“We simply cannot afford to be complacent.” Fiyaz Mughal on why we need a book that presents the true nature of Islam

March 5, 2017 Article

– Why did you think there was a need for a book that presents the true nature of Islam?

There is little literature that highlights the deep reflections and introspection that is taking place in parts of the Middle East around Islam. This work is being driven by Muslims and from an Islamic theological set of principles and this has been ongoing for over a decade. There is much talk about ‘Muslims not doing enough’ and we try to set out that maybe people are not looking over into what is happening and taking place in the Middle East to tackle extremism, but also in bridging the East and West.

There are lots of books and articles about Islam and whether it is ‘compatible’ with Western values. We outline the fact that Islam and its interpretation are flexible enough and compatible enough with a Europe that is based on secular and liberal traditions – though these are also being challenged by the rise of populist and xenophobic parties in Europe. This book thereby undermines the view that Europe and the Middle East will be in perpetual conflict. From within the heart of the Islamic world, in Jordan – with a deep Islamic history – we see that some of the solutions to extremism have come through strong leadership and from Islamic theological leaders coming together. There is hope and this hope must win over the politics of fear which is fuelling anti-Muslim prejudice and Islamophobia in some parts of Europe.

– Could you briefly summarise the King of Jordan’s Amman Message for people who are unaware of it?

The Amman Message, in summary, is a nationwide Jordanian attempt to provide a set of theological frameworks to tackle extremism. At the core of this, was a response from Jordan’s Royal family that something needed to be done to provide an Islamic theological set of positions against extremism post the Beslan massacre that horrified so many. The Beslan massacre was a driver for the His Majesty King Abdullah II to push for a theological framework through which religious leaders, civil society activists and community leaders could challenge extremism and build resilience in Jordanian communities. Yet, the vision was wider and there was a genuine belief that that Amman Message could be promoted and pushed in the Middle East and also within Europe, so that it could also challenge perceptions of Muslims in Europe which have been progressively been turning negative. It was a vision of a Europe and Middle East that were co-dependent and reliant on each other to tackle issues of extremism.

– In your opinion, what is the most interesting issue that the book raises?

The book raises a range of issues. It looks at Muslim communities in Europe, challenges that they face and how there are developments emanating from the heart of Muslim majority countries that can reduce Islamic extremism. It also looks at the challenges within Europe of a rising set of issues around migration, integration and extremism, whilst reflecting on Islamophobia and anti-Muslim prejudice that further fuels separationism and grievances. This cycle is one that the book explores with views from across Europe and the Middle East.

– The book presents perspectives from writers of various faiths, including those with no religious affiliation at all. What was the thinking behind this?

The reality is that the writers reflect Europe in all of its pluralism. It also reflects a world which is complex and with competing world views which are precisely reflective of debates on Islam and Muslims and on the relationship between Europe and the Middle East. This complex and fast shifting environment is what the book captures and provides a snapshot into a world where communities seem to be more fractured.

– What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

We hope that readers take away the hope that from within Muslim majority countries, the theological solutions to extremism are developing. They will have long lasting impacts over the next 50 years and readers should also take away the fact that there are challenges in Europe in reducing the xenophobia and populism that could well fuel further grievances and extremism in the future. We simply cannot afford to be complacent.

For more information and to buy the book, please follow this link.

Categories: MyBlog, Opinions

Dame Louise Casey States that Integration is Not A ‘Two Way Street’

January 9, 2017 Article

Speaking at the Communities and Local Government Committee today, Dame Louise Casey made the case for the findings of her review into opportunity and integration which took over 14 months to complete.

Speaking with a sense of purpose, Casey suggested that “integration was not a two way street”, and that in fact she saw it much like a motorway moving in a specific direction with smaller feeder routes joining the main motorway. She said that whilst some accommodation needed to be made by drivers in the middle of the road, significant adjustments had to be made by the cars joining the motorway and therefore integration was not a ‘two way street’. This was further explained by her belief that new communities needed basic support in understanding the normative customs of the country and they required basic items of information such as when to put out bins, how to queue and how to be courteous to one another. She made these responses to questions put to her at the Committee by Bethnal Green and Bow MP, Rushnara Ali.

