MOSQUE RALLIES TO HELP VICTIMS OF FAMINE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Mosque rallies to help victims of famine

An MP has visited one of the places of worship which rallied to his appeal to raise money for famine-struck Somalia.

Jon Ashworth, Leicester South MP, received a £500 cheque from the Darus Salam Mosque, Highfields, Leicester, in front of about 100 worshippers.

The money will be used towards the cost of a £3,000 ambulance.

Last year, Mr Ashworth encouraged all places of worship to raise cash to help the humanitarian efforts.

He said: "I am very pleased Darus Salam Mosque raised over £500 towards the cost of the ambulances for Somalia following my appeal to places of worship to raise funds for humanitarian efforts following the devastating famine in Somalia last year."

He said Leicester had close ties with Somalia so it was heartwarming so see such a good response.

Nizan Chowdhury, a trustee and general secretary of the Darus Salam Trust, said: "Darus Salam Mosque was honoured to be able to assist in this crucial appeal.

"The ambulances purchased will provide essential care to the citizens of Mogadishu."

DECISION DELAYED ON CREMATORIUM

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Decision delayed on crematorium

A decision about the lease for a crematorium set to be built in a village has been delayed after a passionate plea.

Leicestershire County Council's cabinet was due to rule on whether to give developer Westerleigh Group a lengthy lease on land near Leicester Road, Countesthorpe, on Tuesday.

If approved, the firm could have then lodged a planning application to build the £3 million crematorium.

However, after a passionate speech by Countesthorpe councillor David Jennings, the decision was delayed to give members a chance to get the views of Blaby District Council.

He told the meeting: "The very thought of a crematorium on this site is frankly appalling. The crematorium would be built in full view of a proposed 168-home estate. "When residents wake up in the morning and look out of their bedroom window, they'll see it. When they go downstairs to make their breakfast, they'll still be able to see it.

"I simply can't overestimate the level of opposition from residents."

Alan Moore, 50, who lives close to the proposed development, said: "I understand that crematoria have to go somewhere, but surely somewhere away from a built-up area would make more sense. I hope the whole thing is dropped."

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "Politicians have finally sat up and started listening to the concerns of residents here.

"There are hundreds of places more suitable for a crematorium then [sic] a village like ours."

The proposed crematorium would include a ceremony room, memorial gardens and landscaping, and hold four to five services a day.

There would also be wash rooms and a viewing area for Sikh ceremonies, which traditionally involve watching the coffin entering the furnace.

The company's commercial director Adrian Britton said yesterday: "I understand councillors need time to consider the issue and I'm confident it will eventually go through."

He has previously said: "The idea is to design the crematorium in a manner which will offer an atmosphere families can grieve in peaceful surroundings. We want to make sure it is sensitively designed."

Developers said the site had been chosen because it is accessible to people living in south Leicestershire.

MUSLIM BURIAL COUNCIL OF LEICESTERSHIRE: NEW PREMISES

This afternoon I make my first visit to the new premises of MBCOL: Muslim Burial Council of Leicestershire. And very nicely appointed they are too: modern but comfortable, stylish but simple, dignified but welcoming - and with some decent fresh coffee too.

MBCOL has been at this new address in Moat Road, Spinney Hills, for three months. Mind you, I never set foot in their old premises on East Park Road, so make this my first visit to MBCOL, period.

That's my friend and colleague, Suleman Nagdi, Chairman of the Board of MBCOL, outside their offices. The green door that's the farther away of the two leads into a smaller office specifically for those wishing to arrange a funeral. The larger entrance and the area it leads into is general reception, office, kitchen and stairs to the boardroom on the first floor. In the boardroom, MBCOL provides training for different faith groups and community organisations on all aspects of death and bereavement (e.g. how to register a death; managing relationships with General Practitioners, hospitals, cemeteries and crematoria; involvement of police and ambulance services; how to deal with a death at home). This advice, guidance and training is offered free of charge, not just to the Muslim community but also to any and all who wish to avail themselves of it. MBCOL is also involved with innovative projects such as virtual autopsy device pioneered by the University of Leicester, which will be to the benefit of all those communities and families who find intrusive techniques objectionable. 

