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Luton troubles - the action and some first thoughts

A strange silence hung over Luton when I walked along George Street at 5pm this afternoon. Its been like that several times in recent months. Small groups of police were everywhere, and there were riot vans in good numbers. A helicopter hovering over Bury Park , the main Muslim area, broke that silence and with occasional police vans speeding in that direction, it was obviously the place I needed to be.

As I walked

Luton: Riot police break up mob

Luton was today the scene of a very heavy police presence, amidst fears that the extreme British nationalists / anti-Muslim extremists / islamophobes / Facists / English Defence league  / BNP would be demonstrating. Choose the name you will, but they had threatened us with their presence. 

While the expected trouble makers didn't show,

Dawkins wants to convert Islamic world to evolution

I am thinking this may be a bridge too far for him ...

Professor Richard Dawkins wants to convert Islamic world to evolution - Times Online.

None of Professor Dawkins’ books, on evolution as well as religion, has ever been translated into Arabic, and his work has been heavily censored in Turkey. In an interview with The Times, he said that popularising evolution in the Islamic world, where creationist beliefs are strong, was a challenge he is keen to take up. “To be a bestseller in a Muslim country would be a personal triumph,” he said.

Sharing differences & discovering common purpose and friendship during Ramadan in Luton

I just spent an hour chatting to my friend Fiaz on Radio Ramadan Luton.

It was an enjoyable time. Dr Fiaz Hussain chairs the Luton Council of Mosques, and he and I have got to know each other well as we have worked together a lot over these nine months - ever since cooperation between Jews and Muslims in Luton's Holocaust Memorial Day event (In Luton, Muslims, Jews & people of all faith commemorate Holocaust together) was threatened by events in Gaza, and then as we have sought to address community tension that emerged after the Royal Anglian Homecoming Parade on March 10th (multiple posts here ). In particular we stood together giving leadership to Christians and Muslims call for Peace in Luton.

Once again we were talking

Luton demos by EDL and associates banned by Home Secretary.

Demonstrations in Luton by the English Defence League  ( EDL ) or their associate groups, offspring of this years extreme nationalist islamophobic uprising, have been banned for the next three months by the Home Secretary.

Fears of further violence prompt march ban ( Luton news ) and Safety fears prompt marching ban  (BBC)

The Council, the Police and many residents have been petitioning the Home Secretary for a definitive ban, and yesterday

Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity

I am continually drawn back to this. If the work I and many others are about in intercultural peacebuilding is to have any authority, I have to be serious about similar issues of division, racism, injustice and so on, differently expressed, in the church. Soong-Chan Rah speaks to this subject with a real authority. The book has gone on my wish list. 

The Next Evangelicalism: Interview with Soong-Chan Rah, Part 1 - Edward Gilbreath - God’s Politics Blog.

Muslim comment on death of Christians in Pakistan

The death of eight Christians in Pakistan is a major crime. So says the Muslim Chair of the Christian Muslim Forum in a strong statement condemning recent Attacks on Christians in Pakistan.

The inhumane attacks on the homes of Pakistani Christians which resulted in the deaths of eight people is a major crime. Senior Muslim scholars from Pakistan personally known to me, have unambiguously condemned this as a serious crime, and a sin. They have shown their solidarity and extended hands of friendship to the bereaved Christian families.

Musharraf Hussain, director of the Karamia Institute  has strong words to the Pakistani government to do all it can to prevent recurrence of this sort of attack, as well as an appeal to the British government to take positive action in promoting trust building and peace and reconciliation amongst Christians and Muslims in Pakistan.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is founding Patron of the Christian Muslim Forum and put out his own statement today: Archbishop condemns atrocities in Pakistan.

The attack and burning is shown on YouTube.   It happened after there were allegations that members of the Christian community had desecrated a Koran. The BBC has the basic story: Pakistan Schools shut over unrest)  Time today has a good article looking at the background: Pakistan: Who's attacking the Christians.  Ruth Gledhill blogged on the story a few days ago with a lot of details of the Christian context.

Returning to Muslim community, comment at a national level in Britain is lacking. Musharraf Hussain is on the Muslim Council of Britian, but sadly that body has not yet made a comment on the Pakistani tragedy. The Telegraph comments on the Archbishop's statement, and laments a Muslim voice in Britain: Archbishop condemns persecution of Christians while Muslims stay quiet

Across the pond,the Islamic Society of N America has put out a press release:  ISNA Condemns the Anti Christian Riots in Pakistan

...The alleged insult to the Qur'an, real or rumored, is being exaggerated to incite anger in the common people.  This shameful behavior does not do justice to the healing message of respect and love for Christians and people of other faiths given by the Qur'an.  The correct way to uphold respect for the Qur'an is to show respect for human life and solidarity with the poor and the weak.

It was ISNA who just had Rick warren speaking at their big annual conference. (blogged by me here:  Rick Warren addresses N American Muslims)  Talking and being nice to one another really does seem to make a difference - surprise, surprise!

I personally very much welcome the comment by Musharraf Hussain as well as ISNA. I understand why its hard for the Muslim community to comment but it makes my work a whole lot easier and I can look my fellow Christians in the eye when I know something has been said to condemn this sort of incident. It was the same Christian Muslim Forum who contributed to that a few weeks ago with their staement on Muslim Chritian mutual witness: Ethical Witness  which I posted on here: Ethical Guidelines for Christian and Muslim Witness in Britain

Personally I think we need to hear more from people like the Christian Muslim Forum, and papers like the Telegraph need to look to people like Musharraf Hussain to comment, rather than say no Muslims have spoken,

Immigration, ethnicity, identity and religion in the 2011 Census

(I posted this by mistake before writing a comment. More another time.) Some interesting discussion regarding the key focus issues of Reconciliation Talk, and how they will appear in questions on the 2011 census. The question on identity is new and very welcome, and will give evidence for what could be a number of passionate debates. The question on religion comes up again after a first appearance in 2001. I understand the need for it to be voluntary but regret the opportunity for skewed results. And as for the closer look at immigration, including short stayers, the results will fuel a much anticipated debate. Question and content recommendations for 2011: Office for National Statistics. There are links on the right to the downloadable papers on each subject. It is worth reflecting that the stats we use today are a product of a census taken before the fateful day of September 11 2001. Stats on these issues as a tool to serve community cohesion strategy are more vitL than ever. We await the results with interest and unwed some trepidation.

How to Win a Culture War

Some very wise words from Jim Wallis that are at the heart of Reconciliation Talk's approach to things:

Want to know how to win a culture war?  Don’t fight one.  The soul of our nation has been marred from a perpetual state of culture war.  In an Orwellian twist, each camp relies on conflict with their supposed enemies for the perpetuation of their own existence.  The culture warrior’s clout, influence, fundraising, and organizing is based upon real or perceived attacks from the other side.  These “threats” and boogeymen are their oxygen, and without them, they die.

The biggest fear of those leading the culture wars is not an attack from the other side or the threat of losing ground on their issues — it is common ground.  Culture wars require a clash of incompatible ideologies; common ground acknowledges differences but finds practical shared goals.  Practical shared goals mean people and parties with different ideologies can both “win.”  When culture wars are fought, the only people who win are those who build their careers off them.

The rest is here.  How to Win a Culture War - Jim Wallis - God’s Politics Blog.

Wallis' article is focused on the abortion issue, and needs to be heard so that all can move forward on that issue, as well as achieve good health care for all in the US.  But its true of just about every conflict I can think of that has been mentioned here.