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.

SPEECH STIRS UP HATRED OF SECULARISTS

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Speech stirs up hatred of secularists

As president of Leicester Secular Society, I was surprised by the reports about the address by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor that appeared to suggest we are achieving world domination (May 17).

The former leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, speaking at Leicester's Anglican Cathedral, is reported to have said that "Secular values" were behind the violence carried out in totalitarian states and some of the 20th century conflicts that have killed millions.

"Our danger in Britain today is that so-called Western Reason has recognised what is right and thus claims reality – reality that is inimical to freedom," he said.

"No one is forced to be a Christian. But no one should be forced to live according to the new secular religion as if it alone were definitive and obligatory for all humankind."

We need to remind him, gently, when he states "no one is forced to be a Christian", that until the death of dictator General Franco, of Spain, the Catholic church worked hand in glove with the fascist dictator's government; burying its dead in church, while Republicans were usually shot and flung into unmarked ditches.

His Church was essentially compulsory and to dissent was to risk death.Perhaps he should remember how the Catholic Church connived with the Nazis in the slaughter of Jewish people.

Further, our own Queen "Bloody" Mary Tudor had non-Catholics executed in large numbers.

He confuses what he calls "secular religion" with consumer capitalism. This, as he may know, had its origins in the late Middle Ages – in Catholic Florence and Venice.

I suppose he cares to ignore his Church's intransigent attitudes to abortion and birth control, which are helping to imperil the world by forcing yet more hungry mouths into existence, leading to resource degradation.

I consider that stirring up religious hatred against secularists is equally as bad as stirring it up against other denominations.

Michael Gerard, president, Leicester Secular Society

1950s TEA PARTY AT LEICESTER CATHEDRAL

There’s a full programme of activities and events at Leicester Cathedral for the Diamond Jubilee extended weekend. This afternoon it’s a 1950s-themed tea party (catered mostly by Barry and Julie-Ann Heath).

As I approach the Cathedral, I can hear Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire: not actually from the 50s of course, it was written and first recorded in 1963 (I'm only saying that, so you don't have to, faithful reader).

There’s a band of four young fellows, smartly dressed in white shirts and black ties, playing favourite songs from the period; songs that would have been labelled devil’s music in the 1950s and wouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near a church. No one seems to know what the band’s called. Maybe they don’t actually have a name. I press the bass player when they’re finished and packing away, asking for a name I can put in the blog. Indeed, they don’t appear to have one, but he offers me “Hotel Zulu”. That’ll do.

There’s a good mix of ages, from toddlers up to more mature folk who may well have bought some of these songs on 78s. One old lady in a wheelchair joins in the dancing. There’s more than one person who looks like they’ve never set foot inside the Cathedral before, some wearing a self-ironising smile as they work their way through the refreshments. I’d like to think everyone feels welcome here. I certainly do.

There’s a nice spread of sandwiches and cakes, and some tea with a lovely old China tea service. I have some of the nicest chocolate cornflake cakes I’ve ever tasted (thanks to Julie Ann’s mum) and enjoy several biscuits made in the shape of crowns, with decorative icing.

If you're wondering what I've brought with me that's 1950s-based, well that would be me! I was born with the last 33 days of the 50s still to go. Wow, what a decade! If you can remember it, then you weren't really there. No, erm, hang on ...

LEICESTER CATHEDRAL PREPARES FOR QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE

Leicester Cathedral is making a major contribution to local celebrations of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee over this extended holiday weekend. The Diamond Jubilee began in earnest with the Queen's visit to Leicester on Tuesday 8 March. She spent much of that day in and around the Cathedral, so there are many mementoes of that day on show here, comprising the foundation of the Cathedral's activities over the next few days.

The display above commemorates the visit of the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Cambridge to the Cathedral. It's a collage, made up of a myriad tiny pictures of scenes from the visit and portraits of Leicester people, taken on the day. You can see how it works on the video I made with Beverley Farrand giving a short tour of the Cathedral, pointing out things related to the royal visit and the Diamond Jubilee, which I've posted on the Council of Faiths YouTube Channel.

One of the most interesting things I see today is the Corona, made from willow branches by Sue Pyecroft. Sue is an artist, puppeteer, teacher and theatre designer. She's an Artistic Director with Bamboozle Theatre. The Corona is suspended over the spot where the royal visitors sat during the Cathedral service on 8 March. It's so light and ethereal that it appears to float there, unsupported. The Corona will be on display at least until the end of Jubilee Week.

And here's Julie Ann Heath, Chaplain at the Cathedral (and member of Leicester Council of Faiths), arranging flowers near the Cathedral entrance. The arrangement (she tells me) is inspired by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit - the gift that keeps on giving.

ISLAM: DESIGNED FOR LIVING

Fronting a table for the Islam Information Centre this afternoon is my friend Zubair Sidat. I got to know Zubair in his capacity as a Director at De Montfort University Students' Union. He and I have worked together on a few projects over the past couple of years, such as Discover Islam Week at De Montfort University, DMU Students Community Fair and the Inter Faith Week 2011 exhibition in Highcross.

