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"Fear and Hope": Searchlight Education Trust's report on the new politics of identity

... there is a deep resentment to immigration, as well as scepticism towards multiculturalism. There is a widespread fear of the ‘Other’, particularly Muslims, and there is an appetite for a new right-wing political party that has none of the fascist trappings of the British National Party or the violence of the English Defence League.

Searchlight Education Trust (SET) admit that the content of their report  Fear and Hate: The New Politics of Identity, which will be published on Monday night, does not make happy reading. However  it is necessary from time to time to have research that deeply challenges established ideologies and the structures and models of activity associated with those ideologies. I believe this work provides us with just such a challenge.

The executive summary, posted online tonight, certainly sets the cat among the pigeons. At one level it would seem to give encouragement to the likes of the English Defence League (EDL) and the British national Party (BNP), that there is more support for their ideas than in their sobre moments they ever dared hope for.  It certainly has the EDL already crowing on their forums that they were right all along -- though most of them seem only to have read the Observer's version which says  "Huge numbers of Britons would support an anti-immigration English nationalist party if it was not associated with violence and fascist imagery", and which ommits the finding of the report that the violence of the EDL is an obstacle. ( Searchlight poll finds huge support for far right 'if they gave up violence' in Sunday's Observer.

The Observer has some statistics from the actual report that suggest that politicians as well as community cohesion professionals and religious leaders need to take this very seriously:

According to the survey, 39% of Asian Britons, 34% of white Britons and 21% of black Britons wanted all immigration into the UK to be stopped permanently, or at least until the economy improved. And 43% of Asian Britons, 63% of white Britons and 17% of black Britons agreed with the statement that "immigration into Britain has been a bad thing for the country". Just over half of respondents – 52% – agreed with the proposition that "Muslims create problems in the UK".

This is cannot easily be dismissed as racism, even though I am of the view that racism is a universal phenomenon, not just a white issue.  And so the summary can state: "Black and Asian minority groups share many other groups’ opinions on a range of issues, including the national and personal impact of immigration."  The crude analysis of issues based on of the traditional far right, and most recently the BNP, doesn't cut it, but nor I am convinced does the establised anti-racist lobby. It is clear that we need a deeper analysis,  which Searchlight proposes as "a new politics of identity, culture, and nation."  

There was much anger and puzzlement among many I know and respect at David Cameron's "multiculturalism has failed" speech in Munich three weeks ago, but I have been of the mind that we cannot easily dismiss it.  Its timing was abysmal as far as we in Luton were concerned in that it offered support to the EDL in their demonstration here that day, yet the issues are complex and the speech needed dissecting. In many ways Cameron was saying what many in who were polled, and we are led to believe the nation, do believe.  Yet I am not sure his analysis was as good as this (probably because the funding for governement sponsored research on cohesion has been cut).

I am not going to dissect the report tonight. This is the agenda for a lot of work in the years ahead and there is time for that.  I want to respond briefly to the challenge that the reports summary leaves us with:

... The future is unwritten and it is all to play for. The Fear and Hope survey clearly shows that the new centreground voter is receptive to messages of openness, acceptance and pluralism – but they also need social and economic reassurance. If we can understand the new politics of identity then we can win them over. If we fail to do so then we risk their fear turning to hate. That is the challenge we all face.

The place of faith-based peacemaking is I believe crucial in this. First because understanding of the place of religion must be central to analysis of the identity construct of many for whom religion is a mark of belonging, not just of belief and faith. And secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the approach that we need is at the heart of my work, and what I all to rarely now write about on this blog. Honour, respect, forgiveness, humility - and an openess to friendship. Themes based in the teaching of Jesus, who was known as Prince of Peace.

Tomorrow St George's Square will resound with hatred.

As darkness drew in this evening I sat in Luton's St Georges Square as life carried on around me much as normal. Yet something was different.  It may have been that the number of police sirens audible was greater, but maybe I was just being overly sensitive.  It may have been that a greater number of people than normal seemed out of place, ill at ease with the place, suspicious. But thats so hard to quantify. The one thing I could definitely point to were the sounds of electric drills, saws, hammers, the sounds of windows being boarded up for a march which claims to be a peaceful protest against extremist Islam.  Peaceful - so why are people frightened enough to be boarding up the charity shop, the library, the blood donor centre, the mental health trust, the bakers?

Yes, the EDL (English Defence League) are coming to town tomorrow.  The EDL claim that they are dealing with the violence in their midst and that it is not their members (but as they dont have membership  thats easy).   They really don't get  the possibility othat a group of some 4,000,  mainly men, shouting curses at the prophet Muhammed and their faith is intimidating and inspires fear among Muslims.

