TWIST IN REENACTMENT'S TALE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Twist in reenactment's tale

Next year's powerful reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus in the city centre promises to tell the Easter story in a different way to previous years.

The Christ in the Centre event, held each year on Good Friday, will be given a new twist by children's author Meg Harper.

It will be based on her play, The First Easter, which has been performed in both the UK and US.

She has joined the event's producers and is writing fresh scenes to extend the original script, which will premiere at the event in Easter 2013.

It is also the first year the play will be staged twice in one day.

Rev Stephen Foster, Anglican chaplain to Leicester University, and joint chairman of the event's organising committee, said: "One of the strengths of performing this in the heart of Leicester's shopping area is the opportunity to bring the true Easter message to a much wider audience than we have done before.

"We hope holding the second performance in the afternoon will increase the effectiveness of this outreach."

The event's organisers are also asking anyone who would like to be part of this year's religious reenactment to attend one of the two casting workshops being held in December.

Casting workshops will take place tomorrow and on Saturday, December 8, at St Andrew's Community Hall, in Jarrom Street, Leicester.

Both workshop sessions begin at 11am.

The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, welcomed thousands of people to last year's event, which cost £40,000 to stage.

Hoards of spectators packed out Humberstone Gate and joined in prayer before watching the traditional Bible story unfold – with some audience members being brought to tears by the powerful narrative.

The play's new artistic director, Sarah Chiswell-Hornett, creative projects producer at The Castle Theatre, in Wellingborough, has been tasked with recreating the passionate atmosphere of the event.

She said: "We want the event to be a community-based telling of the Easter story, using a combination of theatre and music, which will bring people together in the heart of Leicester."

The play's writer Meg Harper has previously penned scripts for similar events in Warwick, where her story The Day They Killed The Son of God was performed on Good Friday in 2007.

This year's performance of The First Easter will take place in Humberstone Gate, at 10.30am and 2pm.

TAKE A LONG, HARD LOOK IN THE MIRROR

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Take a long, hard look in the mirror

I was dismayed to read the letter from T Green ("I no longer feel at home in my city", Mailbox, November 22), one of several recent letters and online comments from people jumping on the Clarissa Dickson Wright bandwagon.

Thankfully, I have also seen more sensible letters from Ann Collins and Eddie Sentance, among others, reflecting the true face of Leicester people and the common decency and human compassion that most of us share.

Firstly, in response to T Green, I hate to break it to you, but you appear to be suffering from a bout of xenophobia.

Take two visits with friends to an Indian restaurant and perhaps a place of worship, followed by a long, hard look in the mirror.

If symptoms persist, contact your nearest library and try reading a few good books. Before long, you will discover that humans of different ethnicity are biologically identical and that different cultures – like languages – are not something to be afraid of, but something to be embraced.

You have to make a bit of an effort in order to understand something that's a tad different to what you're used to. Good luck with your recovery!

As for poor Clarissa Dickson Wright, one of the things she said in her widely-reported remarks was that she once got lost in a part of Leicester and none of the Muslim men would talk to her.

Well, to be honest, I'm not Muslim myself but if fox-hunting enthusiast Clarissa Dickson Wright came barrelling towards me on a Leicester side street, I would probably ignore her too.

On a serious note, I did find her comments about Leicester to be both idiotic and exaggerated.

But it was one particular phrase that really caught my attention, where she casually questioned whether or not multi-culturalism works.

Now, of course, I don't have enough column inches here to run through all the reasoned arguments as to why multi-culturalism does work, has worked and will continue to work in the future. (Or for that matter to try to give Clarissa Dickson Wright and all her fans a much-needed education).

But for the sake of brevity I will simply say this: St George was an Arab, the royal family is German, our national dish is Indian and some of our most gifted Olympians are of African descent.

Questioning multi-culturalism is akin to questioning evolution – both are part and parcel of the human story.

The sooner we accept that and move on to creating for ourselves a life of purpose and fulfilment in this increasingly globalised society, the better off we'll be.

