ATTACKS ON SOMALIS "ARE UP SINCE KILLING OF LEE RIGBY"

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Attacks on Somalis "are up since killing of Lee Rigby"

by Ciaran Fagan

Members of the Somali community fear they are suffering an anti-Islamic backlash following the death of soldier Lee Rigby.

Somalis said they have been spat at, verbally abused and, in some cases, thugs have tried to pull off women's veils or scarves.

Jawaahir Daahir, founder and chief executive of Somali Development Services, a community group in Highfields, Leicester, said it was hearing more reports of abuse than it would usually expect.

The group met senior police officers on Tuesday to outline its concerns.

Ms Daahir said: "You cannot know what motivates people to do these things, but we have noticed an increase in incidents since the tragic death of Lee Rigby.

"There has been swearing and racist language in some cases, but also there have been incidents of people being attacked."

We have heard a woman had to run into a shop in the city centre to escape from some men and we have also heard stories of two women being spat at.

Another woman posted on Facebook that she was afraid to leave her home and felt she was under house arrest."

Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon, head of policing in the city, said reported incidents would be investigated.

He said: "The incidents referred to by Jawaahir are very concerning.

"I would urge anyone with information or who has suffered to contact us.

"Since the death of Lee Rigby, we have been carrying out significant work within the community, including daily messages to community leaders, reassurance visits and patrols.

"We pride ourselves on the strong relationship we have with the Somali community and hope if there are any concerns regarding the recent events they can approach us with confidence."

Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for Leicestershire's Federation of Muslim Organisations, said: "We have not picked up on any increase in incidents since the tragic death of Lee Rigby.

"There is always the possibility these things are happening to people but are not being reported to the police.

"We would urge people to report all incidents of this nature, so the people who are responsible can be held to account.

"Officers are searching for a cyclist who tried to pull off a Muslim woman's face veil as he rode past her in London Road, Leicester. The woman was targeted as she walked with her family to Victoria Park at 6.50pm on Sunday, May 26. On Monday this week, the letters EDL – thought to refer to the English Defence League – were written on a bin at Oadby Islamic Centre, in Sandhurst Street. In the past year, Leicestershire Police said it had seen a 9.9 per cent reduction in hate crimes – with 44 fewer offences than in the previous year.Anyone with information should call police on 101.

APPEALS AHEAD OF EDL MARCH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury (with an expanded version on its website):

Appeals ahead of EDL march

by Ciaran Fagan

Muslim community leaders have urged people to stay away from a protest against the English Defence League, (EDL), in Leicester this weekend.

The Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, (FMO), has written to its members, including mosques and various community groups, across the city and county ahead of Saturday’s planned event.

Leicester members of the EDL announced earlier this week that they intend to march from the Clock Tower to the war memorial in Victoria Park to lay a wreath in memory of Drummer Lee Rigby, the soldier who was murdered in London last week.

Leicester Unite Against Fascism is preparing a counter-protest.

Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for the FMO, said: “We are advising people it is better to stay away because of the risk of confrontation.

“It is right to pay respects to Drummer Lee Rigby but you have to ask whether it is necessary to march through the city centre.”

The EDL has said its members would not wear the group’s branded clothing, drink alcohol or chant throughout the march.

The march is also expected to only attract its local supporters.

Mr Nagdi also urged people not to react to rumours which may circulate on social networking sites or via text messages.

He said: “In many cases this information is not accurate. The police will be providing regular updates up to and including Saturday.”

Leicestershire Police said it was talking to both Leicester Unite Against Fascism and the EDL.

In a statement issued this afternoon, the force said: “We are expecting relatively small, low-key events, which will be peaceful and respectful in nature, and which will cause a minimum of disruption.

“We are not expecting people to travel from outside Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for either of these events – there are similar events in neighbouring counties on Saturday.

“We will adopt a low-key policing style, with appropriate contingencies in place.

“We do not expect either event to disrupt normal business in the city centre, and encourage people planning to visit the city centre on Saturday to continue with those plans.

“We are talking with the organisers of both events to remind them of their obligations to ensure safe and peaceful events.”

The three city councillors who represent the Castle ward, which includes the city centre and Victoria Park, jointly condemned the EDL’s decision to march.

Patrick Kitterick, Lynn Moore and Neil Clayton said the EDL should not be allowed to march through the city.

Councillor Kitterick said: “The English Defence League could pay its tribute without marching through the city centre. There is absolutely no need for them to do this.

“Any counter demonstration needs to be peaceful and respectful.”

In a joint statement, the three councillors said: “As Castle Ward Councillors we wish to totally condemn and dissociate ourselves from the potential decision by senior officers of the police and city council to allow the EDL to march in Leicester on Saturday.

“We wish it to be made clear that no consultation took place with ourselves before this decision was made and if it had we would have asked for the march to be stopped.

“We call on anyone who wishes to pay tribute to Drummer Lee Rigby to do so as individuals and communities as thousands have done.

“The decision of the EDL to do this as a group and incorporate a march through the city shows that they are cynically exploiting the death of a young man for their own political aims.

