INTERFAITH FORUM FOR LEICESTERSHIRE: RELIGION & THE MEDIA

At County Hall, Glenfield (seat of Leicestershire County Council), for a meeting of the Interfaith Forum for Leicestershire. The topic this evening is "Religion and Media". I'm doing part of the presentation: one third of it, to be precise. First John Florance (BBC Radio Leicester) speaks on the topic in relation to broadcast media, then Nick Carter (Chair of Prospect Leicestershire and the Leicester Multicultural Advisory Group - LMAG) on print media. John (centre) and Nick (right) are in the photo above, with Resham Singh Sandhu, who chairs the meeting. I'm on last, speaking in relation to social media.

We have a good turnout (filling the Sparkenhoe Committee Room, with around 50 attendees) despite considerable competition this evening. Just a few doors away, top TV celebrity historian Michael Wood is giving a talk about his BBC series, The Story of England, which narrates the country's history through the story of Kibworth, a Leicestershire village that predates the Domesday Book. If I weren't in here speaking, I'd be in there listening to him!

Athea, from Faiths Forum for the East Midlands, brings the latest edition of their quarterly newsletter, Know Faith! issue 05, hot off the presses. It has good coverage of Inter Faith Week 2010, including our exhibition at Highcross and our feature in The Wave.

John Florance is Producer and Presenter of the Breakfast Show, on BBC Radio Leicester, Sunday mornings, 0600-0900. He gives a potted guide to the history of BBC Radio Leicester, including the birth of the BBC's Asian Network, which began in Leicester in the 1970s and still shares its premises. It's a statutory duty for local radio stations to have a programme on the topic of faith and ethics. John's show has a largely Christian audience, composed of older people up early to get to church. This doesn't stop the programme from carrying news and features about the diverse faith communities of Leicester. He lauds the good communication and positive relationship between the faith output and the newsroom. He is aware of the station's responsibility to promote good relations and better understanding among local faith communities. John also produces the "Thought for the Day" slot (he's asked me this evening if I would do a few of these - only 90 seconds long, thankfully!) He makes a few practical suggestions about getting heard on BBC Radio Leicester. Most importantly, tell him what's going on, rather than moan about it after it's over - and been missed. He also gives a few tips on how to write, submit and follow up on a good press release. He ends by acknowledging that those who genuinely know Leicester don't see it as a multicultural paradise - but one in which lively, courteous debate (some of which can - indeed should - be conducted on local radio) helps iron out the wrinkles among and between communities of differing background, practices and traditions in our city.

Nick Carter was editor of the Leicester Mercury for 16 years, having left the post two years ago in January 2009. During his tenure (says our Chair this evening), the paper covered faith community issues more sensitively and sympathetically than it does today. This evening he briefly considers how the place of faith in mainstream British society has changed radically, since he started as a junior reporter with an evening newspaper in Slough in 1975 (when religious news was made up of little more than church social events and traditional Christian festivals) and how the mainstream media has not kept pace with this change. He proposes that the media (especially local media) has a responsibility to dispel misinformation and lack of understanding. In this day and age, it's easier than ever for such opinion to find a platform, which makes the responsibility of "traditional" media all the more serious. The media as a whole has failed to understand the changing nature of religion, of communities and of their potential audience and customer base. They are now struggling to catch up - and for the most part, they have missed the boat as their audience has fragmented. Nick makes a plea for inclusion in the media of "soft news" - without setting the threshold too high, before faith issues are admitted into the mainstream as "hard news" when crises emerge. Without the background of "soft news" that would promote understanding and sympathetic coverage of faith and cultural issues. this is not as negative or pessimistic as it might first appear as he has a number of observations and suggestions for practical improvements.

My contribution is on social media, speaking about Leicester Council of Faiths' foray into Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, iPadio and - of course - blogging. I also give a puff to Amplified Leicester. I talk the audience through each of these (including my amusing anecdote about King Abdullah of Jordan reading my blog - unprovable either way, of course) and give a little live demo of a few in action. I come across like an enthusiastic twelve-year old at Show and Tell: "I've got a blog!" "We're on YouTube!" "Have you got as many facebooks fans as we have?" At the end of their presentations, John and Nick get a quarter of an hour of reflective, interesting questions; I get none. I think I've pummelled the audience into submission (but later this evening and early next morning, I get a lot of visitors to the blog).

I finish the evening here by recording half a dozen short video interviews with some of the attendees for our YouTube channel.

ANOTHER REDP AWAY DAY: "WHAT ABOUT THE WORKERS?"

