Praying and working for the peace of this city (1)

Last night I was reflecting on army homecoming march and the demonstrations in Luton. Reporting Luton: strengthening the stereotype?  

The town has today featured high in the news.  eg on the BBC Reaction to parade protest  and on ITV Anglia evening news programme. (only available until 6pm Thursday). The latter had more on the story, reactions from local residents, and interviews with the Luton Borough Council Chief Executive Kevin Crompton  and Chair of the Luton Council of Mosques, Fiaz Hussain. It ended with a note of hope by the presenter that after a number of visits to Luton for difficult events, the town seems to have a remarkable ability to bounce back.

Fiaz Hussain, who has been interviewed several times on behalf of the Luton Council of Mosques, makes clear the position of the very large majority of Muslims in the town very clear. Their Press Release reads: 

LCM Condemns Hotheads “Welcoming” of British Soldiers

The Luton Council of Mosques (LCM), the representative body for the Muslims of Luton and surrounding areas, strongly condemns and totally disassociates itself from the behaviour of a few ego-centred individuals during the return parade of soldiers. Their actions were ill-advised and wholly misguided.

Although the Iraq war is viewed by many British people (Muslim or not) as being unjust, the soldiers cannot be held responsible for the decisions made by the Government. Indeed, if anything, the protesters should be using their resources to utilise the democratic process to air their grievances. Attacking the soldiers who have risked their lives for our country and the right for all of us to have the freedom we enjoy cannot and is not correct.

It appears this tiny minority will stop at nothing to get attention. They have tried unsuccessfully in the past to disrupt the Holocaust Memorial Day and the Luton Faith Walk – events which are aiming to enhance understanding and value of all citizens irrespective of their faith. The LCM has always been supportive of all initiatives that brings communities together and improves understanding and respect. We therefore entirely reject any message that causes discord and discomfort in community relations.

Luton Council of Mosques is the representative body for the Muslims resident in Luton and surrounding areas.  ( Download Press Release )

In a few words, Luton Muslims may not be the biggest fans of the Iraq war, but they are not going to act like we saw on Tuesday about it.  To reinforce the view of the normal state of things. A couple of days ago I was going to write about an event the Christian forum hosted here at the largest mosque in Bury park: Bury Park partners . That has now been superseeded except to say that the sort of thing described there is the norm of life here, and the events of Tuesday are the exception.

We must say then that however appalling the words of the people demonstrating on Tuesday, it is the view of a very small minority. Which reallu does set in perspective all that appaears in the press.

For example:  Luton, a breeding ground for militants lists the usual suspects in our Luton Hall of Fame, tells a few stories and then says:

Exactly why Luton has produced such a sucession of extremists remains unclear, although some believe deprivation and unemployment are among the factors.

To be honest, a large community gathered into a comparatively small area of town; a community of Kashmiris with grievance, including against the Brits over a mess up during the partition of India in 1947; deprivation; closeness ot London, ideas and national and international transport; and a bit of randomness thrown in give me plenty of reason to not need to question further. That is apart from to seek to do whatever I can to redress any or all of these through my life, example and work.

Which brings us to Melanie Philips, unsurprisingly with something to say in the Daily Mail:   Labour's disastrous policy is radicalising a whole new generation of Muslims.   She doesn't really have a lot to say about the Luton situation, apart from to identify the Muslim group and its Luton leader. Most is an attack on the governments policy on violent extremism. She does go on to challenge seek to focus on ideology over and above grievances as the driving force of Islamic extremism:

The reason behind the government’s disastrously misguided approach is the refusal by ministers and the security establishment to acknowledge that the driver of Islamist extremism is not ‘grievances’ but religious ideology.  That ideology threatens the freedom and security no less of those many British Muslims who have nothing to do with such extremism and who want to sign up to British values just like everyone else.

Maybe it could just possibly be both? Grievances, personal experience, pain, strengthening and empowering ideology. Ideology that explains and give smeaning to grievances, personal experience and pain. Listen to people and they usually describe some of their story, and ideas that run with it. Sometimes the pain of their story may not be their own, it may be others or the community story.  Lets try and move past the simple causation, one size fits all, approach to life.

And just in case we thought they might go away: Muslim group pledges more anti-war protests against soldiers. 

"Whenever the troops come we will be demonstrating," said spokesman Anjem Choudary, although he added that it depended on whether the organisation could "get the numbers".

Which rather shows how small the group is, especially away from its heartland in places like Luton.

So, that is where the Muslims are at. We cannot take it for granted that they will stay at that point. It depends on how things go.  The composition of their community (as any community) is not two rigid groups, say "good guys" and "bad guys". The community is very much a continuum, probably shaped more like an elaborately curved urn than a pryamid. The thin bottom represnts those who are comfortable around me, relate easily, etc.  The fat middle represnts many people of good will, who can be drawn towards me yet equally can be drawn towards others of less positive intent. There are then the few who are more radical, and at the top the very fringe extreme. But again, the whole thing is fluid. The more people are drawn down, the less easy it is for the extreme to survive intact; it is literally undermined as everyone moves down.

Yet

It is sadly the fact that the reaction to events like Tuesday’s lead to alienation and further emotion and anger among the community that the extremities play on and use to draw more to themselves.

 I will look tomorrow at the state of play in the whirte right community.