SECULAR BELIEF MASKS A STEELY INTOLERANCE

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Secular belief masks a steely intolerance

I am sure I am not the only person who found the letter from Michael Gerard, president of Leicester Secular Society, with its anti-Catholic diatribe, particularly offensive ("Speech stirs up hatred of secularists, Mailbox, June 7).

It shows, as we have seen many times before, that beneath a facade of tolerance, there lurks a steely intolerance of any religious belief far exceeding that shown to secularists by people of faith.

I was not fortunate enough to be present when Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor gave his recent speech in Leicester, but if he stated that "secular values" are permeating insidiously every aspect of western life, he was absolutely correct.

The letter quotes him as stating that "no-one should be forced to live according to the new secular religion as if it alone were definitive and obligatory for all mankind".

We see evidence of this around us when we read of intolerance of people wearing crosses to work, or councils stating that there should be no prayers before meetings.

Michael criticises Franco in Spain, no doubt with some justification, but his regime also had merits. Remember that Christians are not perfect, and are in need of salvation.

It is simply not true to say that the Catholic Church connived with the Nazis regarding Jewish slaughter. Pope Pius XII did much behind the scenes to protect Jews, although some of it was not visible at the time for obvious reasons.

The so-called intransigent attitude of the Church to birth control and abortion are not there to annoy people: they are simply stating God's moral law.

The former denies the act of creation its natural outcome, the latter is murder, pure and simple.

Michael, please do not talk about stirring up hatred against secularists, (which nobody sensible wants to see) for that is exactly what you are trying to do against Christians.

Mark W Jacques OP, Quorn

THE BISHOP OF LEICESTER EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

The Bishop of Leicester expresses concerns about same-sex marriage

The Bishop of Leicester has expressed concern about proposals to allow same-sex marriage.

The Government has suggested changes to the law which would allow gay people to get married – something currently prohibited – in a civil ceremony.

The Rt Rev Tim Stevens said the Church of England wanted to see gay people further included in society but did not think this should mean redefining marriage.

The bishop also said he thought the Government's three-month consultation on the move was far too short.

He said: "The Government is seeking to meet what it perceives to be the needs of the gay community.

"I would say that the Church of England is sympathetic to those needs. 

"We want to see a society in which gay people are fully included and their needs are fully provided for.

"But this does not amount to a basis for introducing a complete redefinition of the concept of marriage based on a consultation process which is at the very least rapid."

Under the Government's proposal same-sex couples would not be allowed to be married in a religious service.

However, some in the Church of England said they expected a challenge to the ban could succeed at the European Court of Human Rights.

This, they fear, could lead to clergy being forced to conduct same-sex marriages.

If that happened, they warned, there would be an unprecedented clash between the Church's canon law – that marriage is between a man and a woman – and the state.

The outcome of this could be that it was impossible for the Church to continue as the official religious establishment of the state.

Canon Barry Naylor, the bishop's adviser on urban issues, said: "I think the fear comes from the idea that a Church of England minister could be approached by a same-sex couple asking to be married, that minister may object because it goes against their conscience and then legal action could ensue."

Canon Naylor said he was in favour of gay marriage in principle.He said: "I think the most important thing is that it is about two people who want to live in a committed relationship to each other."

Bernard Greaves, a representative of Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre, said he thought the Church of England was "overreacting".

He said the adoption of gay marriage would not lead to the disestablishment of the Church, nor "undermine the notion of marriage itself".

"The traditional view of Christian view of marriage is that it is a lifelong union between one man and one woman for the procreation of children," said Mr Greaves.

"In society that view of marriage has already substantially changed."We accept divorce, we accept remarriage and we accept that people get married with no intention of having children.

"None of that has undermined marriage at all.

"Allowing a man to marry a man or a woman to marry a woman is a change to the law that does not impinge on the Christian view of marriage."

He said he was not in favour of religious organisations such as the Church of England being forced to conduct same-sex marriages against their will.

"It would be absolutely wrong that any religious organisation should be forced to conduct same-sex marriages," he said.