There were a number of areas that also highlighted the difficult nature of the work undertaken by Casey. She highlighted deep generational and gender based divides in faith communities and in particular singled out the Glasgow mosque for issues. She also added that her report had made clear that British Muslim women of Pakistani heritage were significantly disadvantaged and whilst deprivation and other issues played a role, she could not rule out that misogyny and gender based prejudices had held some of these women back. She added,

“My job is to hold a mirror up and report on things, whether some like it or not.”

Another area that came under her spotlight was the issue of conservative religiousity. This she regarded as sometimes being a cover for actions that went against equalities and her comments highlighted her desire to reduce the space for religious conservatism when it impacted on the lives of others within public institutions.

Furthermore, Casey also highlighted how far right and Islamist extremism were areas of threat to integration and cohesion. The latter fed the narratives of the former, though she also stated that whilst local authorities were able to challenge and tackle far right narratives and groups, they were ill-equipped and sometimes unable to speak out against Islamist narratives.

Speaking on her comments, the Director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal Said:

“Dame Louise Casey’s comments will no doubt, continue to promote debate and discussion on issues of integration and if there is one thing that comes across, it is that a real and tangible integration strategy is needed, instead of the tea, samosa and steel band narrative that has been pushed around for so long.

“What is also a fact, is that Casey and her team worked long and hard taking evidence from hundreds of sources for the review. It cannot simply be dismissed and there are some serious issues that need to be discussed. Gender targeted barriers within some faith institutions, values that are so far from the norm of society and which are dressed up as religious conservatism need to be tackled. Furthermore, we have to seriously listen to her advice on integration being a concept where new and settled communities have to accommodate more to normative values of wider society.

“These are all challenging concepts where work will be required. Like it or not, Casey has brought a much needed debate on integration that no other Government touched. If it helps to ensure gender equality in core faith institutions such as in governance, then I warmly welcome these debates.”

The post Dame Louise Casey States that Integration is Not A ‘Two Way Street’ appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Dame Louise Casey, Department for Communities and Local Government, Faith Communities, integration, News

Threats and Challenges We Face Highlighted by the National Police Chiefs Council

December 30, 2016 Article

This is an excerpt of a submission provided to the Home Affairs Commons Select Committee looking into Islamophobia. The paper was submitted on behalf of the National Police Chiefs Council.

This text gives an incredibly accurate picture of the obstacles put in our way by groups and individuals just to serve Muslim communities in supporting them when targeted for anti-Muslim hatred.

Under the heading of ‘Working With Partners‘ the following text highlights the provocation that we have come under because of agitators for simply doing our job.

Excerpt of Text

“Effective engagement with Muslim communities has presented some distinct challenges in recent years for a whole range of reasons including but not limited to;

— The diverse nature of Muslim communities in terms of language, culture, ethnic origins and social factors.
— The lack of a single hierarchical structure that is present in some religious groups.
— The tensions that exist in some small parts of different Muslim sectarian groups.
— The comparatively lower levels of confidence in the police from some Muslims
— That newly arrived communities will have less knowledge of our commitments to protect them from targeted abuse and are less likely to report crimes to authorities.

I believe that these factors mean that AMHC (anti-Muslim hate crime) is less likely to be reported to the police than would be the case in some other religious groups.

For these stated reasons we have prioritised efforts to improve reporting of AMHC in recent years. In around 2010-12, we began efforts to help community group(s) to replicate some of the services of the Community Security Trust, a charity that I consider to be one of the world leaders in this area and which is funded by community donations.

We had conversations with many groups and individuals who felt that, with support, they could develop such a service. Almost all of these groups could not establish a service and some found it difficult to meet our minimum expectations for a partner body.

The one group who were able to meet our standards was Tell MAMA. We have worked hard to support Tell MAMA in subsequent years and they have become one of our most trusted partners, offering an excellent service to victims. This trust and confidence led to me signing a national Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) with it’s Chief Executive, Fiyaz Mughal OBE in 2015. At my last briefing, 18 forces had done so with others in negotiation.

