FEDERATION OF MUSLIM ORGANISATIONS' PRESS RELEASE: THURNBY LODGE

Here's the text of a press release issued by the Federation of Muslim Organisations today:

The Federation of Muslim organisations are extremely concerned by recent reports of protests that have been witnessed at a community hall in Thurnby Lodge following its use as a prayer facility by local Muslims. The issue has been such that there have been outside influence on the protests which have now grown to an alarming rate.

It appears that these demonstrations have received support from organisations outside our city. Our perception is that these outside forces simply wish to destabilise our harmonious communities.

The Federation are extremely concerned that these disagreements should not escalate and that we must maintain to keep the stability and harmony in our local community relations. It has urged the Mayor and other key community leaders to intervene and to try to alleviate the concerns that are currently felt by members of the local community in the immediate area.

It is the Federation's ultimate aim that we are not influenced by outside forces and that we maintain the harmony and good community relations that “One Leicester” has enjoyed for many years and that we should all continue in our efforts to live in peace and with understanding and respect.

Suleman Nagdi MBE DL

11 August 2012 

Harmony that gives the lie to extremist tag

Here's the "First Person" column in today's Leicester Mercury. Before I got the chance to see the paper today, the text of this article was mailed around by Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for the Federation of Muslim Organisations. The author of the article, Luman Ali, is a community volunteer and PhD student.

Harmony that gives the lie to extremist tag

Luman Ali wonders why the city is considered a hotbed of Muslim militancy

Why Leicester? That is the question we are all asking after our city was designated as a hotbed of terrorism and worthy of being singled out for significant attention as part of the Government's new Prevent Strategy. What has Leicester done to warrant such concern and worry?

Is it the "One Leicester" campaign, which has brought together the various and diverse communities to celebrate our common humanity and our collaborative achievements, exemplified in the joyful festivities held in the city after the English Defence League demonstration? Is it the work done by the faith communities, in groups such as the Council of Faiths and Faith Leaders Forum, to create the means by which all the people of Leicester may live and work together in harmony and flourish in whatever endeavours they choose to pursue?

Is the launch of a recent Muslim Burial Council of Leicestershire book, "Discovering through Death – beliefs and practices", which was written with all faith and non-faith communities to examine how death is dealt with by all, an indicator that Leicester is a rampant hotbed of extremism? Moreover, does it worry the Government that representatives from all faith and non-faith groups came together for the launch of this book in an atmosphere of warmth and conviviality?

Is the Government worried about the way in which the various communities of Leicester came together last October to work with the police and local authority to combat the public disorder that was visited upon our great city? Is the Government concerned that the event passed with such minimal disruption that the strategies implemented by the police, local authority and various communities surrounding the event, have been used by other cities as a model of good practice?

If the Government is concerned about what has been noted here then it is pertinent to ask, why exactly have we been cited as a hotbed of extremism? Furthermore, if the inter-faith and community work that has been done in this city, work which has led to us being cited as a reference point for exemplary community work by other European cities, has not been enough to move Leicester away from being a hotbed of extremism, then what more can we do to help foster excellent community relations?

On our part we will continue to work with our partners to consolidate our strong relationship fostered through years of collaborative hard work. We also invite policy makers to view the work in Leicester to see why a church, Hindu Temple, mosque and synagogue stand yards apart in the Highfields area in peace and harmony. Why Leicester as a hotbed of extremism? No, the fact is "why not" Leicester.

Read this article, along with reader comments (and the opportunity to make your own) on the Leicester Mercury website: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Harmony-gives-lie-extremist-tag/story-12766987-detail/story.html

WIKILEAKS ON LEICESTER

There's so much stuff pouring out of WikiLeaks that it's not surprising Leicester is mentioned. Sooner or later, it seems like just about everywhere, everything (and everyone?) will be.

I get into the office late, after a day of meetings out, to find a phone message left by Neil Tweedie, from The Daily Telegraph. He asks if we would contact him urgently. I do, just after 1600. Neil tells me that he's been hoping to get someone from Leicester to comment on a document released by Wikileaks, in which a US State Department official reported on a visit to Leicester, giving her impression about the city's Muslim population.

Since leaving his message, Neil has spoken with someone at the Federation of Muslim Organisations, But I can't let the opportunity pass without saying that I'll get him some comment which they can publish in our Chair's name. And here it is, as sent to Neil within the next couple of hours:

"In Leicester, we're used to being the focus of attention for visitors, observers and commentators from all over the world. Hardly a week goes by without some individual or group contacting us (or some other agency working for community cohesion in the city) with an eye to seeing what's going on here - and this has included journalists from the US. We'd never claim to be perfect, or to have solved the issues that come with being a diverse city, but people here are genuinely trying to make things work out for the good of all. The thing that makes this matter newsworthy, of course, is its connection with WikiLeaks. But helping the different communities within the city of Leicester live and work side by side is an ongoing activity from which we can never really take a break, or say that it's been achieved once and for all."

