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There is life apart from Luton!

Once upon a time I used to get around rather a lot! Now I catch the bus up and down the road into the centre of Luton!  I see as much of the world and the diversity of the people God made for it there as I ever did in my travels!  I love the work I have found myself doing these past three years, and especially since early 2009. This town has won my heart!

However I have to confess that there is another place in my life.  For many years now I have had a deep sense of call to the great nation of China. For some years I was working there regularly, in particular taking groups for cultural exchange. I have visited many places around the nation, have many friends there, and love it.  Maybe more on all that another time - maybe!  In 2008 my wife and I enjoyed the Olympic summer in China  based in Nanjing - and while we went with no real intention to attend the games, or even to get to Beijing, we did in fact get to one of the top nights of Athletics in the Birds Nest!

The focus of my work here in Luton and there in China is the same - peacemaking and reconciliation. Working in China I am deeply aware of the lasting legacy of the history of the relationship of Britain, and the west, with China.  As British people we did some pretty awful stuff. Its true of other nations as well.  I am also very aware of the impact of China's own internal history, during the Empire, under the nationalist government of Chiang Kai Shek, and through the Civil War and the terrible years of Mao's Cultural Revolution, and even more recently.  As a Christian I am also deeply aware of the issues surrounding the church in China, and the deep challenges in relationship between the Registered Church (often called the Three Self patriotic Movement) and the unregistered church.  We have spent many hours talking over these things, and on several occasions I have been able to take groups to visit and become aquainted themselves with all that has taken place. And in recent years I have been building relationship with a Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Nanjing University.

As I have found myself getting more and more involved in Luton, I have often wondered where China fits. For various family and personal reasons it was not the time to take forward any plans there, but there has always been a sense of "What now?!"  So now I am going back for 10 days to see one or two people in particular, renew several friendships, talk to a few people and to see what if there is anything more for me there just now.I don't expect we will be leavign Luton -m at least not any time soon!  But it will be interesting to see what can or might be.

I'll be posting some  pieces on here on China these next days. Or to be true, probably cross posting with my dedicated - but rather neglected - China site www.ChinaEncounters.co.uk  . There maybe some stuff on regaular fare as well - Muslim Christian relations, Luton, etc.  as that is never very far from my mind.   

Why we don't need to "smash" the EDL or "drive them off the streets".

 I have titled this post provocatively because I believe we need to seriously change the language we use of the threat of the EDL, and the far right. The language of class warfare has no place in dealing with the problem of hatred of Muslims, it just confuses the issues.We are beginning to see other models of dealing with the EDL when they come to town, and we need to be taking note.

Over the past couple of days as I have been reading  accounts of what happened when the English Defence League (EDL) went to Leicester this past weekend I have been struck again by the positives that are coming out of preparation for these protests!

To get and real feel for an EDL event you really need to see it, and to see what happened in Leicester as usual one has only to go search on YouTube and search EDL Leicester. Of course the view and the story depends on what side of the barricades the video was shot from. Apart from the short pieces attached to news pieces little is edited and offers views from different perspectives. An exception and by the far the best is by Photojournalist  Filkaler  (also at the top just now on his website's British Nationalism page.

So what have the EDL said about Leicester? They have been pretty upbeat about what they think they achieved. They say it was a good turnout (1000, 1500, 2000 are the various claims- probably 1500 max),  and they claim to have retaken Leicester, to have challenged the continued rise of Islam there. They claim it was peaceful, that the cause of the violence was Unite Against Fascism UAF / "the communists", the Muslims / Muslim Defence League (MDL), and the police, and that the breakout of some 200 was to defend themselves and their buses against the MDL. Enough said. The chants that would inflame all Muslims are prominent from the first seconds of the video above; the provocative actions and gesture; the clear attempts to breakout; the success of some 200-300 in doing so and the violence that ensued, including the attack on people in a  fast food restaurant  -- they all tell a very different story.

For something of its size and potential for ongoing problem there was actually remarkably little news coverage of the EDL in Leicester by comparison with previous events.  It may be that after 20 some events in the past year  the EDL is no longer news, or that people are tiring of their violence, or that the media decided to finally deny them the oxygen of publicity, or even that the EDL had declared they couldn't guarantee the safety of photographers in the crowd (and had been actively posting photos of photographers and journalists they consider hostile to their cause)  The Leicester Mercury on Monday had the most colourful account of an EDL demo I have read:  'Granted, we've got a few idiots with us' - the day the EDL emptied the city. They describe the atmosphere well:

" It feels like the city is bracing itself for a hurricane.  What it will get is an ugly, isolated little shower.  The ironies are splinter sharp and there's symbolism everywhere you look on this strange, strange Saturday.