“We call on senior officers of the police and council to ban the proposed march which has nothing to do with paying tribute to Drummer Lee Rigby and everything to do with dividing our city.”

MERCURY OPINION: IGNORE THIS RABBLE & THEIR MARCH

This is from the Mercury Opinion column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Ignore this rabble and their march

The English Defence League are an organisation that we have no time for. They are an organisation that revels in causing divisions within our community. We frankly also have grave misgivings about those individuals that align themselves to this fringe group.

It is, therefore, with some trepidation that we report today that the EDL are apparently organising a march through Leicester city centre to the war memorial, in Victoria Park, to lay a wreath in memory of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was brutally murdered on the streets of Woolwich last week.

As everyone will remember, one previous demonstration by this rabble ended in violence that effectively closed our city centre on a busy Saturday.

On a second occasion, an excellent police operation kept disruption down to a minimum.

The soldier's death was indeed truly shocking and horrific, but it has nothing to do with this neo-political outfit.

The EDL, as they did on the night of Drummer Rigby's death, are simply seeking to exploit his murder for their own questionable ends.

We understand that this weekend's event is part of a series of marches and wreath-layings across the country.

It is expected to be small-scale and involve only local members and will not be the national EDL events, as was the case on previous occasions.

We would ask that opponents of the EDL, which should frankly be us all, ignore this event and that no-one mounts rival demonstrations.

Let the police do their job, marshal the event and get this group off our streets as quickly as possible.

Rival protests, however well meaning, simply play into the hands of these extremists and help them spread their intolerant and ill-founded message.

If the EDL had any credibility, they would simply go about their wreath-laying in private and mark Drummer Rigby's death in a dignified and solemn manner.

Instead, they choose to publicise their demonstration in the hope of promoting divisions within our community. We have a message for them – it won't work.

EDL IN LEICESTER TO PAY THEIR OWN TRIBUTE TO DRUMMER LEE RIGBY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

EDL in Leicester to pay their own tribute to Drummer Lee Rigby

Members of the English Defence League say they are to gather in the city centre on Saturday as part of an event to pay their respects to murdered soldier Lee Rigby.

The EDL Leicester Division said it had asked supporters to meet in High Street, before heading to the Clock Tower, along Gallowtree Gate, Granby Street, London Road and into Victoria Park.

They plan to lay wreaths and flowers at the park's war memorial and hold a minute's silence for Drummer Rigby, who was killed last week in the street near Woolwich Barracks, in south-east London.

Although the police say they expect the gathering to be small and "peaceful and respectful", previous EDL events in Leicester city centre have sparked confrontations between its members and supporters of Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and local youths.

The Leicester UAF, on its website, has urged its followers to gather at the same time and place as the planned EDL event in what it describes as "a peaceful show of unity".

Leicestershire Police has appealed for people to respond reasonably to the event, which is likely to be one of many the EDL are planning this weekend in the wake of Drummer Rigby's death.

A police spokeswoman said: "We are aware the EDL intends to hold a small event to pay their respects to Drummer Lee Rigby in Leicester on Saturday, June 1.

"We ask for people to be reasonable in their response to this event which we expect to be peaceful and respectful."

The EDL's Leicester Division's Facebook page has asked participants not to drink, chant, sing or wear political or group colours during Saturday's gathering.

The UAF claim the EDL is using the soldier's death to stir up trouble and Islamophopia.

The police have not yet said if they will increase the number of officers in the city centre.

WHY IS AN ESTATE OUT ON STREETS IN PROTEST?

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Why is an estate out on streets in protest?

It's an unlikely setting for an ongoing night-after-night street protest.

However, hundreds of people have been gathering in Thurncourt Road, on Leicester's Thurnby Lodge estate, for some weeks now to protest against an Islamic charity's plan to turn a disused Scout hut into a community centre and prayer room.

On Friday, the number of people taking part swelled towards the 400 mark – with about 50 police officers there to oversee it.

The Leicester Mercury has spoken to people on both sides of the debate and to the city council, which is working to resolve the dispute.

The building at the heart of this is the Scout hut in Nursery Road.

The Scout Association paid for the hut to be built in 1974 and it was a busy base for the movement for almost 30 years.

However, the decision to close it was taken 10 years ago.

Peter Hardy, the association's deputy district commissioner, said: "Unfortunately, the leaders who had given great service to the Thurnby Lodge group for many years decided to step down. We tried to find new leaders in the community but there was no response."

After its closure in May 2002, the building lay all but unused, apart from some occasional use by other groups.

It became the centre of the current dispute earlier this year when it became apparent that a charity, the As-Salaam Trust, had stepped forward and wanted to turn it into a community centre.

The trust indicated last week that it would open the centre to the wider community and indicated it would consider reviving the Scout group if there was sufficient local support.

Its members have been meeting at the neighbouring community centre in Thurncourt Road for the past two and a half years. Those meetings have been the focus of the recent protests – which have coincided with the holy month of Ramadan. Residents involved in the protests – some of which have lasted long into the night – insist their argument is with the city council, not the trust.

