TODAY'S THE DAY

Today's the day of the demonstration in Leicester city centre by the English Defence League and counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism.

I've been asked to act as a "Single Point of Contact" for Leicester Council of Faiths, receiving hourly emails from Leicestershire Constabulary and frequent tweets from officers on duty today, updating me on the situation. If any urgent information needs to be communicated, it's my duty to pass it on to my contacts in the Council of Faiths. Of course, many of them are involved in this day in their own right. There's a criss-crossing of networks, which should ensure that no one gets left out.

We're taking Harry and Grace out of town today, as we've decided it's best to keep their minds off events in the city centre. Yesterday evening, when the kids were dropped off for the weekend, they could hardly wait to tell me that we have to stay out of town on Saturday afternoon, because something terrible is going to happen. When I asked them what that might be, Harry told me that the word around his school is that Muslims are going to set off a bomb in the city centre. He's indignant about this, to put it mildly. He tells me that he was angry with his schoolmates for saying this, that he knows Muslims, that he knows I work with and for Muslims - and that they're good people, who wouldn't do such a thing ("Would they Dad?") How do these stories get started? That's rich, even for schoolkids.

So we go to a comic book drawing workshop with professional artist Kev F, being held at Countesthorpe College. Kev F Sutherland writes and draws for The Beano, Doctor Who, Match, Marvel Comics, Viz, 2000AD, Funday Times, Red Dwarf and more. He's appeared at Leicester Comedy Festival with the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre. He's full-on, funny and a very entertaining turn. You'd think he'd been engaged specifically to keep all our minds off events in the city centre (though I'm checking my messages regularly of course). We all (children and adults without exception) have to write and draw a page to be included in a comic book that we create today and is printed in the school, so we all get to take away a copy.

FAITHS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT CLOSER

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Faiths have been brought closer

As a newcomer to Leicester I have been impressed by the way communities get along together, and as the Director of the St Philip's Centre, excited by the togetherness of the faith leaders when they face common concerns.

Today's planned English Defence League (EDL) demonstration has brought us even closer together recognising that an attack on one faith is an attack on all. Our common message is that what the EDL stand for is not welcome here.

In a time of economic pressures on households and public bodies, it is sad to see so much local money having to be spent to protect people and property because the EDL's record is that they cause mayhem wherever they go. Surely, alongside their right to speak and demonstrate comes the responsibility of citizenship. Will the EDL be refunding the hard working tax payers of Leicester?

Failing this, will they at least be respectful, orderly and peaceful when they visit? We shall see.

Tomorrow St Philip's Centre is entering an inter-faith team in the Leicester Marathon for the first time. It is this kind of event which truly reflects our wonderful multi-faith city, not the discordant presence of the EDL.

Canon Dr John Hall, Leicester

MULTI-FAITH PEACE VIGIL IN LEICESTER CATHEDRAL

There’s a major event at Leicester Cathedral early this evening. A multi-faith service and vigil is being held, in advance of the demonstration by the English Defence League (EDL) and counter demonstration by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in the city centre tomorrow.

Canon Barry Naylor, who has planned the Order of Service and is officiating this evening, asked me to bring in a representative from each of the member communities on Leicester Council of Faiths. Each one would be asked to give a short reading from their scripture or sacred text (lasting no more than a minute). And I should ask them to resist the temptation to speechify when they get behind the microphone.

Even though this had to be done at short notice (doesn't everything these days!) I'm concerned that with hardly five minutes to go, as I enter the Cathedral we don't have a Hindu representative and our Muslim speaker is late. I didn't know if a Jain was going to be able to attend or not, but I'd proposed to our Jain friends that if this were the case, I'd be happy to represent them and read from their scripture. They were content with that, so I was prepared for it. As we're taking our seats, I spot Cllr Rashmikant Joshi come in, so dash over and buttonhole him about doing the Hindu reading. Barely a moment’s thought clouds his face before he accepts. I see Abdulkareem Gheewalla (President of the Islamic Education Trust and Chair of the Indian Muslims Association) speaking with someone in the pews, and when I ask him if he'd come forward as the Muslim speaker, he proposes his young friend, whom I've never met before. He accepts (brave soul) and comes down to the front with me. In the event, our invited Muslim speaker turns up in good time after all, so our substitute has no need to step up.