I'm glad of the opportunity to chat with Suleman about the historical development, present situation and future prospects for MBCOL. We discuss how to help more community groups benefit from the work that MBCOL is doing. MBCOL has already established its credentials for being an open, all-embracing organisation through the publication a year ago of its book, Discovering Though Death: Beliefs and Practices (the launch event for which I blogged here). The book explores death, dying and bereavement from several perspectives: Bahá'í, Buddhist, Chritisn, Hindu, Humanist, Jain, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh. It also contains introductory sections on each of these religions or beliefs (bar Humanist), adapted from the public information leaflets I wrote for Leicester Council of Faiths early on in my post.

CALLS TO ORDER: ENGLAND'S ANARCHIC AUGUST REVISITED

At Secular Hall, Humberstone Gate, this evening, for the regular weekly public meeting hosted by Leicester Secular Society. There are 30 people here: good turnout for a Bank Holiday weekend (and on the first day of decent weather we've had in weeks) and considering the fact that Humberstone Gate is something of an obstacle course right now, with all the redevelopment going on there.

Guest speaker tonight is Dr Stuart Price, Reader in Media Discourse; Senior Lecturer in Media, Film and Journalism at De Montfort University. His title: "Calls to Order: England's Anarchic August Revisited."

In this illustrated talk, Dr Price examines media coverage of the riots that took place in several English cities in August 2011, concentrating on front pages and opinion columns from print media. he asks us to consider, if disorder is portrayed in a certain way, then what kind of order is it that needs to be defended and preserved?

VOICES TOLD ME TO BURN MOSQUE, MAN TELLS LEICESTER CROWN COURT

This article appears on the front page of today's Leicester Mercury:

Voices told me to burn the mosque, man tells Leicester Crown Court

A mentally-ill man set fire to a mosque after voices in his head told him there were extremists inside and that they were out to get him.

Dozens of worshippers fled in panic when curtains and soft furnishings caught fire, causing rooms to fill with smoke.

Saleebaan Sheikh-Omar had ignited petrol he had spread around the mosque in St Matthew's, Leicester.

Sheikh-Omar admitted arson being reckless as to whether lives would be endangered in the incident on June 21, 2011.

Leicester Crown Court was told he took a can of petrol in a plastic bag after the voices told him members of al-Qaeda and al-Shabab – an insurgent group in Somalia – were in Masjid Al Furqan Mosque, in Kamloops Crescent.

He believed they were out to get him.

James Varley, prosecuting, said Sheikh-Omar arrived at 1.30pm as prayers were finishing. More than 50 people were in the mosque.

He said: "The defendant told some people to leave and is seen on CCTV pouring petrol quite liberally in three locations, then setting fire to furnishing and curtains.

"You can see people running out in panic. Some tried to restrain him and he threw petrol towards them before continuing his fire-raising.

"He then went to a police station and surrendered himself."

No one was hurt and no estimate of the cost of damage caused was given.

Sheikh-Omar, of Claremont Street, off Loughborough Road, Leicester, was placed on a hospital order under section 41 of the Mental Health Act, to be detained indefinitely.

He will be treated at Leicester's medium-secure psychiatric hospital, Arnold Lodge.

Dr Nicholas Taylor, consultant psychiatrist at the hospital, said the defendant had a history of auditory hallucinations.

Sheikh-Omar's schizophrenia was said to have been exacerbated by long-term use of the herbal stimulant khat.

But he was making progress on anti-psychotic drugs, the court was told.

James House, mitigating, said the defendant came to the UK from war-torn Somalia.

Judge Philip Head said: "Anyone who suffers from a mental disorder of this degree is entitled to the greatest sympathy.

"He heard voices and suffered delusions which caused him to buy a can of petrol and take it, at prayer time, to the mosque."

He said the defendant's happy upbringing in Somalia was brought to a brutal end by the onset of civil war.

Sheikh-Omar was shot and some relatives were killed, leaving him with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Judge Head said: "I've no doubt he had a predisposition to schizophrenia and, unfortunately, he was a prolific user of khat.

