some Sikhs carry for religious purposes.

Slough’s Labor MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi accused them of trying to “politicise people’s suffering”, insisting that the kirpan was not used in the attack.

While Digwa was wearing the kirpan usually worn under clothing, he had a second knife, which the trial judge described as a “large Sikh dagger”, which he used as the murder weapon.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Dhesi said he was “deeply saddened by the murder of Henry Nowak”.

He continued: “What is so frustrating is that groups like Reform, Restore and the far right have decided to politicize people’s suffering by attacking the Sikh community for wearing a kirpan and calling for it to be banned, even though no kirpan was used in this violent attack.

“And they decided to scapegoat and throw an entire community under the bus based on the actions of a brutal murderer.”

Dhesi, the first MP to wear a turban in the House of Commons, added: “Hundreds of thousands of Sikh soldiers bravely fought alongside British soldiers in both world wars, with tens of thousands making the ultimate sacrifice by proudly wearing their turbans and kirpans.

“So what reassurances can the Home Secretary give to the Sikh community who are both horrified and embarrassed by this brutal murder? They too fear for their right to practice their faith freely and peacefully.”

Labor MP Jas Athwal (Ilford South) also accused some MPs of “using the terrible incident as political capital and spreading disinformation for their own gain”.

Shabana Mahmood said: “Religious freedom is a very important principle that this Government respects” and added: “Responsibility for this murder lies with the murderer.”

The Liberal Democrats also accused Nigel Farage of “using tragedy to divide British societies” following the attack.