They believe local people's suggestions for other uses of the building – including a combination of boxing club, gym and dance studio – have not been taken seriously.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and his team say they are talking to the people behind that proposal and hope to find a suitable venue for it in the same area.

The council said it contacted 100 community groups who previously said they needed a new base, to tell them the building could be available. As-Salaam came forward at that point.

The protesters also believe the proposed community centre would bring extra traffic to the area, particularly as it is in a narrow road which is also a bus route.

Maxine Williams, licensee of the neighbouring Stirrup Cup pub, has been at the centre of the group which is organising the protests. She said the protesters' anger was not directed at the Muslim group.

She said: "It all started when someone at the community centre got an e-mail about the Scout hut.

"When it became clear what was happening, we did the correct thing and put a petition forward because we wanted a say over what was happening in our community. There was no consultation and no notices put up in the street, so people felt they weren't being told what was going on."

The future of the Scout hut was to be discussed at the area's regular ward meeting last month. So many people turned up that the meeting was abandoned because it would have breached the building's capacity.

The abandonment of the meeting and the subsequent decision to cancel a ward councillors' surgery a few weeks later angered people.

Residents have said they will continue to stage their street protests, although last Friday's, which drew up to 400 people, was the "big one".

At times, between 30 and 50 police officers have been drafted in to oversee the protests. No arrests have been made. Vanessa McKinnon took part in Friday's protest.

The 40-year-old mum and grandmother to a one-year-old boy, said: "I didn't know that As-Salaam have been praying at the community centre for two and a half years but I can understand why they are looking for a permanent home. But people feel that they already have somewhere to meet.

"A lot of them are coming from far and wide to pray here. We feel there aren't enough things for young people on this estate and we need the council to do something about that.

"I can understand that some people from As-Salaam might be scared by the protests and that's why I have stood on the other side of the road when I've been down there because I don't want to intimidate anyone."

Protest organisers have told the Leicester Mercury they do not welcome the attentions of outside groups such as the British National Party and the English Defence League.

BNP leader Nick Griffin made an impromptu appearance on Friday evening and, reportedly, again yesterday morning. According to eyewitnesses he was greeted with indifference.

Another issue which has arisen is that unfounded rumours have begun circulating through the internet. These include a claim that the neighbouring Anglican Christ Church had been asked to cover its cross for fear of offending Muslims.

Canon David Monteith, Acting Archdeacon of Leicester, said: "There is no truth at all in the malicious rumour that the church was asked to cover the cross. The information is totally unfounded."

CAMPAIGNERS ACCUSE POLICE OVER HANDLING OF EDL MARCH IN LEICESTER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Campaigners accuse police over handling of EDL march in Leicester

Police have defended their handling of the English Defence League's march in Leicester earlier this year.

A national campaign group, the Network for Police Monitoring – Netpol – yesterday criticised officers' conduct toward people opposed to the EDL's presence in the city centre on Saturday, February 4.

The EDL marched through the city surrounded by police officers while their opponents, Leicester Unite Against Fascism, staged a march in a different area of the centre. No arrests were made.

However, Netpol – which trained a number of local people to monitor events on the ground – accused police of:

• Using unnecessary force against groups of predominantly Asian youths who arrived in the city centre after the two demonstrations had finished.
• Using stop and search powers only against black or Asian people. Official police figures show 15 people, all Asian, were stopped and searched.
• Surrounding groups of young people and escorting them out of the city – known as kettling.
• Allowing a small number of EDL supporters to stray off the march route they had been ordered to stick to.

The city council was criticised for urging young people to stay away from the city centre, stressing that unaccompanied youths could be detained and escorted home.

Both city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and the officer in charge of the police operation have defended their handling of the event.

They stressed they spent several weeks before it took place speaking to community leaders.

Sir Peter said allowing the EDL to march prevented a repeat of the violence which marked the protest of October 2010, when people inside the EDL cordon pelted police with missiles and several hundred broke through police lines.

He said: "I don't know who Netpol is, but they don't speak for any local people I know."

Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon said other independent monitors, including the Bishop of Leicester and the Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, had endorsed his officers' handling of the event.

"There were no arrests made as a direct result of the marches and no damage to property," Mr Nixon said.

"This was in no small way due to the professional manner in which officers and staff from Leicestershire Police and Leicester City Council planned and managed the events and thanks to the co-operation of local communities and businesses."

The Netpol report was published at a public meeting at the Highfields Centre, Leicester, last night.

Its author, Leicester youth worker Saqib Deshmukh, said: "There was not the same level of disorder as we saw on the previous occasion and this could reasonably be seen as a success for the police and the city council.

"But this came at a cost for young people, particularly young Muslims, for whom the city centre was a no-go zone, while there is a perception that the EDL came and went as they pleased."

SO. FAREWELL THEN, HASHIM DUALE MBE

At Taylor Road Primary School this evening for a dinner in honour of Hashim Duale. Or at least, that's what it said on the invitation ...

