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Key voices emerging on Street Grooming

One of the strongest rallying cries in recent years of groups on the far right, like the English Defence League (EDL) and British National party (BNP),  has been over what is now being called "Street Grooming."  Last Friday a series of prosecutions relating to child sex abuse in Telford, all a result of an investigation under the name Operation Chalice by West Mercia Police and involving seven men and possibly as many as 100 girls  came to conclusion. On Thursday the jury retired to consider the verdicts in the trial of nine men from Oxford in a case at the Old Bailey listing 66 offences and involving six girls. Thames Valley Police's Operation Bullfinch is still active and on Saturday an eleventh man was arrested; the list of girls involved is huge, and the stories heart rending. Other cases around the nation are under active investigation or proceeding to trial.

The cases mentioned here, and a wider group of similar investigations of "street grooming", involve men of Asian and Muslim background. The cry of the Far Right has been to say this is Muslim crime, sanctioned by Islam as a part of jihad, holy war against the white English Christian community, especially young girls  The popular narrative at that point dives back into the origins of Islam; the Prophet Muhammed's last wife Aisha was by some accounts six when she was betrothed and nine when the marriage was consumated. The line has developed that since Muslims are called to emulate the Prophet, they are all therefore paedophiles. It  is repeated at demos on placards and in chants, on social media sites and in graffitti, and is a closed and proven case in the narrative of the far right.

The tie up emerged in 2004 during campaigning for local and European elections around the UK when a documentary based in Bradford and Keighley named "Edge of the City" looked at claims that British Asian men were grooming under-age white schoolgirls for sex.  The BNP made gains on the back of the claims and the link has been continually made since.  And sadly no effective counter-narrative has emerged until now.

The spate of cases now coming to court, and the inevitability that they will again be exploited by the far right, has finally led to a coalition emerging to challenge the lies being perpetuated around street grooming and importantly to work againist it. Community Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation(CAASE) represents a broad range of Muslim groups, national and local, and is led by Islamic Society of Britian  with Shayke Ibrahim Mogra, deputy president of Muslim Council of Britain playing an active role. Joining them are Hope not Hate who have campaigned against the far right for many years, and whose intelligent community organising approach has been very effective in combatting both the electoral ambitions of the BNP and other far right parties, and the street based EDL. Recognising that the EDL feed off the extremist Islamic agenda frequently paraded by al-Muhajiroun's spins off groups like Muslims against Crusades, they have in recent years begun to challenge these groups and address issues that the far right build their suport around. Hence their leading role in this campaign. 

CAASE was launched at an event in Bradford on Friday. Among those speaking was the mother of a victim of street grooming from Keighley, Angela Sinfield.  Hope not Hate's director Nick Lowles wrote afterwards that:

Angela Sinfield's description of the abuse her daughter suffered and the impact that had on her and the rest of the family was one of the most emotional and haunting speeches I have ever heard. It really put the day into context and reminded us so vividly about why we were so keen to launch CASSE in the first place.

The intelligent and strategic approach to this campaign was well voiced by Julie Siddiqi, executive director of ISB, in a BBC article last week.  She said:

".... it was time for some very straight talking about a crime in which men from Muslim backgrounds are being implicated.

"I am willing to go as far as to say there does seem to be a pattern emerging of people from the same background and we need to be open about that and do something about it," she said.

"It's certainly not Islam telling them to do this but I think Muslim groups need to be at the forefront of looking at this issue.

"The facts and figures need to be much better on this. At the moment it's very easy for someone to say to me - which they do - that actually most of the perpetrators of child abuse in this country are white males.

"But this particular behaviour and way of going about it does seem to be related to people of a certain background."

 A significant contribution to the launch was made by Church of England Bishop of Bradford, Rt Rev Nick Baines. The Bradford Telgraph and Argus reported him as saying:

“I applaud this unprecedented meeting and commend the courage of the Muslim community in addressing this issue.

“They are taking a proactive stance and are willing to engage with such a difficult and sensitive subject rather than brushing it under the carpet.

“This is not a religious issue, but religious leaders have a responsibility and religious traditions have the resources to help tackle such issues, so I’m glad to offer a supportive role, along with that of the churches and the relevant specialist agencies.”

He wrote later on his blog:

"... This is a human problem and a male problem (principally). Yet, there is always a particular cultural context to every instance of such abuse. In West Yorkshire the pattern is broadly that online grooming is a white phenomenon, whilst street grooming is almost entirely the domain of Asian men.