The challenges faced in the establishment and development of Tell MAMA have been significant and they have come under severe criticism from a small number of individuals and groups from the Muslim community and grossly offensive attacks from some racist and anti-Muslim groups. I believe some of the former comes from opposition to Tell MAMA’s human rights approach, that respects all citizens rights, regardless of the characteristic that is being attacked. This has particularly been a focus when they have stood against antisemitism, LGBT hostility and the protection of minority Muslim groups. I believe this to be a fundamental strength of Tell MAMA and their willingness to show leadership and support equality for all is one of their strengths and one of those standards that we considered to be a pre-requisite of a true partnership.

One practical example of the value of our ISA with Tell MAMA came in the days following the attempted murder at Leytonstone Tube Station in December, 2015. Within three days we had shared information with Tell MAMA and began to get a clear picture of the nature of ‘retribution’ hate crimes against Muslim victims. Early analysis showed, by way of example, that the majority of victims were females wearing a niqab or similar veils and that around a third of attacks took place on public transport. This was invaluable information of use to police and partners to inform deployment decisions.

This type of analysis of hate crimes in the aftermath of local, national and international events is an important part of our response to community tensions. We have detected spikes in attacks on Muslims after a broad range of incidents such as the tragic murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013 and these ‘spikes’ have often lead to the deployment of Critical Incident Management measures by ourselves and our partners.

The post Threats and Challenges We Face Highlighted by the National Police Chiefs Council appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: anti-Muslim hate crime, Lee Rigby, National Police Chiefs Council, News, NPCC, police forces

Anjem Choudhary Hated the Very Essence of Democracy – That is Why He Attacked Councillors

August 26, 2016 Article

Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary addresses members of the media during a protest supporting the Shari'ah Law, in north London October 31, 2009. REUTERS/Tal Cohen/Files

The Director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal, writes about the intimidation and inflammatory nature of the actions of Anjem Choudhary and his young coterie of followers, in targeting elected councillors.

Anjem Choudhary has finally been brought to justice. One of the most infamous Islamist faces on TV screens across the globe, this Pied Piper of hatred was found to be instrumental in garnering support for Daesh or Islamic State and in pledging allegiance to it in 2014.

Yet, Anjem was a regular at major Islamic events and in places like Newham, Tower Hamlets and Haringey to name a few London boroughs. He was not allowed into venues and stood outside surrounded by young boys and men who clearly looked up to him and his tactic was to berate and blame and his targets were not only the US, or UK foreign policy, on many occasions they were Muslim elected councillors.

Choudhary knew that by confronting elected members who happened to be Muslim, he could grandstand in front of his young supporters and question the democratic structures of our country.

I was one of the elected members in 2009 who whilst doing my Sunday shopping, ended up with about 20 young people around me hurling obscenities and terms such as ‘kafir’ at me for representing local residents in the Noel Park ward in the London Borough of Haringey. It seems that the exercising of my democratic right meant that Choudhary and his supporters thought that I had ‘sold out’ and that I was no longer a Muslim. Such was the toxic mix of poison he pumped into the minds of young men.

Over the years, Choudhary had made it a point to visit the London Borough of Haringey and would stand outside local stores in the middle of the High Street. He would make inflammatory comments and speeches and would the justify why democracy, the rule of law and human rights were of no value and meaning to him. All the while as he did this, he would urge his young coterie of followers to ensure that Muslims did not vote since it was not allowed in Islam.

Choudhary would rail against these very concepts that make up our society and he would say that only God’s law mattered to him, thereby rendering any legitimate debate invalid and useless with someone who was simply an agitator. Yet, in 2009, as I came out with my shopping, Choudhary made a beeline for me accusing me of apostasy by ‘joining the British system.’ What he meant was that I had exercised my right to play a part in British political life, even though by 2009, I had already served for over 5 years as a councillor in Oxford and the London Borough of Haringey.

What followed was abuse, aggressive threats against me and about 20 young Asian Muslim males suggesting that the fire of hell was somewhere where Muslim councillors belonged within. It seemed that Choudhary knew who I was and being a Liberal Democrat Councillor at the time, he quoted some of the positions that I had held within the national party structure.

Watching this from a side line were a handful of police officers who thought that the whole scenario would just wash over. Little did they realise that Choudhary was going to go on to become one of the most charismatic of radicalisers that this country had seen, yet that was the problem. In 2009, he was seen by many, as simply a joke and a clown and not a threat.