Hashim (in the centre of the photo above) has worked selflessly and tirelessly on behalf of the Somalian community in Leicester (and beyond) for more than a decade. He was a member of Leicester Council of Faiths when I took up my post in 2007 (although he resigned a couple of years later). He was awarded the MBE earlier this year for his services to the cause of community cohesion. You can hear Hashim speak about his early life experiences on BBC Radio Leicester's Leicester Voices archive (this is from 2003 but is still definitely worth listening to). This evening's event has been promoted as Hashim's "leaving do", but there turns out to be more to it than that ...

There's a generous spread of Somalian food. I was at first concerned that there may not be that much on offer for vegetarians, but I end up with a fuller belly than I've had in weeks. I'm even tempted back for seconds, a practice I'm conscientiously trying to give up.

After the food and the chance to mingle for a while, we take our seats in the school's main hall. We're formally welcomed by Jamal Ibar, Chair of Horn Concern, a Leicester-based charity which is hosting this occasion. This is where we realise that there's more to this evening's gathering than meets the eye. Jamal announces that we're actually attending the presentation of the Horn Concern Achievement Awards for 2012: celebrating outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the life of the Somalian community in Leicester. This has been kept under wraps so as to ensure it remains a surprise to at least two of the recipients of the three awards being presented here.

The first award goes to Chief Supt Rob Nixon, Leicestershire Constabulary BCU City Centre Commander. Rob has helped maintain close relations between Leicestershire Police and the Somalian community, overcoming barriers of culture, language, race and religion. The award is made with particular reference to his role in establishing and maintaining confidence and security on St Matthew's estate at the time of the most recent visit by the English Defence League in February this year. He's plainly taken aback at the presentation and emphasises how this is an award for his whole team. It's a good opening that the first of these awards goes to someone who is not himself a member of the Somalian community, but has worked with it and for it in such a beneficial way.

The second award goes to Idil Abdi Osman, a print and broadcast journalist who has worked for the BBC World Service and for Voice of America. When she gets up on stage to accept the award, she says it's the first time in her life that she's been lost for words!

It comes as no surprise when the third and final award is made to Hashim Duale. The presentation is followed by various people offering their own praise to the main man this evening. Many of them can barely finish their paeans without choking back tears, including (more than once) Hashim himself.

Hashim also receives the Chief Superintendent's Commendation, which has been given to only five members of the public in almost three years. This is presented on stage by Rob Nixon (who is clearly more at home giving awards than receiving them!)

There's also a brief presentation to Hashim from the Federation of Muslim Organisations.

At the end of the evening, one question remains: if this is Hashim's leaving do, where's he actually going? I and many others ask him this but he remains tight-lipped. Who can blame him though? The man deserves a break.

ST GEORGE'S DAY CAN HELP BIND OUR COMMUNITIES

This press release has been issued today by the Federation of Muslim Organisations.

  

St George’s Day can help bind our communities

The Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO) has repeated its calls to make St George’s Day, an annual public holiday for England.

Suleman Nagdi, spokesperson for the FMO said, “The legend of the patron saint, St George, is celebrated throughout the world including in India, Lebanon, Palestine, Russia and many other areas of the world. The legend of St George can be a way in which we can all demonstrate our commitment to each other. I support calls for a public holiday so that space is created to have celebrations and events throughout the country including the communal sharing of food, sports such as Football and Cricket which are English inventions and other entertainment”.

Mr. Nagdi added, “It is sad that some groups have attempted to hijack St George’s Day for their own narrow, prejudiced purposes. I firmly believe in the good character of English people reside in their values of justice and fair play. The Muslim community would be supportive of any celebrations and participate in the discussions around how we can all properly mark St George’s Day each year. In this Olympic year with our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, I would go a step further and encourage national government and their partners to look into creating a United Kingdom Day of celebration which unites England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales”.

I've written before on this blog about the good job Leicester City Council has done the past few years, in appropriating the weekend of St George's Day, filling it with multicultural, family-friendly activities and leaving no room for extremist groups to muscle in. I've commended them on that on different occasions, especially in the context of repeated visits to Leicester by the English Defence League. I'm glad to see that theyr'e following the same course this year as we can see in the posters all round the city.

ANTI-ENGLISH DISCRIMINATION

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Anti-English discrimination

On behalf of the English Community Group (Leicester) I wish to thank Nick Knight for his letter regarding our community organisation and asking for evidence concerning how the British state systematically discriminates against the English (Mailbox, February 10).

I wish to list just a few examples:

English ethnicity is excluded in the Census and also from ethnic monitoring forms, essential if the English as an ethnic group are to receive appropriate levels of government funding and policies.The label "White British" not only disenfranchises the English from its legal identity but as an identity based purely on skin colour it provides far less legal protection.

The English have no official bank holiday patron saint's day; no English Parliament; no specific English anthem; no English passport; there is no consultation of the English regarding our inclusion in the European Union and of mass immigration into England.

There is no English Olympic team; English flags are being taken down by councils; local English food produce not marked as English; no original Old English language, history and culture is taught in schools.

English university students are forced to pay full fees while Scottish students receive it free.

The English have higher airport taxes; a health apartheid where English patients are charged for prescriptions while Scottish patients receive theirs free; no English community centres, and where thousands of charities and community groups exist for ethnic minorities, there is only one charity, the Steadfast Trust, for the English.