My contribution was simply to commend the Asians and Muslims who have had the courage to grasp this difficult nettle. Demonstrating maturity and courage, bodies such as the Bradford Council for Mosques, the Bradford Muslim Women's Council and the Bradford Imams Forum have refused – against pressure from some who find it too hard to face the reality of such shameful criminality in their midst – to hide from their responsibility. When it comes to the particular forms of exploitation carried out by Asian men, then it is the Asian and Muslim communities that need to take the lead in addressing it.

This is not my line; rather, it is the line given to me by Asian Muslims. I will stand by them and support them, but they have to take the lead here. And they have recognised that if they don't shape how they handle this phenomenon, they will always be reacting defensively to the lead taken by those who wish to make political points out of the situation.

Yes, sexual grooming is not an 'Asian' issue; but, there is an Asian issue with grooming here in West Yorkshire and elsewhere. The particular must be addressed and not hidden behind the general. (Something the church knows a good deal about…)

Facing this challenge here in West Yorkshire requires mature and confident leadership – and we are seeing this emerge. ..."

Gracious and important words from a church leader supporting the Muslim community as they look at this issue.  We need to see a lot more instances like this.

Against the background of the regularly haunting news of fresh dimensions of the Saville-reated sexual abuse, and this weekend's news of the emergence of a historical abuse case involving a senior church of England cleric, it is patently foolish to exagerate the scale of abuse in the Asian or Muslim community. As Bishop Nick said, abuse is a human (and commonly male) issue, but it takes on various cultural patterns, and we each have a responsibility to tackle that part related to our own part of the community, and the patterns observed. And that is what is now happening, and that is what is so encouraging.

We can only hope that message is the one which ALL the media carry when the Oxford case reports this coming week. And after the Channel 4 documentary "The Hunt For Britain's Sex Gangs"  involving the Telford case shows  (23rd May, 9pm I understand). Whether the message that senior Muslim leaders are roundly condemning street grooming within their community gets through to the EDL or their allies is always going to be questionable.

Peace, Conflict and Reconciliation Workshop

Brothers and sisters in Shillong

It was great to be with you in these recent days. My heart has been touched by you, the region and the conflicted context in which you minister.  I'm still evaluating all I learnt.

The talks are available online to download - links to each talk below.  My apologies that the Q&A session recordings are not available. Also that talk 10 "God's heart for the nations and our search for Identity" which was based around my own work in Luton is proving difficult.

1. The Banquet
2. The Mountain of the Lord
3. Feet shod with the gospel of peace
4. Jesus way of making peace
5. Loving the enemy
6. Questions and answers - not recorded
7. Blessing the enemy in Babylon
8. My journey in reconciliation
9. The meeting point of grace and truth
10. God's heart for the nations and our search for Identity / Luton  Not currently available. (Problems exporting sound file.)
11. Questions and answers - not recorded
12. Breaking down dividing walls

Most of all it was my great privilege to share with you in a rehearsal for the future Banquet! 

A legacy of deep discord, doubt and despair? Or harmony, faith and hope?

So here are first thoughts on Margaret Thatcher, put together in response to a friends adulation.

As a young adult my first vote was in the 1979 election when Margaret Thatcher came to power. I was on an early journey of exploring the political scene, and had rejected the blind conservatism of my prosperous home town (an archetypical Tory powerbase) , and the socialist reaction brought about by being the product of rural poverty. My student years at Oxford coming to an end I had seen the worst of old school Tory elitism and the worst of a left wing socialism promoted there among its many varieties. I was horified at the potential of Thatcher and the alternative offered by the labour party, and stood paralysed in the voting booth. (I won't say which way I voted but my vote really did make a difference in a marginal seat.)

Watching the endless coverage here in the UK today of the conflicts between Unions and a  Government led by Thatcher of the early 1980's, years I knew well as an adult, and hearing the description of it as a fulfilment of the class warfare long anticipated, was deeply shocking. More shocking was seeing the impact in the industrial and mining heartlands of closures that had been driven following an ideological agenda as much as economic necessity. A resident interviewed stated: "There may have been need for action, but not at the expense of the decimation of communities. "

Claire Berlinski in her biography noted that Thatcher made an unsparing and comprehensive case against socialism. She notes how Thatcher thundered, ‘In the end the real case against socialism is not its economic inefficiency, though on all sides there is evidence of that. Much more fundamental is its basic immorality.’