I admire Zubair’s relaxed, personable way of interacting with members of the public. He’s able to put people at their ease and impart a good amount of information without making it feel like he’s lecturing them. One woman spends some time chatting with him and flicking through the literature on display. Her sister has recently converted to Islam after marrying a Muslim and she wants to know more about their beliefs.

The table is set up outside Clark's Shoes in Humberstone Gate and yes, I deliberately caught that text in the top left corner of the picture. That’s my kind of coincidence and it fits in with the style and tone of this blog, wouldn't you agree faithful reader? Got to love those Union Flags too, one at each corner of the table. It's Diamond Jubilee Weekend after all and everyone is flying the flag, all over town.

On the table is a wide range of pamphlets on diverse topics. Many of these are new to me and I'm glad to add them to my growing collection of such material. Now I should make time to familiarise myself with the contents. They're all published by Islamic Dawah Centre International. The titles on display are:

• Answers to Non-Muslims' Common Questions about Islam
• Concept of God in Islam
• The Hijab: Reflections by Muslim Women
• Human Rights in Islam
• Islam at a Glance: Muslims' Belief in a Nutshell
• Jihad in Islam
• Life After Death
• The Mercy of Allah
• The Muslim Woman's Dress: According to the Qur'an and Sunnah
• The Position of Women in Islam
• Three Men, One Mission: Moses, Jesus, Muhammad (Peace be upon them)
• The Truth About Jesus: A Muslim Perspective
• What does Islam say about Adultery and Fornication
• Who was Jesus? (Peace be upon him)

I mentioned at the top of this piece that this display is being done for the Islam Information Centre. Here's some information about the Centre, taken from its Facebook page:

The centre is located at 45 Highfield Street in the heart of the multicultural city of Leicester. It’s within a short walking distance of the railway station, City Centre and both Universities.

When the property was acquired it was in a very poor structural state. Through the will of Allah, the help of generous private donations and efforts of the local Ulamma (Islamic Scholars) the property has been transformed into a purpose built Islam Information Centre.

The centre consists of a large ground floor area accommodating a reception area and a permanent Discover Islam exhibition area with a kitchen and ablution area to the rear.

The first and second floor consists of spacious seminar rooms and a resource centre.

The IIC is operated entirely on a voluntary basis and is funded through regular donations from Muslims both locally and nationally. It is principally operated by a group of local Ulamma (Islamic scholars) who are articulate and possess a wealth of knowledge between them about Islam and modern day issues affecting Muslims and non Muslims alike. The centre consists of a large ground floor area accommodating a reception area and a permanent Discover Islam exhibition area with a kitchen and ablution area to the rear.

The first and second floor consists of spacious seminar rooms and a resource centre.

The IIC is operated entirely on a voluntary basis and is funded through regular donations from Muslims both locally and nationally. It is principally operated by a group of local Ulamma (Islamic scholars) who are articulate and possess a wealth of knowledge between them about Islam and modern day issues affecting Muslims and non Muslims alike.

I hope to be able to visit the Islam Information centre before long. When I do, I'll write it up here of course.

CARNIVAL OF STARS

Carnival of Stars, a collection of young Christian singers and musicians who perform songs of celebration and praise in varying combinations and a variety of styles, is appearing at the Clock Tower this afternoon.

They put on this same show yesterday evening at DMU Campus Centre as part of a two-day campaign, sharing their Good News. They attract a sizeable receptive crowd here, many of whom stay for a big chunk of the performance, which lasts the better part of three hours. Among the smaller groups performing today, drawn from Carnival of Stars wider line-up, are the Life Ladies (photo below).

I video four songs and upload them to the Council of Faiths YouTube channel. Check out our Carnival of Stars playlist there. This has been done with the permission of Pastor Emmanuel-Iseaka of the Amazing Grace Parish, whom I spoke to at the event.

Spot the woman doing "the invisible walk" in the photo at the top.

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU KID: ABDUL OSMAN, LORD MAYOR OF LEICESTER

This article appears in today's edition of More, weekend supplement of the Leicester Mercury. "Here's looking at you, kid" is a regular feature, where prominent Leicester people reflect on their childhoods and how those early years helped shape their later lives. It isn’t included on the paper's website, but I thought it well worth posting here.

Here's looking at you, kid: Abdul Osman, Lord Mayor of Leicester

Leicester taught me tolerance, that you grow up living next to people and you respect them

I came to Leicester when I was six. We came from Mombasa, Kenya. It was like landing on a different planet. It was January 31, 1970. There were seven of us: me, four siblings, my parents.

I remember vividly the sights and the sounds of this new place we would call home: the cold - oh, it was so cold - and the houses, all those red brick houses, with their smoking chimneys. It all seemed so grey, compared to the sunshine and blue skies of Mombasa.

We lived at first with my uncle in Highfields. His family and our family in a little Victorian terrace. It was tight.

