DOZENS EXPECTED AT CITY PEACE MARCH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Dozens expected at city peace march

A peaceful procession to make a stand against extremism following the murder of Lee Rigby is to take place in Leicester tomorrow.

Dozens of people are expected to take part in a march from Town Hall Square to the war memorial at Victoria Park, where a two-minute silence and a wreath-laying ceremony will be held in memory of the soldier.

The event is being organised by Leicester Strong, a support group formed through Facebook, and will be followed by a family day to raise money for two forces charities – Help for Heroes and Scotty's Little Soldiers.

It is part of a nationwide campaign involving groups across the country and is being held to coincide with Drummer Rigby's funeral.

Co-organiser Julie Hogben, of Groby, said: "I come from a family of military people and when I saw what had happened to Lee Rigby it just devastated me. He had been to Afghanistan and survived then this happens on our own streets in broad daylight.

"We wish to invite people from all walks of life, regardless of colour or religion, everyone who wants to make this a safer place to live.

"We need to stand strong together against extremism and hate preachers.

"Our Government should be ensuring these people are off our streets."

Julie was hoping to see about 150 people taking part.

The family event will be held at The Donkey, in Welford Road, following the wreath-laying.

People who want to join the procession are asked to meet at Town Hall Square from 11.30am. The march will begin at noon, with the group set to arrive at Victoria Park for 12.55pm.

For more details, visit: www.facebook.com/ LeicesterStrong

ANSWER LIES IN UNITY, NOT "TERRORISTS" OF THE FAR RIGHT

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Answer lies in unity, not "terrorists" of the far right

Last month, we witnessed the brutal murder of a solider as he walked down a street near his home.

Within hours the word "terrorism" was being used to describe the attack and if it transpires this was indeed a politically or religiously-motivated murder then there would be considerable justification for using this term.

The aftermath of Lee Rigby's death also saw a rise in attacks on mosques and Muslims.

If "terrorism" is to be used so quickly to describe the actions of the Woolwich murderers, then surely this term equally applies to these attacks.

Elements of the far right, in their misguided defence of their concept of England, have sought to create fear among other communities – the very definition of terror.

The right-wing media is generally quick to use labels such as "hate preacher" for those few individuals advocating violence in the name of a particular religion, but, so far, most are reluctant to use the term to describe the leaders of the far right.

While the leaders of certain organisations may say they are encouraging peaceful protest, their words influence others to commit acts of violence.

It is not enough, though, to dismiss extremists of all shades as evil and to ignore the underlying issues which motivate their actions. To ignore them is to frustrate them to further acts of hatred.

As a socialist, I perceive these underlying causes in terms of class.Successive neo-liberal governments have sought to devastate the working class.

Some groups have been unfairly subjected to racism and discrimination while others have been completely ignored, or condemned as "workshy shirkers".

We have witnessed our industry disappear and our core values, such as solidarity, replaced with rampant individualism.

Now, especially during this economic crisis, we are all competing for an ever-decreasing slice of the pie.

It is no wonder working class communities turn on each other to compete for jobs, services, dignity and respect.

The answer, though, does not lie in looking to the far right: the answer lies in acknowledging what we all have in common, regardless of race, religion or country of origin.

It is in our shared interest not to fight each other but to fight against the injustices brought upon us by the elites of politics, banking and big business.

As a final point, it is to the credit of trade union, community and faith groups which have sought to heal the divisions in our society by taking steps to bring people together.

It is much more difficult to hate someone if you find you have something in common with them.

Matt Widdowson, Leicester

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.

FIRST PERSON: SAY "NO MORE" TO THOSE WHO TRY TO DIVIDE

Suleman Nagdi has written the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Say "no more" to those who try to divide

Suleman Nagdi ways separation by faith or ethnic background must stop - for the good of us all

The message is simple and must be emphasised loud and clear. NO MORE. No more messages that seek to divide our communities. No more actions that promote hatred, division, prejudice and violence. No more attempts to isolate and scapegoat individuals and organisations for being “different”. No more attacks like the heinous murder of Lee Rigby, committed in cold blood in full horrific view of the passing public.

We must not view this incident as the concern of one community but as a concern for all as we work collectively to safeguard our communities against the evil of violent extremism. No more incidents of hate crime committed against innocent members of a community or faith group for the crimes perpetrated by others. No more racially-motivated murders of innocent elderly people, like 75-year-old grandfather Mohammed Saleem, who was murdered in cold blood in Birmingham. No more senseless attacks on religious places of worship, like the burning down of the Al-Rahmah Islamic centre in Muswell Hill, North London.
No more hurtful and unfounded attacks on our teachers and scholars who have worked for decades to educate communities to become upstanding, law-abiding citizens of Great Britain. No more compartmentalisation of crime where a crime committed by an individual or group from one faith or community is seen as worse than the same crime committed by others from a different faith or community. A crime is a crime, regardless of the identity of the criminal. Any individual or organisation that breaches the law of the land we all share must be dealt with by the full force of the law.