I have no question of that. But was the free market she championed any more moral? Absolutely not. The impact in those communities bears witness to the fundamental a-morality of the market, and the exploitation of it by greed driven (unquestionably immoral) men. Moreover Thatcher's later deregulation of the City of London finacial sector in 1987 bore its ultimate fruit in the banking crises, collapses and scandals of 2008-9. The impact on the world economy in the past few years, and the consequent suffering is its bitter legacy.

There may be some here who honour all that, and more who out of decency will not hit out at a recently deceased woman, but the cynicism that is being voiced at her impact in our nation is deeply worrying. It is a cynicism not driven by socialism in most cases, it is a product of the care-free attitude to the bottom of society that is a product of her years of office.

She is being lauded as the most outspoken Christian leader in recent years. A Christian maybe, but how deep was the impact of that faith in how she pursued her ideology and its impact. A Christian solution is certainly not essentially a free market one. Nor is it a centrally managed one. It is far deeper, and those who evaluate her legacy in terms of twenty years of economic growth have a very short term view.

I am afraid I cringe every time I hear her words as she took office:

"Where there is discord, may we bring harmony.

Where there is error, may we bring truth.

Where there is doubt, may we bring faith.

And where there is despair, may we bring hope.”

I love that song, and the words of the prayer of St Francis that inspired it. and I was tempted to hope when she uttered them on May 4th 1979.

But remembering that moment today I have a very different response. Her years were not marked by harmony, faith or hope among many. Her legacy is of deep discord, doubt and despair.

Hatred is never justified.

Yesterday a group callled Tell Mama reported some shocking figures.  The Rising Scourge of Anti-Muslim Hatred  gives a perspective on the 632 cases of anti-Muslim hate crime reported in the first year of its work. In a non-provocative yet direct article the UK's first unit for reportng anti-Muslim hate crime states:

Our work ... reveals a disturbing picture of low-level anti-Muslim harassment: incidents in the workplace, in the street, between neighbours and particularly online, which may not always hit the headlines but can have a devastating effect on peoples’ lives. From the internet, to the workplace, the street and even houses of worship, too often Muslim women and men are becoming the target of vicious, sometimes violent, abuse.

It could be argued that 75% of the cases were "only" on social media. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words [names] can never hurt me" said the nursery rhyme we learnt as children. Sadly that wasn't my experience. Cruel words turned me inward, created anger, left scars I still guard tday. Words are powerful. But words also speak out what one thinks, and  thoughts reflect possible intent. If only one in every thousand lead to actions that is too much hatred unleashed in our society.  If only it were one in a thousand.  The sad fact is that while 75%  of attacks were on social media, the remainder were face to face verbal assaults, attacks on persons and attacks on homes and mosques. 

One attack on vulnerable Muslims in our society is unacceptable. Over 600 attacks says something is very wrong.  For those attacks to be made in the pretence of defending our culture woud be a joke if it wasn't so horrible. To claim as some do that they are defending our Christian heritage is wrong. And evil.

 

 

 

"I want to be an England fan and a Muslim. Why's that so hard?"

A poignant cry from Nooruddean Choudry in the Guardian.

as a British Muslim, I am unsettled by the sight of England supporters dressed as Christian knights and jovially waving Crusader shields at the European championships in Poland and Ukraine. Footage of last night's cagey opener with France was interspersed with close-ups of young men dressed in the armour of Knights Templar hordes. There's an irony in the fact that images of Polish supporters chanting antisemitic slogans and giving Nazi salutes have been met with such deserved outrage, but to brandish a sword and recall the brutal and bloody invasion of Muslim lands is portrayed as harmless banter.

Euro 2012: I want to be an England fan and a Muslim. Why's that so hard? | Nooruddean Choudry | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk.

He is clear he doesn't think the fans mean to offend. But:

... for Muslims they are remembered as two centuries of brutal and unprovoked attacks on Arab lands. To celebrate this in fancy dress recalls a bloody and divisive chapter in Muslim-Christian relations ...

We have seen already seen BBC's Panorama "Stadiums of Hatred" revealing shocking new evidence of racist violence and anti-semitism at the heart of Polish and Ukrainian footbal; been troubled by monkey chants now in both practice and games; and seen shocking scenes of Polish and Russian fans clashing before their game tonight.  So is it not a bit churlish to focus on centuries old memories?

I don't think so. It doesn't take a Muslim to be sensitive to these painful cultural memories.  I am not calling for political correctness to rise up again.This is not about rules and regulations, its rather about being sensitive to how people feel about things like that.  Too often now on our streets that same garb is to be found at English Defence League (EDL)  demonstrations, and so to be associated with the anger, hatred and violence of that movement to Muslims. Bearing in mind the regular cry of the EDL for Muslims to integrate it is therefore rather ironic that for Choudry at least it works the other way. 