The Beating Up of a Shia Man in the Heart of the West End – Sectarianism at the Heart of Choudhary

My next encounter with Choudhary came in July 2013 as I sat in Edgware Road in the West End one afternoon. Choudhary, it seems, had visited the Egyptian Embassy and had demonstrated outside it and decided to visit Edgware Road simply to agitate on the back of the Sunni and Shia splits that were engulfing Syria after the Arab Spring. Choudhary knew that the Syrian civil war posed an opportunity for him to recruit more impressionable young Sunni Muslim males here in the UK.

With loudspeaker in hand, Choudhary shouted anti-Assad and anti-Shia rhetoric as the young men around him became more and more agitated on the middle of Edgware Road. All the while I watched as his followers kept repeating the anti-Shia slogans. Sadly, within a few minutes of having turned my head away, a young man had been brutally assaulted on the basis that Choudhary’s followers thought that he was Shia. It seems that at the heart of Choudhary’s ideology, was a voracious hatred of Shia and other sects within Islam.

In fact, it turned out that there were 2 men who had been assaulted and one was Sunni and the other Shia. They had been walking down Edgware Road and had been identified as Shias by one of Choudhary’s group. The assault on the Shia male led to 10 separate injuries on his head, face and body and when I met up with him a few days later through the intervention of the Al Khoie Centre in Brent, it turned out that the man was married to a Sunni woman. This though, was of no consequence to Choudhary or the young men who followed him and who listened and hung on his every word. For even when the assault was taking place in the heart of the West End, Choudhary was to be found in the melee, having wound up his followers, yet with his hands not directly involved in criminality. This was precisely how he operated.

Both of these incidents showed me one thing. That Choudhary was the puppeteer and the man who wound up impressionable young men and then released them onto an unsuspecting public in the UK and the Middle East. This went on for many years and with impunity as police forces admitted that he had broken no laws. Sadly, though, this conviction came too late for many young men who were brainwashed by Choudhary. Many lie in unmarked graves in the Middle East, whilst others languish in our jails. However, the real losers in all of these, have been the families of those who were murdered by the young men that the Pied Piper of Hate had groomed and released like javelins onto the world. That is the true legacy of Anjem Choudhary.

The post Anjem Choudhary Hated the Very Essence of Democracy – That is Why He Attacked Councillors appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Anjem Choudhary, Anti-Shia, councillors, Daesh, Islamic State, Muslim councillors, Opinions

We Welcome Luke Holland Onto the Tell MAMA Team

August 11, 2016 Article

Luke Holland has been appointed as our West Midlands Organiser

This week we welcome Luke Holland to the Tell MAMA team. Luke has been appointed as our West Midlands Organiser and will be focussing on working with grass-roots engagement in the West Midlands in tackling anti-Muslim hate or Islamophobia.

Luke is an energetic, outspoken individual who has a passion for tackling Islamophobia and all forms of prejudices. Luke has been working hard in Birmingham over the last few years in tackling Islamophobia head on and will work hard in the Midlands to combat anti- Muslim hatred.

On his appointment Luke said:

“I’m delighted to have been appointed as the West Midlands Organiser for Tell MAMA. Tell MAMA works so hard to tackle Islamophobia and I’m proud to be part of an organisation that is at the forefront in tackling this vile stain on our society. The West Midlands is such a diverse multi-cultural region and I’m proud to call it my home. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m hoping to make some real change.”

Tell MAMA founder Fiyaz Mughal said:

“Luke is precisely the young person that we need challenging and working to ensure that anti-Muslim hatred is tackled. He understands that hatred, intolerance and prejudice is a cancer that causes deep divisions in communities and his values on tackling all forms of hatred collectively are in line with our values. This means standing with other communities and ensuring that prejudice within communities is challenged. We welcome Luke to the team and look forward to working with him.”

The post We Welcome Luke Holland Onto the Tell MAMA Team appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Categories: anti-Muslim hatred, Luke Holland, News, West Midlands Organiser

Attack on Sikh Gurdwara May Indicate the Fusion of Criminality with Extremism

April 21, 2016 Article

News that the Sikh Gurdwara in the western German city of Essen may have been attacked by young people linked to a local fundamentalist extremist network has shifted focus away from far right groups, who were initially suspected for the attack.

Police have suggested that the two suspects arrested have links to a local Salafist group and that further arrests will be made in the coming days.