Finally, to reassure Nick that we are ideologically separate from the English Defence League (EDL), we are focussed entirely upon the needs and concerns of the English community, as opposed to the EDL which is concerned solely with militant Islam.

The EDL does not recognise English ethnicity, preferring to hide behind a false British identity and encompassing a multicultural approach to its movement.

The English Community Group (Leicester) remains a community-orientated and ethnic-specific organisation totally distinct from the EDL.

Clive Potter, chairman, English Community Group (Leicester)

FAITH WITHOUT FRONTIERS

This article is published in the February edition of From Dusk 2 Dawn (FD2D) magazine:

Faith without frontiers

by Alastair Ballentyne

As part of my continuing mission to explore the diverse melting pot that is Leicester, I have inevitably come to a part of our community that is rarely discussed and often considered taboo - faith groups.

In recent times, religion has garnered a bad reputation partially through attempts to legitimise war and unpopular foreign policy.

There is an as-yet unexplored gulf between religion, belief and blind faith and in this day and age I believe it is important to question which one of these terms most accurately refers to the code of conduct by which believers live.

It’s interesting that something that has been part of civilisation for thousands of years has become such a taboo in the sensationalist times we live in, but then a person’s beliefs should never become their social bracket. I am more interested in what people in the ‘faith communities’ are doing to help improve the quality of life for the wider community as a whole.

To fairly represent this I met with two individuals - Pastor Samuel Gapara, founder of the Emmanuel Apostolic Gospel Choir who are currently based at DMU and my father, George Ballentyne the equality and diversity officer of Leicester’s Council of Faiths. Both of their organisations are different but ultimately their common goal is to assist in sustaining healthy relationships between all citizens of Leicester, and keep the people of the city well-informed about the diverse society they are part of.

The Emmanuel Apostolic Gospel choir began by chance when Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East visited Aylestone leisure centre. He stumbled upon Pastor Samuel holding a service there, as he and his compatriots don’t currently have a church building of their own. Vaz’s mission was to find singers for his mother’s funeral and asked if the congregation could provide the voices he was looking for. As a result they started rehearsing as a choir. They remained on good terms with Vaz after performing at his mother’s funeral, and he has since invited them to sing at different functions for dignitaries and celebrities such as Ed Milliband, Cherie Blair and Jackie Chan! After this the choir members embarked on community projects to help people who had fallen into prostitution and drug addiction.

The choir is open to people of all ages, religions and ethnic backgrounds and by Pastor Samuel’s own admission he feels that religion can segregate people and wants the choir to transcend this boundary. As testament to this he told me about how they once had a member of the Hindu community playing Tabla to add a different musical dimension instead of it being religiously motivated.

Ultimately the choir experience is about more than just religion – it is to maximise happiness and enjoyment in people’s lives rather than the beliefs that may govern them.

Of course part of the choir’s purpose is to spread the message of belief but Pastor Samuel feels that if people are introduced to faith groups in this way, then it allows them to maintain an open mind and form an unbiased opinion of their work.

Being based at DMU, Pastor Samuel feels that universities are key to the development of the choir and DMU has allowed them to use campus facilities to provide educational resources to disadvantaged individuals. During our conversation he placed emphasis on the importance of receiving good quality education, which unfortunately in this day and age is still not available to all.

The choir have been engaged in many fundraising activities and have been known to sing late into the night in the city centre at the weekends as they wish to raise enough money to build a church. Their vision is that it will be a beacon to those in need regardless of their background. The church will be open 24/7 (Pastor Samuel stressed that the building will never be locked) for anyone who needs a place to go regardless of their circumstances. It will also house recording studios and classrooms for tuition in subjects ranging from the academic to the artistic. This is of the utmost importance, as the Pastor explained that people from different ethnic backgrounds might find it hard to attend higher education institutions and their educational needs are not always adequately met.

Whatever your preconceptions of a gospel choir may be, it is impossible to deny that they are working to improve the quality of life and facilities available for individuals living in the community. Their work is not just Leicester-based; I was informed that they have members working far afield as Zimbabwe, Ghana and Jamaica. They are operating on a scale that most local philanthropic organisations could only dream of.

As Leicester is a city of multi-faith, I felt it necessary to discuss the work of the Leicester Council of Faiths, which is currently celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary and is a very important, yet often unsung local organisation. It doesn’t make interfaith events happen or claim credit for such events but it provides a public face for activities that might normally go under the radar. It is made up of community leaders from each of the different faith communities (Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Baha’i’s). It brings together and encourages interaction of the different faith communities to promote a peaceful co-existence; it also helps bring together white British culture with modern Asian culture and within that bringing Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs together. It also importantly acknowledges the differences within the different religions as people too often put all members of a faith under one umbrella without regard for their cultural differences.

Leicester is one of the most diverse European cities and that is something to be celebrated. The Council of Faiths promotes the idea that everyone is human with different hopes and ideas that can transcend cultural boundaries.

It is also interesting that people of Leicester are happy to partake in different cultural festivals such as the Mela, Divali and the St George’s day regardless of their heritage. It is as if they are able to do this because they share a common ‘spiritual heritage’ just by being from Leicester.