... I am sure the whole Crusader-fancy-dress-thing is done in all innocence. But in the context of the English Defence League and their anti-Islam rhetoric it doesn't exactly fill me with patriotic fervour. It makes me feel Muslim, rather than English, and I'd much rather feel both.

I am reminded of the way that in Northern Ireland the continued memorialisation of the bitter moments of history Orange Parades and bonfires around July 12th, and murals around the city,  all work against reconciliation and integration.  The impact of Choudry's comment piece then is to leave us with a greater challenge than merely dealing with racism and the far right in football. We have to create new stories and symbols speaking of our mulicultural society that find their way to the heart of the culture of the terraces.  

Sikhs, Muslims … and the EDL.

This past week once again community tensions in Luton made the news.   At the heart of the story was an allegation that “a 19 year-old Sikh woman … was reportedly beaten and sexually … by a "Muslim man". Not satisfied that the police were treating the issue seriously  enough, a large group from the Sikh community held a meeting and moved on to protest on the road outside Luton police station.  ( In the Telegraph: Luton: local Sikh community protesting over 'sex attack police failures' ; and in the local Luton News: Sikhs protest outside Luton Police station over ‘assault’ allegations )   Reports that the English Defence League were seeking to use the situation to promote their own focus on “Muslim paedophile grooming” raised the tensions, but the next day a series of meetings led to a lessening of tensions. (BBC Lookeast has Luton Sikh-Muslim protest: 'Positive' police meeting; the news item is available on youtube.  A follow up piece with an interview with Luton's Muslim community leader Zafar Kahn on Lookeast Thursday evening does not appear to be available.)

Another story involving tension among Luton's faith communities caused BBC Lookeast presenter Stewart White to ask Zafar Kahn on Thursday evening whether Luton really was in harmony?  This has become a regular question, and one which is poignantwhenever a story looks set to challenge our two and a half year old project Luton in Harmony. (I have written about it here.)  My response to is regular question is twofold. We are not so blind to think we have no challenges, clearly that wouldn't be convincing.  However there is a lot more good news out there than we get credit for, bearing in mind the diversity of the town. And second, when we have problems we work hard to face them. Luton in Harmony is not a spin operation, but an ongoing project and a commitment.

So what did Luton in Harmony look like this past week?  These are my notes of the week, a little modified to make sense to an audience:

Tuesday evening - I was not at the main protest, but heard of it after an evening out. I understand there were maybe 200 people;  the report of 20 EDL present was probably generous from reports I got. EDL leaders Stephen Yaxley Lennon ("Tommy Robinson") and Kevin Carrol were both there.  I arrived at the Gurdwara at about 10.30pm , some 500 metres from the police station where the protest was held.  The crowd had just been moved back to there, loosely contained by police, in part to keep them apart  from some wandering young members of the Muslim community.  Lennon was still there, working the crowd.  He knows me and came over, saying something like “See, they [gesturing to Bury Park, about 300 metres away) shouldn’t be allowed on the streets, dirty paedos. ….” He went to leave soon after and as he did was clearly talking to his main contacts among the Sikhs.  These were not community or religious leaders I know, nor younger mainstream community activists. He had apparently not been officially invited to the earlier community meeting by anyone in leadership, but he had been asked to come by someone. He clearly was seeking to widen his relationship base, but in my opinion it was pretty clear he was not well linked in.  There were Sikhs there from Birmingham and London. Possibly others.  Everyone was dispersing by time I left at 11.45.

Wednesday am - An early meeting of Muslim community and religious leaders initiated by the Chair of Luton Council of Faiths (and with all the key groupings of Mosques present) agreed to initiate a meeting with Sikh leaders.  A small number visited the Gurdwara to start the process – to offer sympathy , regret and concern, open up an agenda for conversation, and build confidence.  Early and frequent interfaith engagement at times like this is key, and throughout the day good and close interfaith relations were demonstrated on many occasions.

The media were outside the Magistrates Court  from first thing.  There was a strong but low key [public order] police presence.  Soon after  10.30 when I arrived it was confirmed that the Muslim lad had been charged and  hearing would be in the afternoon.   Kevin Carrol turned up soon after and not long afterwards community leader Jaswinder Singh Nagra. He told Carrol EDL were not welcome. When asked who had invited him to be there he could name no names.  He withdrew and called Lennon. He hung around and then left.  I did not see him again, and though I was around court several times contrary to reports there was no obvious EDL presence after that, even when the court case was finished.   