Cllr Manjula Sood, Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths, was the first Asian woman Lord Mayor in Britain. She was featured on the front page of The Daily Telegraph in March 2009, when Leicester hosted a homecoming parade for British Service personnel returning from active service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our parade was free of the kind of protests that marred similar events in some other British cities at the time.

Neil tells me that the story will be published in tomorrow (Sat 5 Feb). In the event, it doesn't appear - lots of space is devoted to the Prime Minister's declaration of his "war on multiculturalism", so I'm not surprised if some other issues have to move aside to make space for this.

The latest development in the Wikileaks story is that it has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

For a more skeptical view of cultural diversity in "One Leicester", read Ed West, writing on the Telegraph blog.

OUR COMMON HUMANITY CAN UNIFY OUR CITY

Our letter published in the Leicester Mercury (Mon 2 Aug) has elicited an interesting response from Dr Allan Hayes, Secular Huamnist Chaplain to the Lord Mayor and President of the Leicester Secular Society. This is published as the "First Person" column in today's paper, quoted in full below:

Our common humanity can unify our city

Humanist Allan Hayes looks at an area of hope – and where improvement is needed

Last Saturday I received a blessing from an Anglican priest in an Anglo-Catholic service; I sang those of the hymns that I knew from my choirboy days; I shook hands with those around me as we exchanged greetings of "peace be with you"; I enjoyed food and wine, music, meeting friends, and speeches; I was moved by the exchange of vows (it was a wedding).

On Sunday I took part in a Hindu festival. Along with the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, I helped pull a chariot from Humberstone Gate to a local park, where I enjoyed more hospitality and friendship, an explanation of the religion – and more food.

These were significant religious events, but I have no belief in the supernatural basis of the religions, so how could I take part? I might reply that I was at the second event as chaplain to the Lord Mayor and at the first as a friend, but there is more: as a humanist I start from a regard for humanity. The offering and receiving of goodwill is important, and religions are important to me because they are important to people. We do not need to share beliefs to share humanity, but we must certainly share humanity – we must get on together.

How can the sharing of humanity be encouraged? Mutual recognition is surely needed, and, here I have to say that we are still lacking. Councillor Sood has referred to the good work that the Council of Faiths has been doing in bringing religions together. She describes it as "fostering a climate of respect in which debate can flourish among those who are able to speak – and to listen – on behalf of their communities. Members of the Council of Faiths... respect and learn from each other's beliefs, cultures, practices and traditions. We try to find ways for all to move forward together and we aim to uphold the rights and dignity of all".

This is certainly valuable work, but those who are not in the principal religions need recognition too. An opportunity for this will come in November with the third [sic] National Interfaith Week. If humanists and secularists are to take part as they did last year then they must be more fully provided for – we had no representation or display facilities at the main public and civic events. I look forward to a reply from the Council of Faiths, which seems to have played a major part in setting things up last year.

We also need an event that brings us together as One Leicester. A celebration of the city for all to enjoy on the occasion of the election of the Lord Mayor would be a splendid combination of tradition, achievement and vision for the future – we should start planning it now.

Leicester on the map

To a lunchtime meeting convened by Ben Ravilious, whom I've got to know through our attendance at CreativeCoffee Club. The topic is the establishment of "Leicester on the Map", a project to promote the good name of Leicester - but with a few novel twists. I'm a few minutes late in arrving and the discussion has already started by the time I take my place at the table. Around the table there are a dozen or so people, including a few I know and would expect (or rather, would hope) to see at a meeting of this kind: Sarah Harrison, City Centre Director; John Coster from Citizens' Eye among them.

From a certain point of view, this is a legacy arising from Amplified Leicester. In keeping with that project, Leicester on the Map would make extensive use of social media - a Facebook page, use of a hash tag on twitter etc. Many of us who are present today bring an extensive address book of contacts and our own networks. I get to speak a little about the Council of Faiths venturing into the realm of social media for the first time and how our positive experience might bode well for this new enterprise.

This is not be another "One Leicester" or another "Big It Up", not a campaign sponsored by any official agency. The idea is that it should be more of a popular movement, a groundswell from the bottom up - and not something led by any individual or identifiable collection of individuals.