No more being duped by the dastardly motives of individuals and organisations intent on fostering hatred and misunderstanding. 

It is important we all recognise each other’s differences, heritage and rights and respect each other accordingly. We must work collectively against those seeking to disrupt community cohesion and also against those who break the law. No more of all of the above at a time when we are all faced with an economic crisis that is affecting millions of people and seems to continue with no end in sight and where so many, from a diverse range of ethnic and religious backgrounds, are suffering from hardship and poverty.

To see people becoming reliant on food banks is a tragic sight in 21st century Britain. No more should now mean no more. Let us all work together collectively and in harmony to rid our society of all acts of lawlessness in this most challenging of economic climates. 

Suleman Nagdi is a spokesman for the Federation of Muslim Organisations

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.”

FIRST PERSON: RESPONSIBILITY THAT EACH OF US MUST SHOULDER

Suleman Nagdi has written the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Responsibility that each of us must shoulder

Society should come together and oust radical extremists - wherever they are, says Suleman Nagdi

The cold-blooded murder of Drummer Lee Rigby has once again cast a spotlight on radicalisation and raised questions about its causes. The notion of individuals driven by a particular cause to commit acts of murder and destruction is abhorrent to the majority, but what leads these individuals to shun society and and develop this hatred for their fellow human beings?

There is no faith which condones extremist violence, even though faith is quite often used as a mask to further the extremists' geo-political aims.

The radicalised can also include far right extremists, animal rights activists and separatist movements - ultimately, anyone who sees their cause as a justification for their extremist behaviour.

Unfortunately, we all too often associate radicalisation with Islam. But extremists comprise a very small minority and are predominantly detached from the mainstream Muslim majority.

The 2012 Home Affairs Select Committee report on the Roots of Radicalisation, chaired by Keith Vaz MP, identified a number of drivers for radicalisation which we are familiar with but also suggested that "radicalised individuals come from a wide range of backgrounds" and are "demographically unremarkable".

There can be many sources of radicalisation, including institutions. However, as the home affairs report identified, it is most likely to be the internet.

Disillusioned and disenfranchised individuals are more likely to be using private premises to access extremist sources from the internet.

We must adopt a unified approach to tackling extremism. It is a shared responsibility for all in society and not simply the responsibility of one group, faith or organisation.

This responsibility needs to be borne by our many institutions and centres.

We also need to teach our children the dangers of the internet and must monitor their use of internet sites as the shadowy sources of extremist hate and radicalism are only too easily a click or two away.

From an early age, we need to eradicate any opportunity for extremism to take root in the minds of our young people.

It is very difficult to identify an individual who is being radicalised and therefore we all need to remain conscious of our responsibilities.

There are organisations such as East Midlands Community Contact Unit, of which I am part, and the Channel project, which seeks to provide a multi-agency approach to helping vulnerable people who may be targets for radicalisation.

We need to ensure we don't criminalise these individuals and further disenfranchise them from society but rather look to bring them away from the causes of radicalisation.

Suleman Nagdi is chairman of Leicestershire Faith Forum [sic] and spokesman for the Federation of Muslim Organisations.

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.

FIRST PERSON: WE MUST "BOX CLEVER" TO BEAT THE EXTREMISTS

Simon Bennett has written the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

We must "box" clever to beat the extremists

Dr Simon Bennett, an expert in safety and security, examines the aftermath of Lee Rigby's murder

The murder last week of Drummer Lee Rigby shocked all right-minded people, whatever their faith or ethnicity. What impressed me was the country's determination not to be intimidated or demoralized by the misguided act of two disturbed individuals.

The public's response reminded me of a poster issued by the government in 1939: Keep Calm and Carry On. This is always the best response to threats and intimidation. By keeping calm and carrying on we prove terrorism doesn't work.

I'd like to make two comments: First, I believe ethnic, religious and cultural diversity is a strength, not a weakness.

As societies develop, the problems they face become ever-more complex and difficult to solve. Bringing a range of views and experiences to bear on problems improves our chances of solving them.

The Government has put its faith in the Big Society as a means of filling the gaps left by cuts. The social support offered by Britain's mosques, temples and cultural centres is an example of the Big Society in action.

I am old enough to remember Britain in the 1950s - a monochrome and stuff land of skiffle, football and fish and chips. Social diversity has made Britain a more enjoyable place to live.

Secondly,. the way to beat extremists is to "box" clever, by which I mean gather high quality intelligence and act on it in a timely manner in the context of laws that are fit for purpose.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks I wrote to the Prime Minster: I suggested he increase the budget for Britain's security services by one third.

In a 2006 article in Public Services Review, I suggested MI5 put more resources into recruiting members of extremist organisations, whether of the far-right, far-left or faith-based.

Needless to say, the Prime Minister did not respond to my letter. Nevertheless, in the years since 9/11 the Security and Intelligence Services (SIS) have put more resources into gathering intelligence organically.

Parachuting operatives into communities is a recipe for failure. Getting those communities to self-monitor is a recipe for success.