The English Defence League, a protest movement whose destination [for the day] is a prefabricated cul-de-sac of police and metal at the unlovely end of town. Caught up in their very own persecution complex; isolated, impotent, unseen by most of Leicester and, by the finish, flaring up at one another".

.... If the English Defence League really are all that stands between this country becoming hardline Islamic state, then God help us. They come here with their extremism, taking over, making nuisances of themselves, driving people away. And yes, perhaps we are prejudiced, but they should bugger off back to where they came from. That seems to be general mood among the locals as the build-up to all this begins few hours earlier. The English Defence League will do many things today, but they won't win many new friends.

Its good to read something that has knows the events of the day were ugly, knows they were serious, and yet was not overwhelmed by that. That was a mark of the spirit of the OneLeicester events run jointly with HopenotHate over the weekend: 5000 at One Leicester Together festival . I wrote about Hope not Hate's new approach to community organising to prepare a place for the EDL's arrival before Leicester: Having a conversation that can be heard.  The fruit of that approach was evident in that so many worked together before the event, during the day and afterwards. Once again (as after the EDL's visit to Bradford) the mark of the cooperation is shown by the response of those that were most vulnerable.  A thank you from Leicester, posted on Hope Not Hate's website is the letter of an elder in the Muslim community, and in my mind shows who won the day:

"What we have experienced in last few days, is a genuine spirit of 'Oneness' in Leicester. The unprecedented nature of engagements, partnerships and cooperation, we never experienced before. History will record this event with pride. Leicester has shown the way forward and set a shining example of harmony and peace.

... If EDL had come to Leicester to learn about us on a peaceful term we would have treated them as our guests and offered them a curry treat of this wonderful city. The opportunity is missed. The 'One Leicester' defeated them in dividing the communities. We have come out more stronger than before in our resolve. Thank you 'One Leicester'. We belong to you."

The winner of the day was not the EDL, not the protesting groups (more of them in a minute), not the Muslims community, and not the police. It was Leicester, working and growing together as one community.   That is what I said I hoped for in my post last Friday night:

... at the centre of my [Christian] faith is the story of hatred and evil looking like it would have its day, and then in the face of that evil, a sacrifice of love triumphs over evil.  I look for the same at a lesser level in peacemaking. That out of what was intended for evil can come a greater good!  It happened in Bradford - the threat of hatred and division was replaced with a greater display of  kindness and unity!  I am praying that for Leicester tomorrow.

By contrast, the continuing rise of angry hate-filled rhetoric by those who oppose the EDL troubles me greatly, but I have to say, when I look at stories like this I am encouraged. Yet still there remain those who seek to respond angrily, agressively, and in a  way that it seems to me can only perpetuate the cycle of violence.

Unite Against Fascism (UAF) held a protest nearby and claim to have had a lot of people to the city who were unable to join them.  Leicester antiracist demo says: ‘EDL not welcome here’. The figure of 800 claimed by them doesn't look convincing on the pictures.   I have written about their policy of continuing to feel the need to protest on the day, and to defend the streets, and while feeling strongly don't want to keep banging a drum on this so will just refer to that ( The EDL - deeply Islamophobic, often racist and frequently seeking violence - see especially footnote 3) . Their language in their rally was one of confrontation, but in reality they are somewhat down the road of Hope Not Hate in terms of their urging peaceful protest. They have obviously learned from protests before Bradford where their members were regularly coming into more direct opposition and at times involved in conflict.

UAF arise out of a history of leftwing opposition to fascism, but are regarded by some on the left as having abandoned their roots. For example Alliance for Workers Liberty in their  report ( English Defence League riot in Leicester: community fights back  ) are dismissive of the UAF's submitting to holding a "kettled carnival"  and condemn their advice to  "Asian youth to refrain from engaging in physical confrontation and therefore even self-defence from the EDL." Describing the various confrontations  between break away groups of EDL and Asians in the city centre and the way it edged closer to Highfields, a predominantly Muslim area they wrote:

"... as news spread of the continuing attacks in town by the EDL and especially their break-out at the end of their protest, people poured out of their houses and the number of anti-racists on the streets of Highfields grew to about 2,000. The main organising force was undoubtedly religious groupings around the Mosque. The prominent one probably being the Muslim Defence League which had contingents mobilised across the region. It was admirable that the local Muslim population were prepared to ignore the advice of both Hope not Hate and UAF not to defend themselves on the streets against the EDL. It is regrettable that the only people to join them were small number of activists ..."

They then move into analysis of the problem in classic Marxist class warfare terms, and its solution by violent means: 

"... The working class movement has to recognise the futility of the advice given them by the both Hope not Hate and the UAF. The violent racism of the EDL will not be stopped by the police. It will not be stopped by prayers or multi-racial carnivals, either before and after the EDL protest as promoted by the Hope not Hate campaign or on the same day as organised by the UAF.

