At Highfields Centre, Melbourne Road (photo above), this evening, where the Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO) has called a meeting to discuss the proposed demonstration by the English Defence League (EDL) and counter-demonstration by Leicester Unite Against Fascism (LUAF) in Leicester city centre on Saturday 4 February.
The meeting is led by City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and BCU City Centre Commander Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon. A number of other City Councillors (Cllr Patrick Kitterick and Cllr Abdul Osman sitting on the row in front of me), City Council officers and officers from Leicestershire Police are also in attendance.
After those at the top table have spoken, Riyadh Ul Haq, a Shaykh associated with a number of mosques around the country, is called upon to give religious guidance on the situation. He focuses in particular on the amount and kind of misinformation and rumour that was put about for a variety of reasons during the last such event in October 2010, basing his short talk on the following verse from the Qur’án (Surat An-Nisa', 4:83):
And when there comes to them information about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it.
This verse was revealed when Muhammad and his small band of companions were in Medina, living under constant threat of attack from those who wished them ill. And it could hardly be more apposite. Now, I know that other verses may be adduced to make other points (and a few people have done so for my benefit on Twitter) but that's not the point, faithful reader. Here it felt like the right words making their impact felt on the right people for the right occasion.
Attendees are assured that ionic buildings and sites throughout city and county (including all places of worship, community centres and faith-based schools) have been identified by the authorities and special efforts will be made to ensure their security.
Of course police will try to facilitate peaceful demonstrations on all sides, minimising any chance of conflict between parties and to minimise the extent to which EDL can claim the event is a success.
One young man speaks from the floor, introducing himself as Daniel, from Unite Against Fascism. He makes the case for a peaceful counter-demonstration, arguing against the demonisation of UAF alongside EDL. His contribution is the first one of the evening to be met with a round of applause. A young Muslim woman from UAF speaks shortly after Daniel, urging us to keep in mind that "actions speak louder than words".
It's our legal right to demonstrate in a peaceful and orderly fashion and this can't be considered wrongful. No one is going to be criminalised simply for attending a counter-demonstration. What FMO is warning people (especially young people) about is the possibility of their being swept up in events of the day and, in the heat of the moment, they may find themselves doing something that they wouldn't normally do. This is what Suleman was warning against in his First Person column in the Leicester Mercury last week. FMO can't tell anyone what to do before, on or after Saturday 4 February, but its members are turning to it for advice and guidance. Its guidance is to leave it to the professionals.
FMO has made conciliatory approaches to Rhea Page, offering support after her attack by four drunken Somalian women in Leicester city centre - the pretext for EDL deciding to come to Leicester this time. FMO has offered Rhea the chance to meet with a small group of Muslim women in a friendly atmosphere and is hoping for a positive, healing outcome.
Many people at this meeting were formally involved with the police during the October 2010 event as community mediators - a system that has been activated again, involving many of the same individuals. FMO is encouraging its member communities, groups and centres to direct anyone who feels the need to be directly involved on the day to come forward for training as community mediators, legal observers or stewards. This will help focus energy of those who want to do something active and positive to help.
Suleman describes how FMO was represented at all levels of the command structure within the police during the October 2010 event and will be so again this time. He briefly outlines how this command structure works and the role that FMO plays at the three different levels: gold, silver and bronze. (I wonder which element of the command structure I'm involved at: tin, probably).
Groups such as Islam4UK are mentioned in contributions from the floor. While there’s no expression of support for them (on the contrary, there’s strong condemnation of their aims and intentions) still there is dissatisfaction that such groups can be proscribed in their activities on relatively little hard evidence whereas EDL, with a proven track record of violence and disruption virtually everywhere they go, are allowed relative freedom to say whatever they want and go wherever they want. If the EDL are basing their forthcoming demo on unfair variations in legal treatment based on religious identity, then surely this is a case of that very thing, but working against Muslims.
The City Mayor assures the meeting that once events of Saturday 4 February are out of the way, Leicester City Council will work with other cities and towns that have felt the effect of EDL, to see whether the law is as good as it can be and whether the range of options fro response to this kind of event is as wide as it can be. FMO has written already to the Attorney General's Office and HM Solicitor General asking for a review of the current legal situation.
As the evening progress I jot down some words to describe the tone of the meeting: dignified, polite, reflective, thoughtful, though not without humour or a light touch of self-deprecation. There were no raised voices and no expressions of anger. Even complaints and contrary opinions were offered in that same spirit of fellowship. Even what look like a couple of walk outs are done quietly. These are the qualities I like to associate with my Muslim friends and colleagues in Leicester and it was gratifying to see them exemplified here this evening.
The meeting concludes with a short prayer in Arabic, offered by Riyadh Ul Haq.
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