Last week, I met with a retired senior Metropolitan Police Service officer: We discussed the case of Mark Kennedy, the policeman who spent too long undercover.

The Kennedy case illustrates the difficulties of undercover work. While the murder of Lee Rigby was shocking we must remember how many plots have been foiled by the police with the support of SIS and the British public.

Intelligence gathering is not glamorous. It's dirty, dangerous and stressful. But it helps keep all of us safe.

Dr Simon Bennett is Director of Civil Safety and Security Unit at the University of Leicester

LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE UPDATE, 26 MAY 2013

Dear George Ballentyne,

On the fourth day following the events in Woolwich we are very pleased to tell you that there have been no local incidents which may be related to the tragic death of Drummer Lee Rigby. 

It’s reassuring to report that the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland remain calm and there has been no significant incident or activity since our last update.  It really is an indication of how strong our community relations are.

You may be aware that there was a gathering in Leicester yesterday by the Clock Tower by approximately fifty people who walked to the memorial at the Town Hall to pay their respects to the fallen soldier. This was a very low key and peaceful event.

Local officers are still working in their neighborhoods across the bank holiday weekend, linking in with faith groups and partners, listening to concerns of our communities and to give reassurance. 

There is still no intelligence to suggest there will be a negative reaction locally to events in London but we will continue to monitor this and will update you of any developments. Similarly, if anyone in your community has any information and concerns they can help us in our efforts by calling 101.

Once again, thank you for your help and assistance over the past few days. The people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are very proud of the excellent community relations and the respect we have for different cultures, communities and religious beliefs and the vast majority clearly want this to continue.

Rob Nixon

Chief Superintendent

Leicester City BCU Commander

ARCHBISHOP & IMAM ISSUE APPEAL FOR UNITY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Archbishop and Imam issue appeal for unity

by Dan Martin

The Archbishop of Canterbury today stressed the need for unity among Leicester’s religious communities in the aftermath of the brutal killing of a soldier in a suspected terrorist attack.

The Most Rev Justin Welby, the Church of England’s most senior clergyman, said the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich by two apparent Muslim extremists had “no place in Islam.”

The archbishop spoke about the young soldier’s murder outside the Masjid Umar mosque, in Evington, after rearranging his schedule in a visit to Leicester, planned before Wednesday’s horrific events.He met officials from the mosque, along with the bishops of Woolwich, Bradford and Pontefract as well as Bishop of Leicester Tim Stevens.

he archbishop stood side-by-side with assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain Ibrahim Mogra to address reporters follwing events in the capital.

The archbishop said: “We have all been horrified by the brutal murder of drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich and all of our prayers are with his family, colleagues and comrades, all those who witnessed this crime and members of the community who have been affected by it.

“I want to recognise the response of churches, mosques and other faith and civil society groups, as well as those brave individuals who have done so much to bring our communities together at this time.”

The archbishop, who later signed a book of condolence opened for the murdered 25-year-old at Leicester Cathedral, added: “The strong response from the Muslim Council of Britain and many other organisations have rightly emphasised that these acts have no place in Islam.”

He added: “I think Leicester is a shining example of how communities work together. I am confident because of the very good work Ibrahim (Mogra) has been doing, and we are all doing, that we are in a good position.”

Mr Mogra said: “Muslim communities in Britain are shocked and appalled by the horrific murder in Woolwich.

“The murderers chanted slogans during their heinous crime claiming to do it in God’s name.

“Far from it.

“This is a betrayal of Islam.

“This is a truly barbaric act that has no basis in Islam and we condemn it utterly and unreservedly.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Lee Rigby’s family and friends and especially his two-year-old son.

“Drummer Rigby was a serving member of the armed forces.

“Muslims have long served in this country’s armed forces proudly and with honour.

“This attack on a member of the armed forces is dishonourable and no cause can justify this murder.

“This crime has heightened tensions across the country. The MCB calls on all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim to come together in solidarity to ensure the forces of hatred do not prevail.

“I am immensely grateful for the leadership of our archbishop during this most difficult time and thank leaders of all our faith communities for your support.

“Your local Muslim communities will welcome your support and I encourage you to knock at the doors of every mosque and offer you neighbourly love.

He added: “There is concern about safety in large sections of Muslim communities who live in mixed areas.

“We hope that the police will ensure law and order is maintained.

“We say to the Muslim community: “Let us continue with our lives as normal.

“If we begin to cower and hide ourselves away then we allow the terrorists win. Life must go on.”

Bishop Tim said: “I hope what is clear is that this terrible incident, from driving a wedge between us will bring us closer together.”

Hundreds of worshippers gathered at the mosque for Friday payers and heard Imam Muhammad Sindhi condemn Wednesday’s tragedy.

He said: “Don’t be extremists. In Islam there is no space for terror or terrorism.

“Islam doesn’t teach, in broad daylight, to go out into the streets of London wielding a butcher’s cleaver and hack someone to death.

“This Stone Age savagery is not the message of Islam.”