Last year, the EDL cast a dark shadow over Leicester’s proud multi-faith community when they descended on the city. It brought people from different backgrounds together as a community because they love and value Leicester’s multiculturalism and united when it came under threat. There was a rather touching "peace vigil" in the cathedral the night before the march where people from all faith communities gave readings from all manner of religious texts. So well attended was the vigil, there was only room to stand. Over the past three years the Council of Faiths has held an exhibition in the Highcross shopping centre with the main purpose being to present a ‘fuller and accurate’ understanding of faiths in the city. The exhibition takes place as part of ‘Interfaith week’, which ran from November 20-26. It is an important event in the local calendar as people seem to be wary of interfaith dialogue but as the exhibit is manned by a constantly changing group of people from different communities, it is a change to see cross-cultural cohesion in action and allows people to find out more about what each religion is about. Although the work of the Council of Faiths is important for the community, it is run on a shoestring budget and is the only organisation of its kind in Leicester.

It is important not to write off the faith communities’ efforts in our perceptions; their work in developing the resources available to all of us is invaluable. Groups like the Emmanuel Apostolic Gospel Choir are more honest and committed to their aims than a lot of groups offering some similar services that are nothing more than self-styled professional time wasters. The Council of Faiths is important because it campaigns for social issues such as better healthcare and provides a platform for people’s voices to be heard and encourages multi faith dialogue by engaging directly with the city as a whole.

SO PROVOCATIVE

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

So provocative

I was in the city centre on Saturday, February 4, when the marches were going on.

Later in the day, I had to go to St Margaret's bus station and at this time the police were escorting the EDL out of the city centre. Just as the EDL were passing St Margaret's Church, a group of people were standing on a street corner shouting through a megaphone, "Nazi scum off our streets." These people were trying to provoke the EDL and cause trouble, which I thought was wrong.

In my opinion, these people were worse than the EDL for making comments like that. Imagine what could have happened if the EDL decided to retaliate in response to those comments.

I would like to congratulate Peter Soulsby and the police for their handling of the marches which appeared to go reasonably well.

Mrs Karen Shepherd, Thurmaston

GOVERNMENT TO HEAR PLEA ON COST OF POLICING EDL MARCH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Government to hear plea on cost of policing EDL march

MP Keith Vaz and Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole are to meet Government minister Nick Herbert to discuss the cost of policing last weekend's English Defence League march.

As previously reported by the Mercury, the Leicestershire force faces a bill of at least £800,000 for protests by the EDL and Unite Against Fascism last weekend.

The final bill could be even higher when planning and preparations in the run-up to the day itself are taken into account.

Leicester East MP Mr Vaz said it was "unfair" that the entire cost for the policing operation lay at the door of the county force, which has had to save millions of pounds from its budget because of Government spending cuts.

He raised the issue, along with his concern at the impact on frontline policing from budget cuts, with policing minister Mr Herbert during the Police Grants debate in the House of Commons.

Speaking after the debate, he said: "Leicestershire Constabulary, like others in the country, is facing serious cuts to its budget in light of the Government's deficit reduction programme.

"It is highly unfair that the £800,000 bill for policing the march should have to be met by the Leicestershire police force.

"I am delighted that policing minister Nick Herbert has agreed to meet with me on this issue."

Chief Constable Simon Cole has also accepted an invitation from Mr Vaz to meet him and the minister.

A police spokesman said: "The chief constable has been invited to meet with Mr Vaz and Mr Herbert to discuss the issues surrounding the cost of policing these kinds of protest marches and the implications for police resources."

About 700 people took part in the EDL march on Saturday, February 4, while police said 200 joined the Leicester Unite Against Fascism's counter protest on a separate route.

The chief constable put 2,200 officers on the streets on the day, with most of the operation costs coming from the need to bring in police from 16 other forces.

The Leicestershire force was praised for its handling of the potentially volatile affair and there were no arrests.

Although the police are entitled to a financial contribution from football clubs such as Leicester City for policing home games, that is not currently the case with protests involving loosely-affiliated groups such as the EDL.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Ministers regularly conduct private meetings with MPs to discuss any issues or concerns."

Writing in a First Person column in the Mercury, earlier this week, Mr Cole said: "It is not for the police to set the laws, but I do think that there needs to be some reflection about the costs and expectations placed on police forces as we are currently paying, on your behalf, the price of free speech.

"That price is significant, and it is paid with the money paid in through taxes by us all."

RELIEF AFTER UNWANTED EDL'S VISIT

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Relief after unwanted EDL's visit

The news that the English Defence League (EDL) march on Saturday passed with little disturbance to local residents and business owners is a relief ("Police praised for handling of EDL demo in Leicester", Mercury, February 7).

I would like to add my congratulations to the Mayor and the police for the way in which they handled the EDL march and I was pleased to see that disruption was at a minimum compared to the last march in 2010.

The tactics employed by Leicestershire Constabulary and their successful efforts to maintain order are to be commended.

Similarly, the determination of the people of Leicester to carry on as normal and not let the protest interrupt their routines is admirable.