 I had meetings elsewhere, but after that met up with the Assistant Minister of St Marys Luton, and we returned to the court.  We spoke again to a few Sikhs outside, learned some more. We then went to the Gurdwara to offer sympathy and concern from the Christian Community.   We were welcomed by many, and offered the usual gracious hospitality and langar.  

Wednesday pm -- After lunch I joined the community leader Jaswinder Singh Nagra along with a group of some 20 in going to the court to be there for the court appearance.  There were no EDL present. The feeling on the public gallery in court was tense, and more so when the defendant entered.  The explicit nature of the witness statements understandably caused upset and led to a call for order from the magistrates. Fortunately everyone was quiet after that - being thrown out of court would not have helped emotions.

The immediate hearing was to hear the charge and fix a trial date and then assess bail. The charge was common assault; aparently the alleged victim would not press for any more than being held and injured. Witness statements indicate sexual assault or more, but if she won’t allow more the police cannot go further.   Most information came out as the prosecution argued that bail, usual for a common assault, be denied due to potential danger to the victim and family and to the defendant due to community anger. The magistrtaes bench gave bail with regular reporting  and curfew by electronic tagging  at an address away from Luton.  The Sikh community very angry – but many did understand that it was not possible to do more in circumstances. On leaving there was no indication of protest by EDL – it was raining hard at the time!

Wednesday evening -- A meeting hosted at the Gurdwara, chaired by Zafar Kahn of Luton Council of Faiths and with some 35 Sikh and Muslim religious and community leaders  and a few from Council of Faiths led to very open, honest and gracious dialogue, and agreed a working group to monitor this issue and look at actions forward from here. Allegations of police inaction will be discussed. Lasted just short of two hours.  Very positive, and a warm and friendly meal afterwards. Police and council had offered to attend but it was felt that with them, and local councillors, it would become political. Groups will meet subsequently with them.

Police and council had prepared for a large operation in event of another expected protest, and I had a team of community mediators on call.  However it was clear from all i was hearing was that there was already a growing confidence and any protest was being called off.  I drove around afterwards and all was quiet. No sign of EDL..

Some observations:

First, there was a real issue, and one that seemed be reinforced by previous history of community relations. It needed to be taken seriously. Icannot comment on whether the early response of the police was quick enough, but they and the community are loooking at the mattter

Second, the EDL have been seeking since their beginning to exploit historical issues between Muslims and other faith groups.  Their claimed  allegiance with the Sikhs was for a long time mainly through activist Guramit Singh, but increased community opposition and a statement, and Guramit’s departure has removed that.  I have heard rumours locally they have been seeking to cultivate the Sikhs but this was evidence of a link with a least a few.

Third, the Current EDL focus on Muslim grooming and paedophilia means that they are likely to try again to exploit community tensions over cross community relationships as well as more any rumour of organised grooming gangs.  They clearly make no differentiation between the two, though we know there are very different issues involved. 

Fourth, the capacity of structures and relationships in the town to quickly bridge comunities was key. Luton Council of Faiths has fifteen years of history (in its present form and its precursor) and was able to facilitate early conversations .  Those conversations need to be resilient enough to allow honest talking.  The very quick response of the Muslim community in Luton to talk about it and then meet with the Sikhs once again cut off the opportunity for the EDL to exploit this.

Fifthly, we need to remember that the EDL are regularly raising issues that do have some substance. We cannot ignore those, but we must not either be steered by their agenda. When these issues arise we need to act to take the sting out of their tail as quickly as possible.

NB:  The views here are my own and do not represent any of the above organisations or individuals.

 

Integration at last .... and Luton is praised!

We've been waiting a long time to discover what's at the heart of  the coalition government's wisdom on this ...

A big lunch, making music together .... so says the Guardian. Eric Pickles puts Big Lunch at heart of effort to unite communities

The English language and Christian faith ... says the Mail. 'We need community cohesion': Ministers' pledge to end era of multiculturalism by appealing to 'sense of British identity'

What the engaging Communities Secretary actually thinks is in the new Integration strategy here: Creating the Conditions for Integration. I haven't read it all, so I am not going to commment yet, as it would be easy to dismiss it and to be honest there does appear to be some good common sense in it.  

Not least among its good points is that Luton is singled out for praise!

We strongly encourage the different local partners to work together to drive action and to learn from each other in promoting integration and challenging extremism. Local authorities are well placed to take a leading role working through existing partnerships with the police, other agencies and the business and voluntary sectors.

