Firebird – Southwark Playhouse
My friend Eric, an Egyptian Muslim pulled me aside last week. He dragged me out of earshot from his mother, who eyed us both suspiciously while adjusting her hijab.
‘Can I ask you something?’ Eric whispered, fizzing with anxiety. ‘Is it true what they say about Muslim grooming gangs?’
I sighed, weary at a right-wing narrative that’s now fuelling doubt in the community it seeks to demonise. It’s a live situation, unfolding in real time.
‘Yes, Eric,’ I replied, cautiously. ‘But it’s complex and toxic. Sex offenders of Muslim heritage DO exist, but they get outsize media attention. Waaaaaay more than white British groomers. AND it’s a social media shitstorm for clicks and clout.’
Eric could barely look at me. My careworn brain reeled with grisly memories of drunken, ugly fights wi...