"I'm satisfied there is treatment which will assist in improving, or fully remitting, his condition."

Sheikh-Omar's release would have to be approved by a mental health tribunal.

A DECADE SPENT TRANSFORMING A CITY COMMUNITY

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

A decade spent transforming a city community

A few days ago I was at a reunion. It was a farewell party given for me by the Braunstone Foundation to say goodbye as I move to be Bishop of Bedford. It was a moving occasion because gathered were many of those who had worked together to bring the Braunstone New Deal Programme to a successful conclusion.

Mercury readers with longer memories will recall how this £50 million social and economic regeneration programme ran into severe difficulties. Ten years ago, when I arrived in Leicester, it was at a point of crisis. The Mercury carried story after story of its troubles, internal dissent was unpleasant and vindictive, and the government were considering pulling the plug. There was real risk that this needy community would once again lose out.

In a First Person column the Bishop of Leicester challenged the city to remain committed and called for new leadership. In fact, he went one step further and nominated me to be the independent chair; a role I held for four years.

Ten years on, Braunstone is a different place. There is the leisure centre, the BRITE centre, the health centre and other new resources; there are new opportunities and people working together for the good of their neighbourhood; and the Braunstone Foundation has an income stream to support ongoing work. It is a story of which Leicester can be proud; and in particular should honour those staff and local residents who led it forward.

One year on from my appointment as chair we held a re-launch of the programme. At that occasion I was asked why I bothered with what was hard work, brought considerable grief and was still at risk. I was clear with my answer. It was a conviction that God values all His people, especially those in our poorest communities.

The good news of Jesus Christ is the potential for transformation in our lives and in our communities; transformation that I have seen in practice again and again across city and county during my 10 years as Archdeacon. I've met prisoners in Leicester Prison who, through the Sycamore Programme, have taken responsibility for their actions; worked with a new congregation in Hamilton; seen the renewal of Launde Abbey and the creation of St Martins House; shared in partnership with our Faith Communities for the common good; and above all else experienced our parish churches as places of life and renewal at the heart of our communities. Thank you Leicester and Leicestershire for 10 transformative years!

Richard Atkinson, Archdeacon of Leicester

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (1,953)

Regular update on the number of pageviews received from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1.            United Kingdom 891

2.            United States 569

3.            Russia 204

4.            France 70

5.            India 65

6.            Germany 27

7.            Netherlands 27

8.            Canada 23

9.            China 19

10.         Australia 16

This week's total: 1,953 (last week: 2,240). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's stats software doesn't show me numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (i.e. in the last two hours), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time" (which seems to mean the last 12 months). They're updated each time I look at them.

PHILOSOPHY IN PUBS

The Leicester chapter of Philosophy in Pubs (PIPS) meets on the first Wednesday of the month, upstairs in the Crumblin' Cookie on Leicester High Street. There’s a dozen of us around the table, including (as always) a few newcomers. Our stimulus this evening is an article from Metro about the student jailed for inciting racial hatred in his tweets about the footballer Fabrice Muamba.

When I've been talking about PIPS with various people, they usually ask what it's about and how it goes. I've copied this from the national PIPS website, which says it very well:

"The PIP's are a group of like-minded people searching for philosophical stimulation in a relaxed atmosphere (i.e. pubs, bistros, coffee shops, bookstores & community centres). [...]

"Everyone has Philosophical thoughts and as a group we would like to hear yours - whoever you are, wherever you're from and whatever they may be!"The enquiries are relaxed with groups large enough to enjoy a number of diverse opinions, yet small enough to allow each person time to put their views across. As a contributor you can schedule your own subjects for enquiry and debate. Alternatively, just turn up and listen to the thoughts of others.

"Respect for others and their opinions are a fundamental requirement of the group as it encourages people to put forward their views without fear of ridicule or intimidation.

"No academic or philosophical background is necessary, only a passion for enquiry. Just turn up and enjoy."

Check out the Facebook page for Philosophy in Pubs Leicester.