... The EDL will be stopped by anti-racists of all races and ethnic backgrounds, who are not embarrassed as identifying themselves as a working class force, taking to the streets. Not merely defending the Muslim areas but stopping the EDL from sending their racist gangs across the area as was so successfully done in Bradford. But that takes organisation and engaging and refuting the nonsensical arguments raised by Hope not Hate and UAF. It means building accountable local campaigns of working class anti-racists before they appear in your town. ..."

The continued dismissal of any but the working class as having legitimate concern for the people of another race is in today's world ridiculous. And the allying of ideology that has traditionally dismissed religion and seeking to speak for a whole faith is frankly foolish.

At the same time we have rhetoric closely mirroring this in the rapidly emerging Muslim Defence League. I do not want to write much on them for now, and I have not had opportunity to try to understand the complexity of their position, but it is clear they were much more active in Leicester on Saturday than on previous demonstrations, and that significant groups on the streets in the city centre were MDL organised. They claim to be seeking to mobilise against the EDL and to be protecting the muslim community. There were clearly many Asian / Muslim young men gnear the protest, and to what extent they were spectating, there with friends to oppose the  EDL, or there with the MDL is unclear to me. And to what extent the MDL were those that directly confronted the EDL I am unclear. What is clear is that here is another group that must be brought into an open and accountable  peaceful process.

I am encouraged that the community engagement model has worked so well. It is clear that is continuing this week now that the EDL have moved on. The news that they have talked of flash mobilisations there is not good, but they will return to a city that will hopefully continues to grow in its unity.

London 7/7 Bombings: Lets move on.

So the London bombings inquest begins today.   Sky is covering it as unfolds: 7/7 Inquest Live: The Hope For Answers .The events of that dreadful day will be regularly paraded across our TV screens and newspapers for the next few months. It does not take any remarkable forsight to predict that while the official focus is on the security services, police etc and what could have been done on their side to stop it, there will a subtext in the proceedings that will regularly be drawn out by the media to  stand alongside it.  Islamic extremism,  Islam and ordinary Muslims will once again be under the spotlight.

The power of the media to multiply and perpetuate the impact of an event  is at times like this begas many questions.  Terrorism thrives on this ability to captivate our minds with ... terror. A time limited event can now more powerfully be imprinted on our minds.  The media in a highly questionable way does the job of the terrorist in reminding us of what happened.  "Never forget!" can easily be replaced by "We won't let you forget!" 

And quickly "Never Forget!" becomes wedded to "Never Forgive!"   Already this morning we have had interviews with Julie Nicholson who as a Church of England priest found she was unable to forgive the murder of her daughter on that dreadful July day. Bombers "should not be forgiven" says priest.  [I'll link to the BBC interview later.]  

Mine here is not to write again about forgiveness. Julie's article in The Times in 2006 explaining her position is behind the Times paywall and I am not going there. However there is a long piece written around her story here on Rachel from North London's blog whose article appeared with it in the The Times that day.   I may venture forth on that subject another day, but for now my focus is not on forgiveness, nor really on forgetting, but rather moving on.

My hope is simply that we can move on, and quit forever stirring up the anger associated with that event. We need to move on.

And we need to stop beating the very very large majority of the Muslim population who were deeply shamed by 7/7.  I'll write more on that, but for now I am stating my position.

Having a conversation that can be heard.

I've got a loud voice. I can fill a hall easily without a PA system. But when people don't understand me, I easily switch from English to "louder English". I do the same when for whatever reason people are not listening to me. I do try to moderate my voice, but  I am a passionate person and its so easy to express that passion with volume without thinking what I am doing. At those times I understand it can be hard to listen to me.

OK, that my confession done.

Tomorrow we will be having one of what have become regularly scheduled shouting matches. On this occasion the lucky hosts is the City of Leicester. Once again it seems that on the right we have the English Defence League (EDL),  and over on the left we have Unite Against Fascism (UAF).  Little more needs really be said, we have seen the plot unfold with similar script many times.  The details may have changed but what I wrote in late August about a similar event in Bradford still stands: The EDL - deeply Islamophobic, often racist and frequently seeking violence. In fact that event further confirmed my analysis of the EDL.  My summary of the UAF there was pretty negative as well, and that remains too.

Hate-filled slogans from behind whatever barriers the police have errected in their effort to keep people apart are as useless for effective communication - and ultimately for changing things - as shouting.

Thank God (and as a Christian I use those words intentionally!) that in this hate-charged environment someone is getting the message that this sort of engagement doesn't get anywhere. Multiplying hatred really just continues the cycle ofconflict and violence.  Hope not Hate in the lead up to Bradford were developing a very different response to that which has traditionally been a part of their history. They describe the background to this change in an article in October's Searchlight Magazine.   A Journey to Hope: Anti-Fascism in a New Era

While some groups called for supporters to take to the streets for a confrontation with the EDL, we did the very opposite and prioritised working in the community, focusing on communicating with local people, in the weeks leading up to the protest. It was the latest example of a different type of anti-fascism.