Following on from the Away Day we had for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership on 20 Jan (see blog entry), we have another one today, just for members of the Working Group. We're meeting at Leicester LGBT Centre, Wellington Street. The centre is having their ground floor cafe renovated, which has led to the entry buzzer being disabled and (more worryingly) a lot of rattling and shaking in the training room, right above where the work is being carried out. Despite one or two scares, the floor didn't give way, thankfully!


Our group today comprises Taherah, Chino, Kelly, Carolyn, Tonia (l-r, photo above) and Laura (REDP Project Manager, far right). Liz Harrison was missing today. As with the last meeting, Bob Clarke is our facilitator.


The Working Group carries out most of the day-to-day work of REDP, including circulating papers published by central government and coordinating responses to them, from the Core Partners and the wider Core Reference Group. Our discussion today homes in on ways to help make the group work more effectively. Not that it isn't effective now - but no matter how good something is, it can always get better!

ISLAM: A LIFESTYLE CHOICE

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Islam: a lifestyle choice

Here is a secular view of what Tory peer Baroness Warsi said on your front page (Leicester, January 21).

It was simply a demand that Islam is above criticism. She claims "prejudice against Muslims in Britain is at an all time high", but offered no evidence to support this claim, unless you count the e-mail she received as an example of prejudice against Muslims.

But the e-mail was nothing more than a concise sentence typical of hard political debate, that used a play on halal, which is indeed a Muslim custom/superstition hated by many, especially animal rights folk, that seemed a fair way to have a dig at her to me.

This is the e-mail: "Instead of bleating like some halal lamb being led to the slaughter, how about ending the knee bending to Islam at every opportunity."

This is mild indeed compared to the messages sent from Islamists to their critics.

She goes on to confuse race with religion. She tries to draw a similarity between racism to the Jews and criticism of Islam, but she is wrong; criticism of Islam is equal to criticism of Zionism – criticism of an ideology. Does Warsi think Zionism above criticism?

Opposition to Islamic aims, as to how we should all lead our lives are not racist, but ideological, as they are with any political creed we may oppose.

When asked whether she still faces regular discrimination, she said: "On the basis of my race? Less so. On the basis of my religion? More so". So Baroness don't be a Muslim, give it up! It's not compulsory. Here in Leicester it's a free choice, unlike being Jewish or Asian. If Warsi is attacked for being Asian, that is racist and she must be defended from that, but when she is criticized for freely following a lifestyle ideology many of us disagree with, she must expect hard arguments against that choice.

Especially as someone who has excepted an unelected, privileged, and well paid role in the Government on the Tory side!

She states that anti-Islamic sentiment is bigotry, so she can call those of us who are critical of Islam bigots, but we must, in her words, "be urged to be more careful about what they say about religion".

Why? She must extend the same freedom of speech to those of us who disagree with her, as she received on the front page of the Mercury.

Mr Lyn Hurst, Leicester

"COMING HOME" TO QUAKERS

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

"Coming home" to Quakers

David Clark (First Person, January 21) explains the dilemma of many within the traditional Christian churches, in wanting to remain part of a worshipping community, but finding difficulty with some of the doctrines, whether they be Catholic, Anglican or Islamic. 

As one confirmed long ago in the Church of England, I know how hard it is to break from the fellowship of a faith community, but we cannot hide our doubts. I once heard a great churchman, Canon Charles Raven, say: "Your doubts are your growing points". 

My doubts led me to Quakers in the Society of Friends. Quakers have no creeds and no set prayers or hymns that oblige us to repeat things we cannot believe. Instead Quakers rely on silent communion – meeting together to experience a deep sense of peace and spiritual renewal. Our meetings are open to anyone who wants to share an hour of silent Sunday worship (10.30am, the Meeting House, Queens Road).

We don't have to dress up to go to meetings and we certainly don't wear Quaker Oats hats. In fact, we like to think that, generally speaking, we are really quite normal!

Malcolm Elliott, Leicester

LAUNDE ABBEY: ONE OF THE LAST BASTIONS OF HUSH

The Bishop of Leicester has written the First Person Column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Launde Abbey: one of the last bastions of hush

The Bishop of Leicester says that in a world dominated by noise we need places of silence

Many of us grew up with memories of trips to our local library where zealous librarians enforced the silence by frequently telling people to "shhh". The Pipe Down Campaign once described libraries as the "last bastions of hush in an increasingly noisy world".

However times have changed. In Gloucestershire, libraries have introduced sound systems to provide background music to boost their appeal to younger users. During a recent visit to a school in Leicester, a member of our clergy asked the children when they last experienced silence. None of them could remember ever having done so.

Here in Leicestershire we have our own "bastion of hush" – Launde Abbey which is one the few remaining diocesan retreat houses.