Early in the service, Barry Naylor asks the representatives to come forward one at a time, bringing with them a length of ribbon (each of a different colour) to be tied to a tall candlestick, then move forward to the lectern and read. First is Eleanor Davison, Humanist Celebrant with Leicester Secular Society. Then Tony Nelson, representing Leicester Hebrew Congregation. Next is Resham Singh Sandhu for Leicester's Sikhs. Then I have the honour of reading on behalf of the Jain community (I stress the principle of non-violence - Ahimsa - which is central to the Jain path and describe the Jain community as being, for most people, the undiscovered jewel among Leicester's faith communities). Dharmavidya David Brazier (in the photo above) is the Buddhist speaker – an impressive sight in his robes. Then Minou Cortazzi, for Leicester Bahá'ís. Sughra Ahmed represents the local Muslim community. Rashmikant Joshi steps into the breach for the Hindus (though you'd never know that he hadn't had any time to prepare). John Hull, Director of the St Philip's Centre is the last speaker, from the Christian perspective.

The oddest feeling of strength and vulnerability (at one and the same time) come to the fore during the singing of the hymn, "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace". I find this a rather odd, subdued number at the best of times, but here it has a genuine  sense of radiant acquiescence about it: not of surrender to ravenous wolves at the door, nor of submission to something inevitable though undesirable, but of some business altogether more mysterious and unfathomable, of strength coming from making oneself vulnerable.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;In giving to all men that we receive;And in dying that we're born to eternal life.

This was a quiet moment of transcendence - perhaps a real "you had to be there" moment, but real none the less. Even so ... I couldn't help but be reminded of those 1950s sci-fi movies (like the Gene Barry version of War of the Worlds) in which the last remnants of humanity unite in prayer at the climax of their crisis while, outside the church, the aliens are gathering to bring about their destruction.

Cllr Manjula Sood (Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths) reads from the Book of Isaiah 2:2-5.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Following on from the last lines of that reading, "let us walk in the light of the Lord", we're invited - one and all - to come forward, light a tea candle and place it on the floor in front of the screen, making a carpet of light. Judging by how long it takes to complete this part, very few here turn down the invitation!

Bishop Christopher, Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Leicester, prays for the city:

We thank you for the rich diversity of our city and pray for its unity, and a true desire to pursue the common good. We thank you for all who, in past years, have contributed to the flourishing of this city.

We pray for all involved today, in its governance; may they perceive the needs of those they serve, uphold what is right and do always what is just and noble.

May the people of Leicester work together in the building of a city where all may live safely, all may experience true hospitality, all may have a just share of the blessings you give and all may know and enjoy life in its fullness.

We pray for all who uphold these values, that their hearts and minds may be emboldened and we pray for those who seek to destroy them, that their hearts and minds may be enlightened.

We ask these prayers in your most holy name.

AMEN

This is a beautiful, rare and timely event. I feel privileged to be involved in it, to have played a small part in helping make it work. One might say it's a pity that we have to wait until our harmony and friendship is threatened before we do something like this, but this is really what happens in Leicester every day, writ large right now. Because of the strange circumstances which beset us right now, everything we do is under the microscope, everything that we take for granted in our city is being picked up, turned over and shaken, to see how - or, indeed, if - it works. It's when the things we love are threatened that we realise just how much they mean to us. These are special times, times of heightened awareness, when we realise just how much we mean to each other.

PEACE VIGIL AT CLOCK TOWER

The Clock Tower is the location for a Peace Vigil at 1630, in advance of the demonstration by the English Defence League and counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism in the city centre tomorrow afternoon.

Cllr Manjula Sood, Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths, addresses the crowd (in photo above). You'll see that she's wearing the lime green that has been adopted as the visible expression of the city's united objection to the protest. This colour is much in evidence in the city centre this weekend. In the photo below, Liz Kendall MP (Labour, Leicester West) is in black with the green scarf. Documentary film maker, Lucy Bianca Peel, is on the far right (of the photo, not politically!)