"What is important is that people are given the maximum choice and equality."

CULTURAL QUARTER SET FOR SECOND INDIAN SUMMER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Cultural Quarter set for second Indian Summer

The sights, sounds and tastes of India will be spicing up Leicester's Cultural Quarter this weekend.

The second annual Indian Summer will be transforming Orton Square into a Mumbai bazaar.

Last year, the two-day festival took place in Phoenix Square, but the event has expanded, with organisers showcasing cookery classes, films and dance performances across seven venues.

Organiser Bipin Anand said: "It is going to be really colourful, exciting, vibrant and fun, with loads going on.

"If anyone has been to a Mumbai bazaar they will know it is all about the hustle and bustle, with so many sounds and smells. We are hoping to recreate that.

"This year is a big expansion, with loads of events, and while we are having short moments of panic and nerves, we are soon reminded of how brilliant and exciting it is going to be."

Run by Leicester social enterprise Inspirate, the event is expected to attract thousands of visitors.

The Exchange bar, in Rutland Street, is hosting sitar players, henna artists and Indian music workshops.

"We saw what they did last year and thought it was fantastic, so we're really pleased to get involved," said manager Anna Webb.

Indian films will be shown at Phoenix Square, while Curve will host a Carrom competition, giving visitors the chance to compete at an Indian game.

The theatre will also showcase classical Indian dance clothes, worn by performers.

At the LCB Depot, in Rutland Street, speedy cooks will be challenged to take part in a competition to see who can cook the fastest chapati.

Retro Indian music videos will be projected in Manhattan 34 bar, also in Rutland Street, and there will be food on offer at Chutney Ivy, in Halford Street.

Meanwhile, the Ramada Encore hotel, in Charles Street, is hosting talks on topics including the Ugandan migration and sex before marriage.

Bipin said: "It is a great chance for a big mishmash of people – all ages and Indian and non-Indian people – to come along and sample the culture.

"It is a mix of traditional and modern aspects, which I think helps keep the culture alive."

Events are taking place across the venues from noon on both days, until 11pm on Saturday, and 9pm on Sunday.

For more information about the programme, visit: www.indiansummer.org.uk

CAMPAIGNERS ACCUSE POLICE OVER HANDLING OF EDL MARCH IN LEICESTER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Campaigners accuse police over handling of EDL march in Leicester

Police have defended their handling of the English Defence League's march in Leicester earlier this year.

A national campaign group, the Network for Police Monitoring – Netpol – yesterday criticised officers' conduct toward people opposed to the EDL's presence in the city centre on Saturday, February 4.

The EDL marched through the city surrounded by police officers while their opponents, Leicester Unite Against Fascism, staged a march in a different area of the centre. No arrests were made.

However, Netpol – which trained a number of local people to monitor events on the ground – accused police of:

• Using unnecessary force against groups of predominantly Asian youths who arrived in the city centre after the two demonstrations had finished.
• Using stop and search powers only against black or Asian people. Official police figures show 15 people, all Asian, were stopped and searched.
• Surrounding groups of young people and escorting them out of the city – known as kettling.
• Allowing a small number of EDL supporters to stray off the march route they had been ordered to stick to.

The city council was criticised for urging young people to stay away from the city centre, stressing that unaccompanied youths could be detained and escorted home.

Both city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby and the officer in charge of the police operation have defended their handling of the event.

They stressed they spent several weeks before it took place speaking to community leaders.

Sir Peter said allowing the EDL to march prevented a repeat of the violence which marked the protest of October 2010, when people inside the EDL cordon pelted police with missiles and several hundred broke through police lines.

He said: "I don't know who Netpol is, but they don't speak for any local people I know."

Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon said other independent monitors, including the Bishop of Leicester and the Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, had endorsed his officers' handling of the event.

"There were no arrests made as a direct result of the marches and no damage to property," Mr Nixon said.

"This was in no small way due to the professional manner in which officers and staff from Leicestershire Police and Leicester City Council planned and managed the events and thanks to the co-operation of local communities and businesses."

The Netpol report was published at a public meeting at the Highfields Centre, Leicester, last night.