What I remember most about that house was the fireplace - a big roaring fire, in the middle of the house. I couldn't believe it. I thought that maybe that's where they did the cooking. And the toilets were in the back yard. I didn't like that in the cold, especially at night. All these things were strange to me.

I started school at six. I couldn't speak a word of English. What I remember, though, is the school dinners. Mashed potato, over-boiled vegetables. I hated it. And because the meat was not Halal, I had no meat. Just vegetarian meals which, back then, was the same dinner, but without the meat.

But I would cheer up when the puddings came out. I loved stodgy English puddings with custard. And ice creams. And then, later, discovering all those English sweets. Wow. So many different types of sweets.

It took me a long time to feel settled in Leicester. I had to learn a new language, well, three new languages - as I was learning English I was also learning Gujarati and Arabic.

I had to walk to school, which was a mile-and-a-half away, the come home and go to the Mosque to learn Arabic.

There wasn't much time for play.

By the time I was in my teens, the National Front was  was marching in Leicester. There was a lot of fighting in St Matthew's. I had to walk through there to get to college.

I was chased by skinheads more than once. They never got me, but they tried. It was a scary walk to school, looking over your shoulder, listening for taunts, ready to run.

Leicester taught me tolerance, that you grow up next to people and you respect them. Look for the positives in that. Most people in Leicester feel like that, I think. It's why the far right have never prospered here.

I left school at 16 with only a few qualifications, so I went back to college. I studied politics and my politics was Roger Blackmore - who would become the leader of the Lib Dems in Leicester.

He was a good teacher, and he had a good sense of humour. We have had many disagreements in the council chamber, but always remained friends.

I did several jobs. I was a bricklayer. I can still lay bricks to this day.I worked nights at a factory. I looked at myself one day and said: come on, you can do more than this.

So I started an access course as a mature student, then a law degree, which I deferred after two years to get a degree in careers education. I became a careers advisor. I got involved in local politics in the 1980s, mainly because of Thatcher and the way her government was causing so much imbalance and inequality in our communities.

I was a county councillor before local government re-organisation, then I became a city councillor. I lost my seat in 2003, but came back in 2007.There have been achievements, proud moments, frustrations. I am proud that they named the sports hall after me in Highfields. That was such an honour.

It was notable, though, coming to the city council from the county council, that there are many more different factions here.

At the county, councillors would have a drink with each other afterwards. At the city, that rarely happened. Different groups, different cliques. Colleagues on the same side not speaking to each other. Not being able to be seen to speaking [sic] to some councillors. I don't like that.

I feel proud to be [Lord] Mayor of Leicester, the first Muslim mayor of the city. It's a prestigious position and I know my late father would have been very pleased.

My five-year-old goes round the school saying she's The Little Mayor. He likes it. My 16-year-old daughter is the opposite. She's so embarrassed.

Me? I just remember where I came from, from being taken to school on my father's bike in Mombasa, a small terraced house in Highfields - and now Lord Mayor. It's humbling.

WE ARE PROUD TO BE MARKING QUEEN'S JUBILEE

Habib Akram's First Person column appears in today's Leicester Mercury (though not on the paper's website).

We are proud to be marking Queen's Jubilee

Habib Akram on why British Muslims are proud to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee

As a British Muslim, I am proud to be a citizen of this country and to lead my community in Leicester in celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. That is why our mosque will be lit up for the extended Jubilee weekend and will display a large banner congratulating Her Majesty.

Every Ahmadi Muslim who lives in Great Britain is an extremely loyal citizen of the country and loves it. This is because the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed us that the love of one's country is an integral part of one's faith.

Our mosques throughout the UK will say prayers for the Queen as part of a programme of activities to mark the occasion.

Many members of my community from Leicestershire have already taken part in our own sponsored Jubilee walk around the Tower of London, which has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for British charities, including the Queen's Jubilee charities.

Our mosques throughout Britain are celebrating this historic occasion with street parties, programmes to feed the homeless and blood donor drives.

In the history of the British monarchy, there have only been two diamond Jubilees and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been involved with both.

We have launched 200 Jubilee buses in London - buses with congratulatory messages to the Queen from the community. Women in our community held a regional sponsored walk and a fete to raise money for the Jubilee charities.

We share in our country's pride and joy at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. We are proud of this country's values of tolerance and respect.It is our heartfelt prayer that may God [sic] continue to protect the Queen and we look forward to the festivities of the Jubilee weekend and to make those as inclusive as possible.

We are not unique in our belief that that we should contribute to the society in which we live to make it a better place for future generations - many other Muslim communities and other faith groups share these values.

The Jubilee provides a splendid occasion to remind us of our common values and the need to stand united against those that seek to cause dissension and rancour.

I look forward to meeting many members of the region's faith groups at our interfaith peace conference this year and hope and pray the goodwill and sense of community cohesion the Diamond Jubilee generates is a lasting one.

Find out more about my community at: www.MuslimsForPeace.org.uk

Dr Habib Akram is president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Leicester