Follow the Crumblin' Cookie on Twitter: @Crumblin_Cookie

The photo above features the mosaic created for the Crumblin' Cookie earlier this year by Laura Hadland and is taken from her blog, Ray Mears Extreme Housewifery. Normally, I'd vary the photo used on a blog entry like this, which recurs regualry on the first Wednesday of each month. But I really like this picture and am happy to keep rolling it out for a while longer. Follow Laura on twitter: @Morrighani 

"STOP ABUSE OF THE DISABLED"

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

"Stop abuse of the disabled"

Police have launched a campaign to protect disabled people from abuse while they are travelling on buses.

Leicestershire's Chief Constable Simon Cole said people with various disabilities have told his officers they are sometimes singled out for abuse on public transport.

Two of Leicestershire's largest bus companies, Arriva and First, have now agreed to display the Stamp It Out campaign poster in their vehicles.

Police hope the posters, which are part of a wider campaign to highlight hate crimes, will encourage victims and witnesses to come forward, to help bring perpetrators to justice.

Mr Cole, who speaks for the Association of Chief Police Officers on disability issues, said: "If you carry out any consultation with people who have disabilities, they will tell you about problems they have experienced on public transport.

"This has a knock-on effect on their lives which the rest of us should be ashamed of.

"Public transport puts people who don't know each other in a confined space and that sometimes leads to incidents.

"This campaign will raise awareness of this issue and encourage people to report any bullying or harassment incidents to us and we will do something about it.

"The campaign is called Stamp It Out for a good reason. There is no place for any form of hate crime in Leicester."

A number of people who use services provided by learning disability charity Mencap attended yesterday's launch in Upper Brown Street, Leicester city centre.

They also spoke of their own experiences of bullying while using public transport.

Darren Bakewell, 48, of Braunstone, Leicester, said: "I was abused on a bus once. A man pushed me off and I fell on the ground.

"I was hurt and didn't know what to do, but a woman who was on the bus and had seen what happened called the police for me.

"The police dealt with him for what he had done to me."

Ranjit Singh, 46, who lives in the Narborough Road area of Leicester, said: "It is important the police take this seriously – everyone should be able to travel on a bus in peace."

Steve Smith, area business manager for Arriva in Leicestershire, said: "We're urging all bus companies, their workers and passengers to be community spirited and report any abuse experienced on buses, whether directed at them or another person."

Deputy city mayor Rory Palmer said: "There is no place for anti-social behaviour on buses or anywhere else.

"Abusive and bullying behaviour will not be tolerated.

"By working together in partnership, across the council, police and transport providers, we will stamp out this unacceptable behaviour."To report hate crime, contact Leicestershire police on 101 or, in an emergency, 999.

Alternatively, you can visit: www.stamp-it-out.co.uk

I posted about my own experience of this launch event on the blog yesterday. I can be seen in the photo above - if you know what you're looking for! 

STAMP IT OUT ARRIVA!

Hurrying to Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living this morning, late for a meeting of REDP's Core Partners scheduled to start at 0930, I see a single-decker Arriva bus parked in Upper Brown Street, just across the road from LCIL. Nothing out of the ordinary there, although it's not a bus route and there's no bus stop at that spot. Then I notice Sophie and Tej from LCIL photographing (and, it turns out, tweeting the pictures of) people boarding the bus. On closer examination, I recognise some of them - quite a lot of them, actually - including Steve Cooper, in whose office our 0930 meeting is supposed to be taking place!

This bus, provided by Arriva, is there to promote Leicestershire Constabulary's Stamp It Out! anti-hate crime campaign, challenging verbal abuse, bullying and violence. Covering the full range of Protected Characteristics, today's Stamp It Out! event is especially focused on people with learning difficulties.

I persuade Diversity Officer Darren Goddard and Chief Inspector Rich Keenan to pose for a photo, then they bundle me on to the bus, where Deputy Mayor Cllr Rory Palmer, Chief Constable Simon Cole and a select band of other local luminaries are gathered. A photographer form the Leicester Mercury is there, getting a better class of picture than I've been able to. (An article and photo appeared in the Leicester Mercury the next day, which I also blogged here).

A nice opportunity to get involved in a worthwhile occasion - and proving that there can be a good reason to be late for meetings, once in a while!