Local areas need to create opportunity for all and tackle disadvantage by promoting economic regeneration. Alongside this they should ensure that extremist narratives are robustly challenged, that groups and individuals promoting division and prejudice are not implicitly endorsed by engagement or use of public buildings and that early interventions take place in order to protect vulnerable individuals. There have already been many excellent examples of locally-led action to build integration and challenge extremism. For example, both Luton Borough Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council have worked closely with community leaders, the police and politicians in their respective areas to address the problems caused by English Defence League (EDL) marches and protests. Luton hosted a national event alongside the police to help other local areas handle difficult protests involving extreme groups. We are exploring options with these two councils for them to jointly establish and lead a national special interest group to help local areas share experiences and best practice and promote locally driven action.

One cannot do other than take this as a recognition of good practice - and I believe we deserve it. But one cannot help but feel it must be yet another mark of contriteness for the appaling timing demonstrated in delivery of David Cameron's "Multiculturalism has failed" speech in Munich on February 5th, the day Luton was having to deal with  a large EDL demonstration.  We got a first dose of humble pie when Nick Clegg was allowed to deliver a speech here a few weeks later where he gave us quite a different view from Mr Camerons. We got another dose when a group from the DCLG came to talk to us about the emerging Integration Policy in July. They did actually ask us what we thought as well!  Whether it was our input, or  the differences of approach  in the coalition that delayed the policy (more likely I suspect) the fact that we are mentioned is rather pleasing. Not least that it mentions the role of community leaders.

We'll see what it says -- when we have time aside from actually getting on and dealing with the challenges of life -- and integration -- here ....

... which were admirably portrayed last night on BBC Three by Luton born and bred shop assistant turned minor celeb Stacey Dooley in "My Home Town Fanatics: Stacey  Dooley investigates".

Oh, and by the way, without prejudging the report, I do believe eating together is very important in building community. As is making music. And speaking English. And an acknowledgement of the Christian heritage of the British Isles.  But I believe there is more.

 

 

 

It's often the small things that make for peace ...

..... Like saying Happy Birthday!! Or celebrating a day that is special to your neighbours. Or telling a parent how proud they must be of their chuldren.

Its recently been the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, a festival known as Mawlid or Milad. The Sunni Muslim community celebrated it on 4th February this year; the Shia do so 5 days later on 9th February. Its a time of rejoicing and food -- just like a birthday party should be! In Luton the Muslim community have been celebrating it with a parade through Bury Park for some years, but this year for the first time they made their way all the way to the Town Hall where a number of people were invited to speak. It was a very happy and peaceful occasion - as it should be!

I was invited to speak, along with the MP's, the deputy mayor, and a member of Luton Council of Faiths. Now I am not a Muslim, I'm a deeply committed Christian, but I work on the basis that there is nothing wrong with honouring your friends and neighbours by treating their special days as important. I don't see that as compromise!  On such occasions I go as I am, a Christian lay-leader speaking from the heart of my faith, and a peacemaker speaking about peace.

So thats what I did, and this is what I said:

Asalam Alaykum!

And in the language of my own worship liturgy: May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you!

It's a privilege to be with you today. The words I just used have formed a part of Christian worship for 2000 years and they express something of our own contribution to this special occasion. For in exchanging those words with one another at a central place in worship, we recognise the divine call to live as a church community in peace and unity; and to extend that peace to the wider community around us. Indeed as I left church this morning I was reminded of that call by words engraved in glass doors at our entrance: "Live at peace with all!"

It's so good to share this occasion with so many friends. And to enjoy the peaceful relationship to which both of our faiths call us. It is a testimony to that way of peace that we can honestly say we have seen peace triumph in the midst of conflict here in Luton.

Peace for me, and I believe for you, is not something passive, but is something we work at. Indeed my response to the accusation that Luton is a breeding ground of extremism, is to say I prefer to see it as a workshop for peace. And it is particularly appropriate that where some try to draw the battle lines between our faiths, that we turn that accusation upside down and instead we look to the central teaching of our faiths that promote peace, that call for mutual understanding in our of diversity, that command neighbourliness, and which encourage friendship!

My greetings to you all.

In fact its very similar to the start of a talk I  gave to a large number of young Muslims in April 2011 on peace. (I am not blogging much so its only two pieces down.) And its the heart of what I say so often. Its what I believe passionately -- that Christians and Muslims are called by the respective faiths to live in peace as neighbours, and more importantly that it is possible.