We have made it clear to the EDL that they are not nor will they ever be welcome in our city.

Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East

OUR POLICE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Our police did an outstanding job

I would like to congratulate the Leicestershire Constabulary for their outstanding performance during Saturday's EDL/UAF marches.

Their diffusion of any hostility, tension or aggression from members of either group was a wonderful thing to see. Keeping control of a situation of that magnitude was a difficult task and I have to say they conducted themselves immensely well.

As a businessman I was understandably concerned for my team to be working under that pressure, our clients for putting themselves in potential danger, and any damage my premises may have incurred.

Thankfully, the police demonstrated that we had no cause for concern as our working day ran smoothly.

We at Barrie Stephen are all incredibly grateful and proud of our police force for their efforts in containing what could have been a highly explosive situation.

I, for one, am happy to know that my taxes are being put to good use in training and supporting these amazing guys in their ongoing operations.Keep up the good work and thank you.

Barrie Stephen, founder of Barrie Stephen Hairdressing Group

MARCHES: THE SUFFERERS WERE THE CITY'S RESIDENTS

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Marches: the sufferers were the city's residents

Sir Peter Soulsby is wrong to hail Saturday and the handling of the EDL/UAF marches as a success ("A job well done", Mercury, February 6).

Of course, I am pleased that there were no arrests.

However the crux of the matter is what the Leicester Mercury correctly identified in the same article: "…traders said their takings would be hit hard as many shoppers stayed away".

The reality is, despite talk of business as usual, most people chose to stay away from the city centre.

Leicester's residents should have the right and freedom to earn a living go shopping and go about their usual business on a Saturday.

The city's people should not suffer a loss of income and/or feel too frightened to go to the city centre because of misguided claims about the EDL's freedom of expression.

If the EDL threaten to come to Leicester again, I urge the Mayor to stand up for the people that voted for him and ban a march from taking place and instruct the police to impose a restriction on the whole of the city of Leicester that prevents any static assembly by the EDL.

This is possible under the Public Order Act.

Sabby Dhalu, (Unite Against Fascism joint secretary and former resident of Leicester), London

NO DISTINCTION MADE BETWEEN EDL AND UAF

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

No distinction made between EDL and UAF

It was with great sadness that I read Peter Soulsby's open letter to the people of Leicester ("Don't let protests tear our city apart", Mercury, February 4).

He seems quite unable to make any distinction between Leicester Unite Against Fascism and the English Defence League.

I was on the Leicester Unite Against Fascism demonstration which was, of course, completely peaceful and the vast majority of people were from Leicester, although a few friends came from Nottingham and Derby.

I am sure most of the people on our demonstration voted for Peter in the mayoral election and many had voted for him as our local MP.

Some of the people I recognised as long-time members of the Labour Party who, I am sure, had canvassed for Peter in the past.

There were even people who were personal friends of Peter's. All of us were united in our love for multicultural Leicester.

In contrast, the vast majority of the EDL were from outside Leicester and are full of hate for our multicultural city.

Is Peter not able to make any distinction between love and hate?

Andy Wynne, Daneshill

TOO MUCH PUBLICITY?

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Too much publicity?

The Press survives by selling newspapers. It doesn't promote sales by starving groups such as EDL and UAF of publicity.

What has been the message these past few weeks but to discourage people travelling into Leicester last Saturday to go about their normal business.

Rather than to allow groups their right to demonstrate within the law, calls have been made to ban that right with one group reported as saying that they would openly flout decisions imposed by the police by assembling at the Clock Tower.

Surely, any advance media notification should not have fuelled what almost amounts to hysteria.

Groups should have marched on separate days.

The police have a duty to maintain law and order to free the public to get on with their daily lives while turning their backs on provocative rantings.

Whatever the names of groups, whether they are approved or disapproved by religious leaders, if those groups break the law they should expect arrest and trial.

Of paramount importance is that groups should not assemble at the same time and the same place to provoke one another into violence.

The police had the right idea to keep these opposing factions well apart, ready to make arrests for behaviour disturbing the peace.

What would have been the result had there been little advance publicity, an opposing group agreeing to march on a different day and the police allowed to get on with their work of supervision and arrest of troublemakers?

I daresay city life would have been far less disrupted.

George West, Groby

POLITICAL LEADERS STILL AT ODDS OVER EDL PRESENCE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Political leaders still at odds over EDL presence

Two political leaders are continuing to clash over the decision to allow the English Defence League to march in Leicester.

Former council leader Councillor Ross Willmott has repeated his criticisms of city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby's handling of the group's protest on Saturday – even though police said it had passed without significant disorder.

Councillor Willmott said the EDL should have been restricted to holding a "static" protest outside the city centre.

Sir Peter and senior police allocated a march route to the EDL and a separate route for its opponents, led by Unite Against Fascism.

As a result, there was no repeat of the serious disorder which spread across the city centre when the EDL staged a demonstration in October 2010.

However, the city centre was much quieter than usual, while several shops and Leicester Market shut for the day.

Coun Willmott said: "It was absolutely the wrong decision to allow the EDL to march in the city centre.