Sundip Meghani, Leicester city councillor

TAKE A ONE-WAY TRIP TO SEASIDE

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Take a one-way trip to the seaside

My response to T Green, of Leicester, who no longer feels at home in his home city:

Can I make a suggestion that if this individual does not appreciate the rich diversity of Leicester, then maybe a one-way ticket to Skegness is a favourable option?

Andrea Burford, Leicester

SOULSBY AND CO CAN'T FACE REALITY

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Soulsby and co can't face reality

I initially wrote a letter responding to the article about Clarissa Dickson Wright, but considered it would not be published, although it voiced a real concern and the view of many whose voices are being muted. I decided not to post it.

It was, therefore, refreshing to see the Mercury would print such views and having read the letter by T Green, I wish to support the views expressed.

Ms Dickson Wright touched on the reality of what is happening to Leicester. Ibrahim Mogra, Manjula Sood and Sir Peter Soulsby all have their heads in the sand and cannot accept the truth when it is put in front of them.

Like the magic suit of clothes, it takes someone whose views have not been clouded by the progressive indoctrination of multi-culturalism to see the reality of the enclaves of this city.

I do not judge the situation from a one-off visit to the city, as Ibrahim Mogra would have us believe, but from a lifetime of seeing a city I once knew becoming a complex of enclaves.

John Croft, Leicester

I DO NOT FEEL AT ALL PRIVILEGED

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

I do not feel at all privileged

T Green's excellent letter is absolutely correct. Parts of this city are now mono-cultural ghettos and I can well understand Clarissa Dickson Wright's apprehension when she found herself in one.

T Green also states: "I am fed up with this council... forever going on about how we all live in harmony and take part in each other's festivals and celebrations; no we don't!"

I made the same point in a letter to this newspaper last year when I said: " I am sick and tied of being regularly told how privileged I should feel to be living in a multi-cultural harmonious well integrated society. I am not and I don't".

Younger readers might find the raison d'etre of this letter hard to understand because they have never known the Leicester of a few decades ago. Now, of course, they never will – that's sad.

Don Tallis, Wigston

DIFFERENCES JUST HUMAN NATURE

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Differences just human nature

I have to agree with some of T Green's comments about harmony and toleration ("I no longer feel at home in my city", Mailbox, November 22).

However, he/she may have lived a more sheltered life than I and have fewer multicultural genes. (I have only been in Leicester for 40 years, with an immigrant background. My gran was Irish, great-granddad Scottish and goodness knows about the rest. I haven't had a DNA test).

There are parts of the city that are monocultural and appear to be inhabited by the stereotypical Brit.

Some of them wouldn't tolerate me – even though I look like them – any more than would the wealthy hunting brigade or people that live in very large houses in "posh" areas.

I have difficulty communicating with both cultures – they are nothing like me.

Sometimes their accents and vocabulary can be tricky and I have no idea what they are saying.

They wouldn't want to know me, any more than Welsh people did when we visited Wales years ago. I realised then what "shunned" really meant.

On the other hand, I worked with and employed people from different origins. Some I liked, some I didn't, but it was generally harmonious and most problems were caused by people's personalities and nothing to do with their ethnicity.

People don't like/understand foreigners, don't like people in the next city, don't like people in the next town, the next road, next door, their brothers and sisters.

Generally people tolerate each other, particularly in Leicester. As homo sapiens go, being a vicious lot, that is something to feel a little bit proud of.

And, I confess, we went to the Diwali concert at Curve and really enjoyed it – a lovely safe, family occasion.

Deirdre Harrow, Leicester

CAMPAIGN URGES MUSLIMS TO GIVE BLOOD, SAVE LIVES

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Campaign urges Muslims to give blood, save lives

Muslims living in Leicester are getting ready to give blood and save lives as part of a national campaign.

The Imam Hussain Blood Donation Campaign aims to increase the number of regular blood donors from Muslim communities by holding donor drives in 10 cities across the UK.

A donor session will take place at the Leicester Blood Donor Centre, in Vaughan Way, near Highcross, on Sunday.