The Archbishop of Canterbury described retreat houses as offering a tranquil environment where you can "find spiritual nourishment in an otherwise hectic world".

At Launde Abbey silence pervades the atmosphere. There is no mobile phone signal – unless you walk up the hill. Neither is there any noise or stress.

Last Tuesday Launde Abbey welcomed His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, when it re-opened fully to the public after a year of complete restoration and refurbishment. The major refurbishment of the building was possible after a highly successful public fund-raising campaign in 2009 to save Launde Abbey.

The newly-refurbished building has been designed to ensure that those who go there on silent retreat are able to have that silence respected.

During his visit the Prince of Wales took part in worship in the chapel, met some of the craftsmen involved in the restoration work, and spoke to those involved in the daily life of Launde Abbey, including many staff.

The Prince spoke at length of his joy that places like Launde Abbey were being revived. "Places of calm and transcendence are vital in our busy lives," he said. "We cannot act effectively if we don't know how to restore our inner self. Launde Abbey is an ideal place of retreat for people of any faiths, and of no faith."

Retreat houses are not the only places left where you can seek out silence. Silence and tranquillity can still also be found in many of our churches and cathedrals. People who visit them still talk in hushed whispers as they wander round gazing at the architecture and others choose to sit in silence to offer a private prayer.

Philip Larkin summed this up in his poem "Church Going". "It pleases me to stand in silence here: a serious house on serious earth it is."

In the 1960s Michael Ramsey, the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury, lamented that there was not enough silence in the world. Have you ever considered seeking out a place of silence and paying it visit?

CITY CENTRE'S FOUNTAIN AND LIONS STILL LOOK IMPRESSIVE

The "Sketchbook" column in today's Leicester Mercury has a very nice drawing by Olwen Hughes of the fountain in Town Hall Square. Since the fountain features every now and again in this blog (it's what I see when I look out the window of the Welcome Centre or of my downstairs office after all) I thought it appropriate to reproduce that piece here, faithful reader, so you can see her fine drawing and read her interesting historical summary.

I've also put this on here because the fountain is a very public mark of the significant and lasting contribution that the Jewish community has made to the city and people of Leicester. Alderman (later Sir) Israel Hart (1835-1911) is arguably the most prominent citizen of the modern Jewish community in Leicester. Sir Israel Hart was four time Mayor of Leicester (Leicester was declared a city in 1919, at which time the office of Mayor was elevated to that of Lord Mayor).

City centre's fountain and lions still look impressive 

I was on my way to Leicester market via Town Hall Square, and the elegant fountain, always attractive to small children, caught my eye.

It was an especially interesting subject to draw, for the rays of the setting sun made the lions look orange.

I always thought that this was because they were actually made of bronze, but I later found that they were not, but are of cast iron, painted to look as if they were bronze.

The Town Hall, and its square, of course, was the site of the cattle and horse market until the Aylestone Road cattle market was opened in 1872, and this incredibly valuable site became available.

The City Corporation had debated finding an alternative to the Guildhall for 25 years, because it had become so cramped, and the new Town Hall was opened in 1876.

The fountain was given to the city by Alderman Israel Hart in 1879, a major local benefactor, and four times mayor of Leicester, and cost him £2,000 at that time. He always had the best interests of the city at heart, and the gift was made on the condition that the Borough Corporation laid out the grounds left over from the construction of the Town Hall as a public open space, and did not sell them off.

We have all enjoyed the result of his vision and generosity.

The design is the same as the fountain in Oporto, in northern Portugal, and one has to assume that Israel Hart had been there, seen it, decided that it was a delight and that Leicester should have one too.

It was cast in Paris, for this is where the moulds for the statue must have been, and it was unveiled with great ceremony.

It certainly does have the feelgood factor, and is in a remarkably good state of preservation, given that the fountain received some careful maintenance work a few years ago.

2011 CENSUS: WHAT IS YOUR RELIGION?

I wrote about someone from the 2011 Census being involved in our REDP Equality Update Event in Nottingham on Thursday 27th (see blog entry). I thought it would be helpful to put in a bit more about the census - especially its religious dimension. So here's the relevant text:

2011 Census - register your religion
Providing information about your faith


In 2001 over 37 million individuals registered themselves as Christian on the census questionnaire, with the majority recorded in the South East of England. Although the census has been around since 1801, the religion question has only been asked twice before, once in 1851 then again 150 years later in 2001, and remains the only voluntary question in the entire questionnaire, simply asking: What is your religion.


The information gained from the religion question helps improve understanding of local populations, and helps to promote equality legislation, in order to prevent religious discrimination.