So much of it is about simple things like celebrating a birthday or a special occasion. Or saying nice things about someone's kids.

I did that a few years ago, and its one of the things that has won me a voice in the Muslim community. I was leading a workshop at an interfaith youth conference. There were youth groups from different faiths there. And in the conversations in workshops I was very impressed by a small group of young Muslim young men and young women.  So I told their youth leader. His face shone. He grasped my hands. And he and his group have never forgotten it. It cost me nothing, but it won a lot of friends.

Guess how I was introduced today?!

Peacebuilding involves some very easy and straightforward stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

Another world of difference

I've been missing being among many men who wear beards and women who wear veils, who dress distinctively and who maintain a life that is somewhat distinct from the majority in our town. Yes, I have been away from Luton over two weeks now, and I miss my Muslim friends.

But the last two days have made up for that.

We've been spending a couple of days in northwest Indiana in the US where there is a large number of Amish people, and other related Christian groups who live simply and preserve a somewhat distinct way of life to the majority of society. The Amish and their Mennonite cousins have always fascinated me, and since I spent a very happy three days staying with an Amish family a few years ago they have inspired me.

But they look so different. I sat looking around me this afternoon as we found ourselves at a pony auction, with all kinds of associated activities, and I sneeked a picture of the group sitting opposite me. (They don't like having a picture taken but a general shot like this was OK.) 

Take a look at the picture. Maybe click on it to enlarge it and study faces. What does the men's hat and beard or the woman's traditional bonnet say to you? What do the men's braces and baggy trousers, the women's modest dresses and sobre colours say about them? And behind the clothes lies a culture that does not tolerate drunkeness (and rarely drinks), that maintains very conservative sexual ethics, and does not use cars or electricity. They are easy to misunderstand, to criticise, to dismiss as irrelevant.

Yet from my three days among them, asking so many questions I must have driven my hosts mad, I found them to be a joyful and deeply faith-filled people. Their choice to live out their Christian faith emphasising a relatively simple lifestyle, a strong commitment to community, and a rejection of violence and war and commitment to peace was a deep source of inspiration to me. These are the treasure I found among those often called "the plain people."

Its easy to miss the point. The Amish have most recently been shown in the UK through a Channel four series, "The World's Squarest Teenagers"  (you can see fragments  on Youtube and follow the associated pages). To those who were around to see movies a generation ago, Witness was our first sight of these people. Watching either its easy to mock.  But many find the way of life and faith, even as portrayed by Holywood,  touches them and leave a mark deep inside.

I could write much more about these dear people.  My journey as a peacemaker has been marked by the teaching on peace of the Mennonite believers who went before. But for now to do so would be to miss the point of my afternoon's reflections.  I am challenged once again to look behind the beard and head covering, beyond the behaviours that are different, and to not let difference get in the way of relationship. 

And that is the challenge I must take home with me. 

 

 

"The Mercy of Diversity": A Christian speaks to Muslims on Peace

A talk I gave tonight at an event run by Radical Middle Way ( event on Facebook) in Luton.  I was invited to contribute a Christian perspective to discussion about peace, difference and cohesion with  two reputed Muslim scholars - one was Habib Umar bin Hafiz, a Yemeni and Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad.  Seemed to be well received!

And overall a good evening. Habib Umar bin Hafiz was clearly well loved and well received.  A privilege to share platform with him.

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Asalam Alaykum!

And in the language of my own worship liturgy: May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you!

These are words which have formed a part of Christian worship for 2000 years and which express something of our own contribution to the topic this evening. For in exchanging those words with one another at a central place in worship, we recognise the divine call to live as a church community in peace and unity; and to extend that peace to the wider community around us.

It's a privilege to be with you this evesning, and especially participate with you learned gentlemen, and also my valued Muslim friends and colleagues in Luton. Our relationship has grown amidst the challenge of conflict around us here in Luton over these past two years. It is a testimony to the ways of peace to which we are called by our respective faiths that I believe we can say we have seen peace triumph in the midst of conflict. 

Peace for me, and I believe for you, is not something passive, but is something we work at. Indeed my response to the accusation that Luton is a breeding ground of extremism, is to say I prefer to see it as a workshop for peace. And it is particularly appropriate that in a conflict where some try to draw the battle lines between our faiths, that we turn that accusation upside down and instead we look to the central teaching of our faiths that promote peace, that call for mutual understanding in the place of diversity, that command neighbourliness, and which encourage friendship!