The vigil has been organised by Hope Not Hate. You can read Nick Lowles' blog post about it. Photos by Citizens' Eye Community News Agency, used here with permission.

return of the karma police

A couple of weeks ago, BBC Radio Leicester asked me to provide a member of the Council of Faiths to come into their studio for a live interview at eight o'clock on the Monday morning. I prevailed upon our Chair, Manjula, to do it, even though she protested it was too early for her.

This afternoon, Peter Bradley (of Speakers' Corner Trust), sends me a message to say that BBC Radio Leicester has asked him to be in their studio for a live interview about Leicester Speaks (AKA Local Democracy Week), 0730 this coming Monday. He told them that they'd be better off interviewing me. Wouldn't that be so?

'Nuff said!

Council of Faiths statement re 9 October

Almost as soon as it was announced publicly that the English Defence League was going to be mounting a demonstration in Leicester, the Council of Faiths went public with a response. In the Leicester Mercury, 8 September, our Chair, Manjula Sood, was quoted as saying,

We saw what happened in Bradford and we don't want the same thing here in Leicester.
We have built a reputation of community cohesion. We are not perfect but other cities look to us as an example of cohesion and we don't want to damage that.
Anything which disrupts the harmony of the city is not welcome - and that includes extremism in all its forms.

However, a lot has been said since then. Over the past week or so, an increasing number of community-led organisations in Leicester have been issuing public statements ahead of the demonstration by the English Defence League (EDL) and counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in the city centre tomorrow (Saturday 9 October). We woouldn't want to make it look as if we have nothing to say on the matter, so we've produced a formal statement of our own. The text, which was sent to our contacts Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and the Leicester Mercury this afternoon for wider distribution, reads as follows:

"WE HAVE FAITH IN LEICESTER!"

A statement by Leicester Council of Faiths

Friday 8 October 2010

Since its formation in 1986, Leicester Council of Faiths has worked to promote trust, understanding and co-operation among the city’s faith communities. It is recognised as a key player in establishing, maintaining and promoting Leicester as a place where people of different religions and beliefs co-exist peacefully. Leicester Council of Faiths works alongside other groups and organisations which encourage mutual respect, community cohesion and a world-embracing vision. It has long been a leader in informing, consulting and engaging civic institutions, local authorities and service providers on issues affecting the faith communities, as well as offering support and inspiration to our city’s ongoing regeneration. Its members include representatives of Leicester’s Bahá'ís, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs.

As we approach our twenty-fifth anniversary, it becomes clear that the spirit of mutual support among our faith communities is lively, robust and strong – particularly in the face of the challenges currently facing our city. Leicester Council of Faiths presents a united voice in expressing our opposition to any attempts to spoil the good relations enjoyed by the diverse communities who go to make up our “One Leicester”. We see an injury to one as an injury to all. Likewise, we are committed to joining our fellow citizens in a collective effort to heal the wounds caused by bigotry, intolerance and prejudice – from whatever source they may come.

We express our confidence in Leicester City Council and in Leicestershire Constabulary to keep the streets of Leicester safe and the people of Leicester secure this weekend. We urge members of Leicester’s faith communities to carry on with their normal lives as much as possible and not to join in confrontational activities. Better to let this pass, then return to business as usual. The Council of Faiths will be joining in the city centre celebrations on Sunday tenth, then playing an active role in Leicester Speaks (AKA Local Democracy Week) beginning Monday eleventh October. These are the kind of activities that show Leicester at its best; we’ll gladly put our energy into them.

Councillor Manjula P Sood MBE

Chair, Leicester Council of Faiths

LEICESTER SPEAKS: FAITH COMMUNITY DIALOGUES

As its contribution to Leicester Speaks (AKA Local Democracy Week), Leicester Council of Faiths is presenting a series of dialogues, involving each of our member faith communities. But there’s a twist! These meetings match up groups who don’t normally get the opportunity to speak in public, so we’ll experience some new and different sorts of encounters, in which new things will be said by new people.