The next census takes place on 27 March 2011 and can be completed online for the first time in census history, at http://www.census.gov.uk/


Due to space constraints Christian denominations have not been separated into their own categories on the census questionnaire. If you'd like to write in your particular denomination you can do so by ticking the "Any other religion" category and entering your denomination in the space provided.


Genealogists use census data for historical research, academics use statistics for their studies and businesses and local authorities use the information to cater for an ever changing society; this could include identifying the need to build new schools, care homes or leisure centres, or catering for religious groups.

I am sure, faithful reader, you can see why Leicester Council of Faiths is keen to ensure that as many people as possible fully in the census this year (if only so we can update the figures on our leaflets). The city's Asian community didn't respond strongly to the 2001 Census, which has led to some dispute over the relative size of some of the faith groups - for instance, I've heard it said on good authority that there are actually twice as many Sikhs in Leicester as are shown in the official record.

confrontation will not create a better society

When I met Dr Allan Hayes (recently retired President of Leicester Secular Society) at Phoenix Square on Wednesday evening, he told me over a pint (his) and plate of fish and chips (mine) that he'd submitted a "First Person" column to the Leicester Mercury responding to Baroness Warsi's speech at Leicester University last week. This is published in today's edition and reproduced in full below.

Confrontation will not create a better society

Allan Hayes says the concept of "dialogue" was missing from Baroness Warsi's speech

I came away from last week's speech by Baroness Warsi deeply disturbed: I am even more disturbed after reading her speech to the College of Bishops. Islamophobia, bigotry and ignorance are certainly to be combated by us all, on that there can be no disagreement, and we all recognise the good work done by religious charities–it is her views on the wider issue of religion and society and her lack of recognition of the good work done by others that concern me.

We have a dynamic and effective politician who is giving the impression to the religious, particularly Muslims, that religion is under attack from the non-religious; and to the non-religious that government is pushing religion on them. This is not helping anyone.

Speaking in Leicester, she could have highlighted how we are building One Leicester, how we live together, how councillors of different beliefs work together, how we talk to one another, how the oldest secular society in the world is welcoming the vicar of an Alpha Course church and a prominent Muslim academic. She could have mentioned how we came together against the English Defence League.

The concept of "dialogue" is missing. She shows no recognition of the serious discussions that are going on between people of different beliefs, religious and non-religious, and no awareness of the amicable relations between many secularist, humanist and religious members of our society. She is all for confrontation.

She calls for us to combat bigotry and religious illiteracy and to use reason, but to her, bigotry is anti-faith bigotry and she seems not accept that secular and non-religious views need to be acknowledged and understood–it is not sufficient for religious leaders to explain their faiths better. We have to remind ourselves that she speaks not as an individual but as a minister with influence. She proclaims that her government not only "does God" but "gets God"–whatever that means. She sees herself far too much as the leader of a religious revival–this is dangerous stuff.

She is pushing us towards a society where we may have to ask what is the religion of a politician as well as of a school or a social centre–this is not a good way to go.

Where can we go? To paraphrase her: we need to build a more open, inclusive society, a more grown up-society. Could we start by reversing the Government's decision to exclude Religious Education and Collective Worship from the forthcoming curriculum review; and by having a more open discussion of its policy on faith schools?

And perhaps she could include in her history the rights to freedom of religion and for elected MPs to take their seat regardless of any religion or belief? She might find that secularism had something to do with securing these rights.

Now ... interesting as I find this piece in its own right, I probably wouldn't have added it to this blog were it not for the conversation I had with Allan on Wednesday evening, during which we discussed the pros and cons of having an occasion like this in Leicester.

Obviously, Dr Hayes has his own agenda, which is well known, given his position and prominence in Leicester life. (He is Humanist Chaplain to the present Lord Mayor, Humanist representative on the Leicester Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education and - nationally - a trustee of both the British Humanist Association and of the Sea of Faith Network.) He makes no attempt to disguise that agenda here, flying the flag, as he always does, for the cause of Secular Humanism. But I would not do him the disservice of presenting an edited version of his short piece in today's Mercury or take the risk of quoting him out of context just to further my point here. It's more interesting and effective to read it as a whole. Dr Hayes doesn't need an apologist for his views - least of all me. But I think it shows the nature of the debate over these issues in our city that we can so often stand side-by-side with those who might be assumed to be our opposites. There's much more common ground than most folk realise. And in instances like this, I keep coming back to the Equality Act 2010, which protects everyone from having religion or belief being made into a stick with which to beat us, no matter what our personal affiliations may be.