Its author, Leicester youth worker Saqib Deshmukh, said: "There was not the same level of disorder as we saw on the previous occasion and this could reasonably be seen as a success for the police and the city council.

"But this came at a cost for young people, particularly young Muslims, for whom the city centre was a no-go zone, while there is a perception that the EDL came and went as they pleased."

BISHOP OF LEICESTER VOICES CONCERN OVER GAY MARRIAGE PROPOSALS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Bishop of Leicester voices concern over gay marriage proposals

The Bishop of Leicester has expressed concern over gay marriage while saying the Church of England wants an increase in support for the gay community.

The Rt Rev Tim Stevens said the Church of England had been supportive of civil partnerships when the legislation was introduced eight years ago.

In a highly critical response to the Government's consultation on gay marriage which closes on Thursday, the Church of England said several “major elements”' of the proposals had not been thought through properly and were not legally “sound”.

“We continue to be supportive of the gay community and want to see that inclusion in our society increased and developed,” said the bishop.

“I think the difficulty we have here is the substitution of equality for uniformity, that is to say that there can be no distinction at all between men and women.”

He added: “The Government is seeking to meet what it perceives to be the needs of the gay community. I would say that the Church of England is sympathetic to those needs, we want to see a society in which gay people are fully included and their needs are fully provided for.

“But this does not amount to a basis for introducing a complete redefinition of the concept of marriage based on a consultation process which is at the very least rapid.

“From a standing start within three months to arrive at a fully considered, weighed and articulated redefinition of a fundamental social institution which has been thought about in one particular way for centuries and which is broadly accepted as a social institution in the same way internationally - to change all that on the basis of a consultation like this seems to be at the very least unwise and ill considered.”

Gay marriage threatens the establishment of the Church of England and could lead to it being forced out of its role of conducting weddings on behalf of the state, it has claimed.

The Church of England said introducing same-sex marriage would lead to an unprecedented clash between its own canon law - that marriage is between a man and a woman - and that of Parliament.

RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL

This is a two-day family festival of music and fun on the banks of the River Soar. The annual Riverside Festival has grown into one of the city’s biggest free events, bringing live music, family activities and workshops and all the fun of the waterways to the heart of the city. The festival takes place on the mile straight of the river, Western Boulevard and in Bede Park. It's run by Leicester City Council and sponsored by local social landlord Riverside and ECHG.

I really like this event, not least because it all happens just around the corner from where I used to live for four years (2006-10). It's great for the kids of course - though I reserve the second day for myself - and the lovely food on offer.

Brightly decorated narrowboats take pride of place along the river (we can vote for our favourite). Decorated boats parade along the river and there are also activities involving boats ranging from coracles and canoes to a floating tea shop.

There's live music throughout the weekend. The photo above shows the WaterAid Choir. I know a few people who sing in that (though I couldn't point them out in the photo).

At the end of the second day, I have an interesting chat with two women from Ride Leicester (a Leicester City Council initiative): Fiona tells me about an occasion in her native Sydney, where members of faith communities had a Ride to Worship day, when community members swapped their cars for bikes; and Janet, who is nursing an idea for an organised bike ride round a variety of places of worship in Leicester. I give both of them my card and urge them to contact me so we can follow up on these ideas.

HELP US FIND THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR OF THE YEAR

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Help us find the good neighbour of the year

We all know someone who is a jewel in the community, whether they are visiting the lonely, doing shopping for the housebound or working tirelessly for volunteer groups.

They are the people, often unsung, who bring caring and kindness to where we live.

Today, the Mercury launches a search for the Good Neighbour of the Year.

We have teamed up with the East Midlands Housing Group (EMHG) to find that special someone.

Launching the search today, Chan Kataria, chief executive of EMHG, said: "We want to hear about those neighbours who go the extra mile for others, whether that's keeping an eye on the area through Neighbourhood Watch groups or helping to organise community events, activities and services."

One person who fits the good neighbour category is Sarah Clarke, 69, a former actress and holistic practitioner, who lives in Little Bowden, near Market Harborough.