The attack has shaken the small Sikh community in the city and particularly at a time when Germany is seeing a resurgency in far right activity, partly caused by the refugee crisis. However, this attack may also highlight criminal activity that on many occassions, is linked to extremist groups and also helps in providing resources for their criminal actions.

The bomb exploded at a temple belonging to the Sikh Gurdwara Nanaksar congregation wounding three people – one of them, a Sikh priest, seriously. Hundreds of guests use the facility and on the day of the bombing, a Sikh wedding had taken place.

Commenting on the news, the Director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal OBE, stated:

This is another twist and turn in the cycle of violence that extremism and terrorism create. On this occassion, it seems that young people have resorted to what seems to be an act of terrorism against a community that has no link to any of the geo-political issues which drive Jihadist narratives. These young men also seemed to have turned against a community that is tiny and which no doubt will feel an even greater sense of insecurity because of what has happened to it. It is truly sickening since attacking a Gurdwara sends a message to all those who use the temple. It is a neon sign saying – we deny your right to worship peacefully and to exist. It really is sickening.

The post Attack on Sikh Gurdwara May Indicate the Fusion of Criminality with Extremism appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Essen, Germany, News, Salafist, Sikh Gurdwara Nanaksar, Sikhs, terrorism

Obsession by Anti-Muslim Bigots Shows the Vindictive Nature of Them

December 31, 2015 Article

Well, as we move into 2016, it has been another year where my colleagues and I have been at the front-line of working with faith communities in the United Kingdom and where we have also stood firm against anti-Muslim bigotry. We have also continuously made the case that bigotry from some small sections of Muslim communities cannot go unchallenged and this means that LGBT hate and anti-semitism, also need to be tackled.

We have also sadly, seen our work challenged by those within some sections of Muslim communities, who use anti-Muslim prejudice or Islamophobia, to promote a set of views which we regard as being problematic, particularly when their leadership have made statements that are targeted at other communities and against those that we work with. For example, smearing a patron of Tell MAMA as a Zionist, just because he is Jewish, hardly provides any confidence to wider communities in those organisations and self-appointed leaders who make such comments. That is before even going into the actions of their ‘activists’ who promote messages which are homophobic on platforms such as Whatsapp. So, as they say, apart from battling against anti-Muslim bigots, we sadly have to tackle territorialism, smears and those with views that undermine partnership working and building solidarity with other communities.

But this brings me onto another area. This involves the far right’s obsession with me, as well as the obsession of anti-Muslim bigots. Gosh, I never knew that I was the stuff of their dreams, on second thoughts, eugh!

Months ago, I chose to go onto an iERA (Islamic Education and Research Academy) platform, where they were talking about a range of issues, including anti-Muslim prejudice, values in Islam etc. This decision was not taken lightly and was done to engage with a wider audience and to take part in a debate. The latter term being important – a debate.

I for one, believe in talking to wider audiences and engaging in debates, yet, if you read the frothing blogs of anti-Muslim bigots, they believe that by debating, you actually agree with some of the views aired, by merely sharing a platform. The person in question they had a problem with, was Anas-Al-Tikriti. Now, Anas is not an extremist, nor should he be regarded as such, but according to anti-Muslim bigots and their sites, he is one. Allied to that, was a lame attempt to suggest that I believe in a Caliphate. If I believe in a Caliphate, then Donald Trump is a secret Muslim.

Anyway, I wanted to ensure that readers of such sites have it spelt out loud and clear to them, given that many may be missing critical analyses skills when they read sites. It must be hard to see the world beyond just black and white and ‘grey’ for them, sends them into an emotional crisis. So here goes:

Do I believe in a Caliphate: No!

What was the question I responded to: It was a question where I was asked whether I believed people who want a Caliphate, can be regarded as extreme? My response was no. Does that mean that I want a Caliphate – two different things, no!

Why did I respond as I did? Since there are a group of Muslims, Ahmaddiyas who are the most peaceful of Muslim communities and who suffer persecution in countries like Pakistan for their belief. They believe in a Caliph as a symbolic leader. They are hardly extreme, by any stretch of the imagination.