Baroness Warsi's speech was certainly high profile, being of national - even international - interest, having been picked up, published and republished by all sorts of media (print, broadcast and social) all over the world. It certainly took off among those agencies, bodies, organisations - and individuals - with an online presence promoting issues to do with culture, religion and society in general - and Islam in particular. Overlooking the muddle over just where the talk was taking place (see my blog entry for the event) it was surely to the benefit of Leicester University to host it. But why Leicester? We agreed that Leicester is probably the safest city in which to make this kind of speech (demonstrations were threatened for Baroness Warsi's appearance at the university, but in relation to spending cuts and tuition fees, not ones to do with the actual content of her speech). But Allan made the point (as have others who heard the speech - I have to remind you, faithful reader, that I did not) that she could have been making it in a vacuum. The content did not reflect anything about Leicester as a community, how Islam is seen here, how Muslims live here - how we all live here. It was perhaps analogous to the recent broadcast of The Big Questions (see my blog entry) in which the speakers and panelists were brought in from outside Leicester, spoke about the issues in ways that were disconnected from the actual life of our city, then go away at the end, leaving the viewer with the impression that they had been shown something about how we are here. It was so disconnected to Leicester that it might as well have been broadcast from TV Centre in London, or from the bottle city of Kandor for that matter. Did Baroness Warsi do any different? Did she speak on the basis that what she has concluded, largely on the basis of her own experience, holds true for everywhere- including Leicester? In speaking and going like this, with hardly even the most cursory nod to the distinctive nature of the city hosting her, the question arises of whether Baroness Warsi is really on the side of the angels.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

As it is Holocaust Memorial Day, and since there are entries in this blog today about a couple of events commemorating it in Leicester today, I thought it would be good to round off the day with this published "Statement of Purpose". This describes the aims of Holocaust Memorial Day as being to:

• recognise that the Holocaust was a tragically defining episode of the twentieth century, a crisis for European civilisation and a universal catastrophe for humanity.
• provide a national mark of respect for all victims of Nazi persecution and demonstrate understanding with all those who still suffer its consequences.
• raise awareness and understanding of the events of the Holocaust as a continuing issue of fundamental importance for all humanity.
• ensure that the horrendous crimes, racism and victimisation committed during the Holocaust are neither forgotten not repeated, whether in Europe or elsewhere in the world.
• restate the conitnuing need for vigilance in light of the troubling repetition of human tragedies in the world today.
• reflect on recent attrocities that raise similar issues.
• provide a national focus for educating subsequent generations about the Holocaust and the continued relevance of the lessons that are learnt from it.
• provide an opportunity to examine our nation's past and learn for the fututre.
• promote a democractic and tolerant society, free of the evils of prejudice, racism and other forms of bigotry.
• support the Government's commitment that all citizens - without distinction - should participate freely and fully in the economic, social and public life of the nation.
• highlight the values of a tolerant and diverse society based upon the notions of universal dignity and equal rights and responsibilities for all its citizens.
• assert a continuing commitment to oppose racism, anti-Semitism, victimisationa and genocide.
• support our shared aspirations with both our European partners and the wider international community centred on the ideals of peace, justice and community for all.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 2011: UNTOLD STORIES

It's the city's main commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day at New Walk Museum and Art Gallery this evening. This annual event is jointly sponsored by Leicester Council of Faiths, the Schools Development Support Agency (SDSA), the Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council. It's one of the most high-profile and prestigious occasions in the Council of Faiths calendar. There are at least 100 people attending this evening.

Cllr Manjula Sood (Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths) opens the meeting, welcoming distinguished guests. She's followed by Sir Peter Soulsby MP who makes introductory remarks. Next we hear from Anne Webb, Manager of the Lessons from Auschwitz project, run by the Holocaust Educational Trust. Then four students from Beauchamp College (in the photo above with Cllr Sood) who have been to Auschwitz, and two from English Martyrs RC School, who are preparing to go, address the meeting. The girls from Beauchamp change the tone of this event. For the first time, it feels to me like the balance well and truly tips  toward the young people involved, rather than them being here under polite sufferance of the older participants. They owned the stage. (I found out later, from my son Harry, that some of the Beauchamp girls had visited Bushloe High School in Wigston, which he attends, to talk to students there about HMD earlier this week.)

The Paul Winstone Memorial Essay prize is awarded by Paul's widow, Siobhan Begley, to Jake Edward, from English Martyrs RC School (who reads his essay to us).

We're treated to a musical interlude, that includes a performance by Joel Moore of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 6.

Professor Aubrey Nemwman speaks briefly to this year's theme, "Untold Stories". Rev. David Clarke proposes the vote of thanks. During the mixing and mingling that follows, I record some video interviews for the Council of Faiths YouTube channel.