The annual campaign, named after a seventh-century Islamic martyr, is organised by the Islamic Unity Society (IUS), a charity set up to promote the integration of Muslim communities within wider British society.

Hasnain Karim, IUS Leicester Blood representative, said: "The immense demand for donors of rarer blood groups, from people of wider ethnic backgrounds, is overwhelming.

"A single blood donation has the potential to save three lives. It can be broken down into three component parts – red cells, white cells and platelets.

"Red cells can be used to help treat people with anaemia, platelets are often given to cancer patients having chemotherapy and white cells are used to treat burns victims.

"So far, 20 people have signed up to this year's drive, but people can still register by contacting myself or coming along on the day to find out more."

Theo Clarke, of NHS Blood and Transplant, Leicester, said: "It's great to have such an opportunity to work with the Muslim community in promoting blood donation.

"Often, rare blood groups are more common within certain ethnic groups, so encouraging people with rarer blood types to donate is a challenge."

To sign up for this weekend's donor session, call Mr Karim on 07725 135617

ONE SIDED VIEW

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

One sided view

What makes Great Britain, this wonderful place where we live, so great is democracy – in other words the right to voice your opinion without fear.

Clarissa Dickson Wright did this and has been pilloried for it. Every word she spoke as far as I am concerned was the truth.

But unfortunately there is a section of the community in Leicester who have no wish to hear other people's point of view.

I am fed up with everything being one-sided. I believe in live and let live but as far as I can see it's we live and you'll live how we say you can. When I was growing up I was told when in Rome do as the Romans do. The older generation will recognise this saying but it certainly does not apply these days.

H Appleton, Wigston

ARE SOME MORE EQUAL, BISHOP?

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Are some more equal, Bishop?

Heaven knows how the Bishop gets so muddled and inconsistent in his thinking! On the one hand, he bemoans the latest "no women bishops" vote in the Synod because he wants the Church to be inclusive.

And yet he's still of a mind to deny homosexuals the right to marry. Let's please remind the Bish that you can't be a little bit in favour of anti-discrimination – you're either for equality or you're not! You can't pick and choose if you want to remain credible.

Mark Sperry, Leicester

THOUSANDS JOIN SIKH HOLY DAY CELEBRATIONS IN LEICESTER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Thousands join Sikh holy day celebrations in Leicester

Thousands of people lined the streets yesterday to celebrate the birthday of the founder of the Sikh religion.

Brightly-decorated floats led a parade of up to 15,000 worshippers from the Guru Tegh Bahadar Gurdwara, in East Park Road, Leicester, to the Guru Nanak Gurdwara at Holy Bones, near St Nicholas Circle.

The Nagar Kirtan event, which has been staged in Leicester for more than 20 years, marks the birthday of the first Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

For Harbhajan Singh, 70, from Rowley Fields, it was a very important day.

"It is like Christmas day for us," he said. "There is lots of singing and praying all over the world."

The celebration began with prayers and hymns at the Guru Tegh Bahadar Gurdwara, before the procession took three hours to snake its way through the city.

Food stalls lined the route, pumping out songs to the passing crowds.

Manjit Kaur from the Narborough Road area attended the temple with her 10-year-old son, Vikram.

"I think like all celebrations, it has become more commercialised and has become more about coming together and being with family," the 37-year-old said. "But still, it is a very important day because it is the celebration of the first Guru's birthday."

Vikram said: "I think my favourite part is the food."

Worshippers carried on the celebrations with more prayers and food at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara.

Grace and Sharanpal Singh from Braunstone Town, were there with one-year-old daughter Heer.

Dad Sharanpal, 30, said: "Today is very important.

"We will have prayers in the gurdwara and a community meal together."

Wife Grace, 27, said: "It is the one day where you get to see all the people from the community together."

Kabeer Singh, 28, from Oadby, was there with friends, carrying flags as part of the parade.

"It is a bit of a get together with old friends," he said. "A bit of a party."

Nagar Kirtan is the second of two religious processions by members of the Sikh community in Leicester every year.

The first is Vaisakhi, the religion's new year, in April.