According to friends, she is always there to lend a helping hand and is active in a number of community groups.

She said: "We all need to try to do our bit to help others.

"I fully support the Good Neighbour of the Year award and would encourage people to nominate those who deserve a bit of recognition for what they do in their communities.

"I am a volunteer at the local credit union which provides people with an opportunity to save and borrow money who are not normally considered by banks."

Sarah is also a member of her church council and regularly takes an elderly parishioner to services on a Sunday.

She is active in a number of organisations dedicated to the improvement of the environment and the quality of life in the town.

"I believe that for society to flourish we need people who put other people's interests above their own and are willing to volunteer and help those who need support," Sarah said.

Mr Kataria said: "We are proud to be sponsoring these awards, which are an opportunity to promote the type of community spirit that clearly exists in areas across Leicester and Leicestershire.

"I'm in no doubt that without these neighbourhood heroes, the health of our communities would be a lot poorer and, instead of prospering, face the difficult symptoms of isolation and social exclusion."

EMHG owns and manages more than 1,700 homes across the region.

Mr Kataria added: "We are a not-for-profit social investment agency and are sponsoring this event because communities are only sustainable when you have lots of people coming together to contribute to that community in some way.

"That way, people want to live there, move into them and actively care about their wellbeing.

"Our evidence suggests that when this happens residents are made to feel they have stake in the people and place they live and the communities are more likely to be successful, stable and prosperous.

"Our philosophy is to recognise and celebrate those individuals who do make an important contribution."

The judges for the competition are the Leicester Mercury's publisher, David Simms, representatives from East Midlands Housing Group Chan Kataria, chief executive, Louise Riley and Jerry Sykes. They will be joined by Capital FM DJs Dino and Pete. The awards will be presented at a ceremony hosted by Dino and Pete at St Martin's House, Leicester, on August 2.

FORCED MARRIAGE LAW "IS WELCOME"

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Forced marriage law "is welcome"

Campaigners have welcomed a Government plan to outlaw forced marriages – but warned the laws could deter victims from coming forward.

The proposed new laws mean parents who force their children to marry could be brought before the courts and possibly jailed.

Meena Kumari, who runs Safe, which helps protect young people from being forced to marry welcomed the proposal and said a growing number of victims were coming forward to seek help.

However, she urged ministers to proceed with the new laws with caution.

Ms Kumari said: "Some of the people we have supported might not have come forward if they thought their parents could end up in prison.

"So, while we are really grateful that the Government is taking this issue so seriously, they have to proceed with caution.

"Some of the people who we work with would simply walk away if they thought they were going to have to face their families in court."

Safe works with police, social services, schools and colleges to identify victims and help them flee abusive homes and rebuild their lives, sometimes under new identities.

It is hearing from one person every month – some as young as 14 – who fear they are being pushed into a marriage against their will.When it launched two and a half years ago, new cases were coming to light every three months, Ms Kumari said.

Detective Inspector Mark Parish, who runs Leicestershire Police's domestic violence team, said: "We are seeing a gradual increase in cases, but it is still under-reported.

"It is a big step for people to contact us but they can be assured we will do everything we can to help them get through this difficult period in their lives."

Police have the option of seeking court orders to prevent families forcing a relative to marry. Officers also put victims in touch with welfare organisations such as Safe or local authorities for help with re-housing and ongoing support.

Leicester East MP Keith Vaz is chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, which has previously urged the Government to outlaw the practice.

Mr Vaz said: "The Government must not only prosecute those who commit this appalling crime, but prevent it from happening in the first place. There should be zero tolerance of this harmful activity that ruins the lives of so many."

Announcing the plan, the Prime Minister said local authorities and voluntary groups would be given a share of a £500,000 fund to help combat the problem, including helping teachers to spot children at risk.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government would publish further details of the proposals later. Contact Safe on 0800 022 3353 or visit: www.safedvs.co.uk

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (1,713)

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

1. United Kingdom 739
2. United States 463
3. Russia 264
4. India 81
5. France 64
6. Germany 50
7. South Korea 20
8. Belgium 11
9. Pakistan 11
10. Australia 10

This week's total: 1,713 (last week: 1,935). 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". They're updated each time I look at them.