"If they had been confined to St Margaret's Pastures there would have been no disruption at all."

Speaking to the Leicester Mercury on Saturday, Sir Peter Soulsby defended his handling of the protests.

He said: "Allowing the march to go ahead was clearly the right call."When the EDL came to Leicester in 2010, the city centre was effectively shut down as a result.

"This time around there has been far less disruption and the entire march has been kept under tight control by the police.

"Of course, having the EDL march through our city wasn't desirable, and, of course, we didn't want it.

"But my biggest concern was making sure the people of the city faced the least disruption possible, and were kept safe."

Coun Willmott was also critical of police who escorted anti-EDL protesters away from the Clock Tower after several verbal warnings.Police had earlier warned that protesters would be legally required to stick to the two allocated routes to prevent clashes.

Officers, including some on horseback, escorted the group to the official UAF protest starting point, outside the city council's New Walk Centre in King Street.

Coun Willmott said: "We were not a threat to public order, we were simply peaceful local people who wanted to show the EDL they were not welcome."

A Leicestershire police spokeswoman said: "To ensure everything ran smoothly, the chief constable imposed conditions under section 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act, which included designated assembly points for those wishing to take part on the day.

"Those conditions applied to everyone wanting to protest and were circulated widely. Policing two protests by opposing groups was always going to be challenging.

"However, the force has been inundated by messages of thanks and support from the community."

A REASONABLE PRICE TO PAY FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH?

Simon Cole's First Person column appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

A reasonable price to pay for freedom of speech?

In the wake of the EDL visit, the Chief Constable Simon Cole asks a vital question

As Chief Constable, every day I set about spending your money wisely to protect communities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Over the course of the year I spend more than £175 million.

Most of that money is spent on police officers and police staff who carry out many and varied roles. Some of those are highly visible that you may see out in your community, others are attached to departments combining a wide range of specialist skills to create a diverse police force that provides a professional service to all.

No matter what role my colleagues undertake I am proud to say that they are not afraid to put themselves on the line to protect you.

Last Saturday, I spent rather more money than on an average day. In broad figures I will have spent somewhere in the region of £800,000 in dealing with the protests in the city that day and ensuring contingencies were available throughout Leicestershire and Rutland.

Of course, the actual cost is much more than that because in the weeks leading up to the event we have focused our efforts into planning and preparation for the protests as have our colleagues in the city council and other agencies.

I am sure that you would expect nothing less than for us to prepare in a professional way, but being diverted away from some of our other priorities is less than ideal. It is also unavoidable.

Of course, it is for the police to walk the line that our oath requires us to walk, and that we choose to take. Officers swear to serve the Queen without fear or favour, and in doing so we simply must respect and enforce the law.

Parliament, on behalf of us all, has put a high price on the right to free speech and this is supported by rights of assembly and protest. In relatively recent history we know that people gave their lives to protect the right to free speech in a series of brutal wars. The price that we are currently paying is considerably less. But we are paying it nonetheless and for Saturday it will mean a bill that will be met from local police funds.

It is not for the police to set the laws, but I do think that there needs to be some reflection about the costs and expectations placed on police forces as we are currently paying, on your behalf, the price of free speech. That price is significant, and it is paid with the money paid in through taxes by us all. My question is whether, in an age of austerity, the price is a reasonable one to pay and how much should event organisers contribute?

STANDING UP FOR THE ENGLISH

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Standing up for the English

One of the reasons why the English Defence League (EDL) chose to march again in Leicester is the fact that the English community in the city have been neglected for decades by both the local council, the wider establishment and media.

As members of the English Community Group (Leicester), the first of its kind within England, while we agree that the EDL should have the right to march and express its views, we neither support the EDL or share in its "British" identity and multicultural sentiments.

Along with millions of Englishmen and women we feel that we as a community have become marginalised and ignored by the liberal establishment who recognise every other racial and ethnic group, yet deny the English those same rights, benefits and privileges.

This is what helps create a ghettoised English resentment which feels that it can only voice its anger through street protests.

Our group has tried to meet Sir Peter Soulsby, City Mayor of Leicester, for months yet he has ignored us. Yet in the run-up to the EDL march he has met with other community groups which are, like ourselves, ethnic-specific.

Under current legislation the English are recognised as being members of a racial nation known as the English and that the indigenous English are a protected racial group in law.

The liberal establishment fails to recognise the English as a legitimate community and they are thus being effectively administratively "ethnically cleansed".

Sir Peter Soulsby's conduct in ignoring our community group has resulted in our group serving his office with an Equality Discrimination Questionnaire under the 2010 Equality Act. This means the City Mayor is now under legal notice to explain his conduct and to seek to recognise and work with the English community of Leicester.Failure to do so may result in legal action being taken against the office of City Mayor.

The English have a legal identity and are not a "mongrel nation", a claim levelled against us by the liberal establishment and the multi-cult extremists who wish to deny us our identity, culture and heritage.

Our mission is to ensure that the English within Leicester begin to enjoy the rights, benefits and privileges that they are entitled to enjoy under the Equality Act.

Clive Potter, chairman, English Community Group (Leicester)