Key facts
- Masked gangs targeted homes and businesses in Belfast, with two Sudanese families having their homes broken into and cars burned.
- A Syrian supermarket was destroyed for the second time in two years during the riots.
- The Anaka women's collective, comprising women from diverse backgrounds, organized efforts to shelter over 200 families and individuals.
- Organizers utilized WhatsApp groups and a database to relocate those affected by the violence.
- The attacks are described as racist, targeting individuals perceived as foreign, following a stabbing incident.
- Despite fear, organizers Areej Fareh and Twasul Mohammed stated they will not leave Belfast, believing in the city's good people.
Two Sudanese women, Areej Fareh and Twasul Mohammed, have emerged as key figures in organizing community support during recent riots in Belfast. The violence, which erupted following a stabbing incident, saw masked gangs targeting individuals perceived as foreign, leading to homes being broken into, burned, and businesses destroyed. The Sham supermarket, owned by Syrian refugees Mohammed and Sultan, was devastated for the second time in two years.
Amidst a perceived absence of state support, Fareh and Mohammed, through their collective Anaka, mobilized to provide refuge and assistance to over 200 families and individuals. They utilized personal networks and databases to find safe housing for those displaced by the attacks. Both women have prior experience with political activism in Sudan, having organized against the regime of Omar al-Bashir.
Fareh noted a significant shift in her sense of safety in Belfast since the attacks, contrasting it with her earlier years in the city. Despite the fear and the fact that the initial stabbing involved a fellow Sudanese national, the organizers are determined not to succumb to a narrative of collective punishment and refuse to be driven out by racist elements.