This evening I was out in the square again, accompanying Luton's Street Pastors on their regular  Friday night patrol. It was a very different feel to normal. A  lot less clubbers. A lot more young men, being moved on from pub to pub, not even allowed to enter most of the time. Occasional taunts of E...E.... EDL.  A few Asians, Muslims, driving taxis,  on the doors, in the fast food joints; the rest have legged it home.

"Why?" I heard them ask. "How can they come here and so disrupt our lives?" "If they do live here why can't they talk to us properly?" Why, why, why? 

I share many of those why's. At one level I understand them, though not always agreeing. At another level I am puzzled, frustrated, angry. But then I also have to turn the mirror on myself, and ask "What can I, as a fellow citizen to those whose views I find so challenging, what can I do to deal with this?" I am working on that.

Tomorrow will be a difficult day for Luton. It will test our reslve to stick together. I went to the square earlier to pray.  It was hard; at the moment my hope is reduced. We have done all we can to prepare, but is it enough? My sitting in the square felt more like a lament than a prayer. But thats OK because Lament is prayer too.

I'm not against the people who are members of the EDL. They have some important things to say to us. We cannot paper over the cracks of division in the town again. But I am against violence, against bigotry and against hatred. And those things make it very hard for me to honour the EDL.  I will pray for them. I will reach out to them. But I cannot support them. 

 

News for the EDL! "Christmas Celebrations are underway in Luton!"

Despite the rumours we really do celebrate Christmas in Luton!

I'm just back from a wonderful start to the Christmas season -- an afternoon of celebration organised by Luton Borough Council concluded with the switching on of the Christmas lights by Mayor, Councillor Tom Shaw, and a prayer for the town this Christmas from new-in-post Town Centre Chaplain Michael Campbell. Following that many made their way to Market Hill for a short Christmas focused service hosted by Churches Together in Luton, featuring songs led by the Luton Community Gospel Choir.

OK, so thats nice!  But what really makes it news is the way it undercuts a threat made a few weeks ago by "Tommy Robinson", leader of the English Defence League (EDL) in the Times.

“We are now sending letters to every council saying that if you change the name of Christmas we are coming in our thousands and shutting your town down.”

The full article based on an interview with "Robinson" (properly Stephen Yaxley Lennon)  is behind the Times paywall, but is to be found here on "There's a lot of anger: Its about to explode"  (cited here on Islamophobia Watch).  The EDL's letter went on to warn that the average cost to a city council of preparation, policing and clean up for a big EDL demonstration was about half a million pounds. The letters seem to have gone out and news has been filtering out in local papers around the country of various councils that have been dismissing the threat - and the idea they had any such intent. 

Luton issued a statement this past week and it appeared in a local paper today: Councils will ignore pressure over the use of Christmas word. 

The EDL are clearly not just opposing extreme Islam here; they are trying to bring their influnce to the way people of different origins and beliefs in this country  live together. Opposing the multiculturalism of past years, and the impact that has had, or maybe more accurately in some cases, the impact they feel that has had,  on the place of traditional English culture, they are arriving rather late in the day to set their mark on the of this wonderful old chestnut.

A couple of years ago I took some time after Christmas to review the seasonal run of stories of opposition to Christmas from around Britain, starting with a report from Luton which some have held to be the frontline of the "War on Christmas"  (27th December 2008).  My conclusion:

So what is the state of play of Christmas around the nation? The stories are generally petty (but nonetheless important to those affected), localised, do not generally represent the other faith communities (and certainly not the mainstream), but rather local authorities, and they are reported exclusively in the [right wing press].  

It is not the other faiths that has the problem with us celebrating Christmas, but a few secularist local authorities.  (In passing, I've also noted the encouragement of other faith leaders for us as Christians to celebrate Christmas as fully as we can ( 'Put Christ back into Christmas' 2007 ) and some thoughts from one of our Church of England leaders, Bishop Alan of Buckingham ( "Faith speaks to Faith" Nov 18 2008; I am sure other Bishops have similar thoughts, but as a leading CofE blogger Bishop Alan's thoughts are better known!)   Indeed late 2008 saw a remarkable serie sof exchanges between Muslim and Christian Leaders, among which was a "A Muslim Message of Thanks and Christmas Greetings".)

The irony is that the event today was planned in the summer and with no idea of the threat that would emerge from the EDL. When that threat did appear I have to say I read it with a sense of "we got there first!"  While the article on Luton's response to the EDL threat says  "Christmas has always been celebrated in Luton", it is true that todays festivities represent a more active involvement by the churches in the town than in the past decade. 

Frankly I am not going to quickly jump in to judge Luton Borough Council. The changes that we faced in a town like Luton as a result of a population drawn from many places did place strains on them as to how to deal with people from different faiths fairly. In retrospect they could have done it differently, but it is very easy to speak with the wisdom of experience.  I think we are all agreed we need to review multiculturalism, so lets do that positively.