Each speaker will address the topic, “What does our community bring to the city of Leicester?” A ten minute presentation by each speaker will be followed by the chance to respond to questions.

The intention is that the meetings will be small in scale, friendly in tone, informal, positive and mutually supportive. These are not meant to be arguments over contentious issues or academic debates about competing truth claims. We’ll have the chance to break down old barriers, build new bridges, make new friends. Meetings are open to anyone, from any background. To listen to some views we may not have heard before and to chat with people who may not have heard us.

Tue 12 Oct, 1400-1500, Jain / Sikh dialogue at Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street, Leicester LE1 6HL

Wed 13 Oct, 1100-1200, Bahá'í / Christian dialogue at the Welcome Centre, Pilgrim House, 10 Bishop Street, Town Hall Square, Leicester LE1 6AF

Thu 14 Oct, 1400-1500, Buddhist / Muslim dialogue at the Welcome Centre

Fri 15 Oct, 1100-1200, Hindu / Jewish dialogue at Phoenix Square Film & Digital Media Centre (Screen Room), 4 Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG

We're especially encouraging people not just to attend the meeting in which a speaker from their own community is involved, but to go along to another one too. It's the chance to learn something new and do something different.

LEICESTER SPEAKS (8)

Our final planning meeting for Leicester Speaks this morning, at the Adult Education College. Our group today consists of Jitin (TouchRainbow Productions), Tina Barton (Lead Mentor, Leicester Wave and manager of Leicester City Council's Children's Council), Parmjit Basra (Project Officer, Leicester City Council Adult Skills and Learning Services), Max Boden (Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce), Irene Kszyk (Head of Equalities, Leicester City Council), Kate Merrett (Office and Projects Manager, LeicestHer Day Trust), Chris Minter (Head of Leicester City Council Adult Skills and Learning Services).


We discuss the launch event in some detail (including matters of security, health and safety). We're on to the nitty gritty detail now, such as how to get canisters of helium from One Stop Promotions at the top of Granby Street down to the site of the launch event in Humberstone Gate. And our search for a celebrity to appear on stage may have borne fruit - but if what we're hearing this morning is true, then it'll make our launch the most surreal thing seen in Leicester for many a long day! I can't believe Parmjit is reporting this to us with a straight face. We also consider the ever-increasing variety of events on offer throughout the week. There's a very upbeat mood and a sense that we're raring to to get going!

Leicester Speaks (7)

Out and about this lunchtime with a clutch of flyers for Leicester Speaks (AKA Local Democracy Week). I haven't seen many of these around town, so I leave as many of them as I reasonably can in prominent public places: Crumblin' Cookie; Curve; Fabrika Independent Arts Centre; LCB Depot; Phoenix Square (where there's a handful already, probably from the bunch I gave John Coster yesterday at the Welcome Centre); Tourist Information Centre. I note that the flyers have the magic lime green colour on the front that's suddenly and temporarily fashionable in Leicester. Well, as they say, every little helps (and no - I didn't take any into Tesco!)

Philosophy in the Pub (4)

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's the regular meeting of Philosophy in the Pub (PIPs) at the Swan and Rushes, Infirmary Square. A decent-sized group (seven) this evening, we are given as our stimulus a letter that appeared in the Leicester Mercury yesterday about the demonstration by the English Defence League and counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism this coming Saturday in Leicester. Not sure whether this works or not. For the first time in all the months we've been doing this, I'm wary of talking about this issue in public. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that some other patron in the bar might come by and tip a pint over someone's head during our discussion. We normally have a good few laughs in these sessions, but there are precious few on offer tonight.

Allan and Mike are here from the Secular Society. Mike's the one liaising with the Police about Saturday's events. How ironic that this demonstration, arising from protests against supposed Islamic extremism, will be taking place virtually on the doorstep of Secular Hall - the first venue of its kind in the world, a living monument to the necessity of free speech, but which will be boarded up for its own safety come Saturday.