Authors Nick Lowles and Paul Meszaros go on to develop that:

While some on the hard left claimed that only by taking to the streets could we defend the Muslim community, we believed that stopping the march – which the EDL wanted to go through a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood – did far more to protect communities then being kettled behind police lines and shouting slogans.

But there was a bigger aspect to our campaign, one that put local people first. It was about engaging with the community. It was about real conversations with real people, something you cannot do simply by bussing in activists on the day of a protest. It was fundamentally about winning hearts and minds of ordinary people, a major departure from traditional anti-fascism.

Surveying the way that changes in far right politics and the election of BNP candidates to local government and the European Parliament has made the traditional "No Platform" policy pretty meaningless and demonstrations ineffectual in opposing it, they turn to the rise over the past 18 months of the EDL, and similar need for different measures:

The EDL reflects a deeper cultural battle in society and this only reinforces the need to win hearts and minds. That means engaging with people in communities and not just turning out on the day of a protest.

That was what they did in Bradford, and it worked, summed up for me in Hope not Hate's post the day after the demo: It's curry and samosas all round.

Late in the evening several Asian families arrived at the police station to thank the assembled officers for their hard work during the day. They then presented them with large trays of food, curries and samosas, which was gladly accepted by the police. ... Bradford has rejected the racism and hatred of the EDL and is moving forward together as one people.

How different from the scene of July 2001!

And so Hope not Hate, together with many local community and faith groups in the city have been working on a similar model of engagement in Leicester:  Leicester comes together as one.  And so far it seems to be working. 600 people attended a prayer vigil in Leicester this afternoon -  Leicester stands together.  They have now left the streets for the police to handle as they seek to contain and keep apart those who prefer shouting in Leicester tomorrow. They will return on Sunday for a multicultural celebration!And may it be a great party as people let odwn after all the tensions.

 For me,  at the centre of my faith is the story of hatred and evil looking like it would have its day, and then in the face of that evil, a sacrifice of love triumphs over evil.  I look for the same at a lesser level in peacemaking. That out of what was intended for evil can come a greater good!  It happened in Bradford - the threat of hatred and division was replaced with a greater display of  kindness and unity!  I am praying that for Leicester tomorrow. 

Meanwhile I am reminded again that shouting is not an effective way to be heard and understood!

Muslims: Citizenship & Integration -- but without loss of distinctives and identity

I am not going to take very long on this as I need some sleep. But I have just got back from an event in Tower Hamlets run by TELCO (The East London Citizens Organisation) in association with their nationwide umbrella Citizens UK.  It has left me buzzing and I need to write a short post!

The event was focused on the election of Tower Hamlet's first directly elected Mayor.  Citizens UK appeared on the radar for many of us during the recent General Election when they organised an event in Central Hall Westminster just three days vefore the elction. It was alive compared with the very wooden set piece events (they were described as debates but that rather devalues the word) that we had seen in previous weeks.    I'll write more another time on the process, but one aspect of their work impressed me enormously.

As I walked in I quickly noticed there were signs for people from participating organisations to gather under.  On one side at the front by a large body of older  Muslim men was the sign that identified them as from the East London Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Europe. Over on the other side at the front was St Pauls Church Shadwell, a lively local Anglican church linked with nationally known Holy Trinity Brompton, home of Alpha, a favourite tool for evangelism for many.

But they weren't just there in competition! Both were actively involved in the same process, of seeking the best for the local community, empowering them through campaigning for a living wage, for safer streets, for job experience and placements, for social housing and more than anything -- active citizenship. And they weren't just there as spectators. The event was co-chaired by a three local people: a Salvation Army Captain. a young man from Islamic Forum of Europe , and a young woman, a youth worker from St Pauls working with a youth work  XLP.

 Take a look here - close up you can see the sign for the East London mosque and on the far side, just by the left hand pillar is the sign for St Pauls!

OK, sitting in spatial proximity and working together isn't that uncommon. Buts its still rare enough that a seasoned observer of all thing interfaith relations like me still looks up!  And when it involves the big churches and the big mosques, often somewhat confident and isolated in their bigness, you know something good is happening!

I was there with my Muslim colleagues watching Citizens UK at work; we like it and want them to work with us.  But it was so encouraging to see them working well together, in honour and respect. We talked on the way home about active citizenship, about integration and how so many expect that to mean loss of all religious distinctives, and hence loss of identity. But its doesn't need to be that, in fact it mustnt be expected to be loss of distinctive. It was truly good to see Muslim elders, young men and women being drawn in, campaigning alongside local church members for all our rights for safer streets and adequate housing.

Watch this space for more!