As for the churches we too now have the benefit of experience. We are learning once again to play out part on the civic stage, but maybe to do it a bit differently now. We may have withdrawn too quickly, we may have suffered from a crisis of confidence, but lets learn the lessons now.

The important thing is that here in 2010, the Churches are celebrating Christmas on the public stage here in Luton. We will do so confidently and yet I hope humbly, as befits followers of  Jesus Christ. We have not needed to make threats to "shut down the town because it panders to multiculturalism." We have not done so by bad-mouthing Muslims, and so many others as well.  We have not done so by claiming to demonstrate peacefully, and yet in reality intimidating and bringing fear to a whole town.  We are able to take that place because we are working together with people from across the cultures and faiths of Luton for unity and harmony.

I was sad at one thing tonight. That probably very few if any members of the EDL were there to experience what they have been calling out for. I hope I was wrong.

 

While hatred is fast breeding hatred, I still hold tight to hope.

Today has been Armistice Day. Along with many I stopped work at 11.00am and stood silently in contemplation of the sacrifice of others. I don't like war, in fact I abhor it.  I am a peacemaker, and war violates everything I believe in. Yet I am not actually a pacifist, but prefer to see my calling to actively wage peace rather than war. It doesn't help me in my work to be idealistic about this broken world, rather I find it better by far to be a realist.  I hate war, and I believe God does, but my Christian theology I find to be grounded in the reality of the sinful capability of human beings, which amongst other things leads to conflict.  For all intents and purposes however I come close to being a pacifist; I could not go to war myself, but would rather actively work for peace, and without the freedom to do that I guess I would have to face the consequences.  Moreover I would gently encourage others to do the same.

But all that said, I respect those who have chosen a different path and who are willing to serve in the forces and to fight. And I will do all I can to support them.

While I stood at the war memorial in front of Luton Town Hall, throughout the nation many did the same. In London it was the 90th year that a crowd had gathered on this day at the Cenotaph. Yet about two miles away, just far enough away from Parliament to be able to protest without special permission, two groups of people had a different intent.

Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) chose to burn poppies and chant  throughout the silence as a symbol of their opposition to Britains wars in traditionally Muslim lands.   There were just 30 or so of them apparently, but their action has reverberated around the nation tonight. MAC seem to be related to al-Muhajiroun and their associated groups that protested a Royal Anglian Homecoming Parade in Luton in March 2010. 

A slightly larger group, about 50 in all, mainly members of the English Defence League (EDL), kept quiet in respect of those who have died in action, and then tried to attack the MAC. There were a number of arrests from the EDL group, including two of their national leadership group, both from Luton.

The stand off is described in the media: Lest we forget: The nation falls silent as millions pay tribute in Armistice Day commemorations across Britain is in the Daily Mail, while Millions fall silent to remember war dead is in the Independent.

Yet this small pair of event, that involved less than 100 people, has had enormous impact. I had followed the story during the day, and when I went out at 6.00pm there was anger among the EDL at the way yet again MAC had been able to mock them and their nation, but it was the same old people posting messages on the main EDL Facebook group and forum. When I got home at 10.30pm it was to find at least two groups set up on Facebook to protest the poppy burning protests. One -- "Let's show these poppy burning bastards how many people want them deported" -- in about 6hours has achieved a sign up of 235,000 people.  Another  -- "I hate the Muslims scum who burned the poppies on Remembrance Day" has made 160,000 members.

[update: both facebook groups have been removed, presumably due to the abusive and hate-filled language that was on their walls.]

Now, its very easy to sign a facebook group, and a lot more work to join a protest, and yet those people have begun down that road. At the same the main EDL Facebook group has risen from about 42,000 people this morning to 46,500 this evening. This event has raised a huge amount of anger and hatred to be released.

In opposition to the anger at Muslims there has been a smaller friendlier group.  30 extremists, not 2.5 million Muslims that  has grown to about 5,000. The voice of reason trying to get this thing in proportion is never popular.

There have been other moments this past two and half years that I have been following this stuff when I have felt profoundly disturbed by EDL growth and emotion.  As I have grasped hold of this winter growth in my mind this past two hours I am challenged, and troubled. We are due to have the EDL come to Luton in February. More on that another time. Yet for now we are faced with a growth of these groups, of their response to a message of hatred, and their own response of hatred.

Hatred breeds hatred. Like Nick Lowles at Hope not Hate, ( A plague on both their houses ) I am convinced neither has answers. Their methods lead to hatred. The cycle of hatred and anger grows. The anger thermometer has gone up today.

As I head for bed its with a desire for hope to fill my mind once again!

 

 

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.