LESSONS FROM AUSCHWITZ

Euro 2012 kicks off today, jointly hosted by (and in) Poland and the Ukraine. There's been much media attention on the problems of neo-fascism and racism plaguing the Beautiful Game in those parts of the continent. Most of that attention has focused on a recent edition of BBC's Panorama entitled "Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate" (broadcast Monday 28 May). By coincidence, my friend and colleague Suleman Nagdi has sent me a copy of a reflective piece he has written on a recent visit he made to Auschwitz. I think it appropriate to publish it here (with his consent of course).

Suleman Nagdi MBE DL of the Federation of Muslim Organisations reflects on the experience of visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau with young people from across the West Midlands, as part of the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons from Auschwitz Project

History is a topic that fascinates many of us and we choose to pursue this interest through reading about history. However, as deeply enriching as the reading of history is, the experience of visiting the scene of where history has been made is an altogether different experience as it imbues us with a sense of feeling and perspective that we may not always gain when reading history, no matter how well it is written.

I have had the fortune and privilege of visiting many places where history has been made. In particular, my visit to Robben Island in South Africa, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, was truly awe-inspiring. But nothing could prepare me for the mental shock that was my visit to Auschwitz. I recently undertook a journey which brought me face to face with one of the most appalling human tragedies of the 20th century. I was invited to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland where a great many innocent Jewish men, women and children were murdered in cold blood during World War II. It was a journey that was marked with an awakening – the realisation of the depth of hatred that can infiltrate the human psyche. It left me filled with hopelessness and despair for those who suffered so tragically, and this was quickly followed by an absolute and resolute determination to play as great a part as I can in all social movements which oppose such harrowing divisions between people.

As soon as I stepped inside Auschwitz I suffered a great sense of hopelessness and despair. I kept thinking and asking myself "can such a place of evil have existed?"  My mind felt as empty as the desolate spaces within Auschwitz which were once filled with the screams of human agony.  It was the most humbling of experiences.

Everything in Auschwitz from the barracks, chimneys, and the crematorium that were the apparatus used to exterminate people, were a stark reminder of what man can do to his fellow man. The most heart-breaking aspect of the Jewish murders was the failure to allow them dignity in death. The victims received no funeral rights, and thus they were even denied their humanity in death.

Human hair, spectacles, artificial limbs, suitcases, baby clothing, thousands of shoes as well as countless other possessions snatched away still remain there, never to be reunited with their owners. The senseless human evil left me with the most absolute sense of emptiness and memories of the sheer size of these death camps will never leave me. The tragedy of the Holocaust led the United Nations to declare ‘never again’. Despairingly, we have not lived up to this and Bosnia, Rwanda and Cambodia again witnessed the genocide of millions. The Holocaust Educational Trust organises trips to Poland to keep the memory of what happened in Auschwitz alive, so that it may never again be repeated. At a time when we are seeing sectarian divisions on the rise even here in Britain, this work becomes all the more vital. We need not look far to be reminded of how these divisions can separate us. In Bosnia, the mere Southern tip of Europe, genocide occurred when society fell apart. Angelina Jolie’s latest film, In the Land of Blood and Honey, portrays the horror and loss suffered by people when their societies break down. Reminders like these are necessary for us to recognise the value of our common humanity over and above our superficial divisions. Before my trip to Auschwitz, the history of World War Two was rooted in text books. However, this visit enabled me to be transported into that history; leaving me with a depth of feeling and perspective on it that was previously missing. Nothing could prepare me for the mental shock that was awaiting me. On my return to Leicester, my feelings of sadness at the tragedies of Auschwitz have left me more determined to continue the work I have been engaged in most of my life. Looking after the social welfare of the whole community in which I have lived; so that all those living together may live together in peace and harmony. My journey to Auschwitz has left me with an understanding of what can happen in the world when we no longer see each other as human beings.