I am not here this evening to deliver a lecture on Christian theology. But I do want to say enough that everyone leaving here will have been reminded again that at the heart of the Christian faith is a message of peace. I want to refer to two scriptures that come from the Hebrew Bible, our so called Old Testament, from the writings of the prophet Isaiah, or as I believe you say it, Esh'eaa. These passages I believe inspire us to action.

The first passage, in Isaiah 2.2-5 is speaking of a time when all the peoples of the earth would come seeking God, asking that He teach them how to live according to His laws. Prominent among those ways is the pathway of peace:

He will judge between the nations, and settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Very powerful and inspiring words. This was a vision that guided the church in its first 300 years, before somehow that message became subverted into the idea that the church could spread its message by the sword. And from that came the crusades, the ultimate negation of the true heart of Christian faith. We still live today with the legacy of that message of hate, and are reminded of it regularly by the so called English Defence League who often carry the symbols of the crusades. I want to say again, very clearly, that I deeply regret and totally reject the message and actions of the the crusades which has done so much to drive rifts between faiths, nations and peoples.

Instead I look to the vision laid before us by Isaiah -- a bold hope that we would humble ourselves before God and learn His way of peace. It can happen in this town. If all the Christians of Luton would simply seek to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ on how to live peaceable lives it would make a lot of difference. But what about you who are Muslims? Some would say its takes two to make peace. True -- but since one of the ways of peace that Jesus taught is to look in the mirror at your own faults, rather than point the finger at the other person's faults, I will stop there. It is for your community to take responsibility for its problems; we have enough of our own to handle.

I find other keys to peace in the teaching of Jesus that are really just as simple.

• Be quick to apologise if you have done wrong.
• Be quick to forgive when someone apologises to you.
•  Pray for your enemies and those who do bad to you.
•  Dont be quick to judge others.

Little things, but they are oil that smooths things along when two cultures, two lifestyles meet and inevitably experience friction. And there are many, many such encounters every day in our town -- not deliberate, just a result of difference.  And as a person who helps people sort out their conflicts I know that it is often these little things that lead to the bigger issues in conflict.

In summary, the picture we have from Isaiah inspires us to live gracious lives that make peace real.

Second I look to another forward looking passage. In Isaiah 25.6-9 the prophet speaks of God hosting a magnificent banquet for all nations!! It will be a day when tears will be wiped away, shame covered over, and death destroyed. And we as people from all nations would banquet together!! I find it interesting that this picture of the future is not of people bowed in prayer or worship, but of people eating and celebrating!

Its a simple picture but one that inspires me. I don't pretend to be doing God's future work for him. But I want to take hold of that picture and be inspired by it now. I want to see lots of little rehearsals, people of different nations, language, ethnicity and culture sitting down at table, talking, enjoying friendship. Here we move beyond the focus on the teaching of God's ways to a focus on us being humans together - eating, learning, understanding, celebrating!!

Quite honestly I am challenged by this second picture. I believe it calls us to look for ways to deepen our relationships, our understanding , our friendships -- across the faith divide. Many of us get on well at work, at college, over the wall with our neighbour, in the shops, etc. But because we have different customs and values and rules, and different lifestyles, where do we go where relationships can go deeper, where we can socialise, or have fun together. We lack those shared social spaces. There is still nervousness about going to another person's home, about inviting someone to ours. That's understandable. Maybe we are not there yet. But in the absence of shared social space that means there is often something missing that limits relationships. It means we have to be much more intentional in order for relationships to deepen beyond a certain place. Yet try we must if we are to take seriously the challenge of that second scripture.

We are called to peace. But if we are to be true to our respective faiths we cannot deny we are different, and that peace must work itself out despite the reality of our difference. My faith proclaims beliefs and certainties that conflict with the beliefs and certainties of your faith. Some use that as grounds to say we cannot be friends, we cannot trust each other; some would go so far as to say we must always be seeking to convince each other of the truth of our way. I am sometimes challenged by fellow Christians along those lines. And I am sure you experience that too. But if we are to be true to the full call of our faith we need to learn to be good neighbours, living at peace with one another; to be good citizens, working together for the best of our community and town; and we need to know how to share about our faith in a way that promotes peace. In my mind thatsharing of faith takes place best in the context of already existing relationships and friendships. I love to get to know more about Islam from my Muslim friends; it doesn't threaten me; and I love to share about my faith.

To conclude. We are different. And I love that!! I love the title you have given to this event, The Mercy of Diversity. God in His mercy made us different. And in that difference we can live together in peace, if we draw from the central teaching of our faith.

I hope I have shown you of the importance of that for Christians.  Thank you.