Also, some people will have a vision of living in a utopian Caliphate. Does that make them extreme? No – it means that they will be living the dream for eternity. Now, we also have to be realistic and groups like IS and their sympathisers will also buy into the idea of a Caliphate. What I am trying to say is that this is not a clear sign or indicator of extremism and nor should it be considered to be.

So what do you believe in? Having spent 12 years of my life as a Liberal Democrat and 6 years as a Liberal Democrat member, I believe in one man or woman and one vote. I mean, anyone looking to gain power secretly, (as many anti-Muslim bigots believe Muslims want to take over the West), would hardly join the Liberal Democrats……you really only join the Liberal Democrats if you believe in their values. So, I am sorry to dampen the strongly held belief of anti-Muslim bigots that Muslims want to take over the West. Some of us believe in the democratic process, even if that meant spending money and attending conferences where Liberal Democrats talked about first past the post systems and……..local Government spending. I mean, as you can imagine, it was pretty painful!

So sorry anti-Muslim bigots – it is democracy for me! If that breaks your world view – great, because it must be pretty twisted if you truly believe all Muslims believe in the same thing. In fact, that is pretty twisted.

Anyway, bring on 2016.

Categories: anti-Muslim hate, MyBlog, News, Politics

Boris Johnson launches app to report hate crime more easily

October 19, 2015 Article

Boris Johnson has launched a new phone app to make it easier for Londoners to report hate crimes, writes Jack Mendel.

The Mayor of London’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) launched the new app – ‘Self Evident’ – on Thursday, during National Hate Crime Awareness week.

It seeks to to enable a greater confidence in the reporting of hate crime in the wake of the Crime Survey for England and Wales of 2014, which found that up to 52 per cent of hate crime went unreported.

Last year, 14,631 hate crimes were recorded in London.

It is free to download, and allows victims to submit reports for incidents of hate crime immediately, even allowing for the use of photographic and video material. Reports are sent directly and securely to the police.

It can be downloaded on Android HERE and in the App Store HERE.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Crimes committed simply because of who a victim is have no place in our society. They must never be tolerated and anyone who suffers should receive support as quickly as possible.

We’ve already seen a rise in reporting, which is important to help the police do their job, and I am very pleased we have been able to launch this app. It will help increase reporting even further, boosting confidence, reducing repeat offences and helping victims get the support they need.”

MOPAC provided £100,000 funding for the development of the app, which was worked on with the police and community groups.

Commander Mak Chishty, Met Police Service, Hate Crime lead said: “Hate Crime remains hugely under-reported and the new app makes it easier for people to report incidents. We want to safeguard victims and bring offenders to justice.

“We urge victims not to suffer in silence, they should speak out, report incidents as soon as possible.

“We take all hate crime seriously, it should not be tolerated; if you can’t report it to police, seek advice from a third party organisation.”a

Dave Rich, Deputy Director of Communications at Community Security Trust (CST) said: “CST supports Hate Crime Awareness Week because we believe that every victim of hate crime deserves to get the help and support they need. We hope that this new app will give victims and witnesses the confidence to report hate crimes and make it easier for offenders to be prosecuted.”

Fiyaz Mughal, Founder and Director of Faith Matters, said: “Hate Crime Awareness Week is an opportunity to refocus the public on both the importance of tackling hate crimes and the reporting of such issues. By producing an app, the MOPAC is increasing accessibility and this is to be warmly welcomed, as people want to be able to report hate incidents quickly and without disruption to their daily lives. We welcome this step and anything that increases accessibility in terms of reporting hate incidents.’’

Click here for more details

Categories: anti-Muslim hate, Hate Crimes, MyBlog

Europe’s Intersectionality With the Ottoman Empire

April 25, 2015 Article

Many would have visited Venice, yet few would have taken the time to really enjoy the frescos that give life to the history and to the walls of this great city.

A cursory glance at the entrance to the Venician basilica, shows a history that is peppered with Greek, Roman, Christian and Ottoman influences, as well as those from the Balkans.

Take for example, this fresco which is to be found at the entrance to the glorious Cathedral in the heart of Venice. It shows Ottoman traders who have been etched so beautifully into the walls of the Cathedral. It seems that Europe’s history really is intertwined through different cultures, religions and heritages.

So next time you visit a part of Europe, do keep those eyes peeled at as many sites as you can and enrich your understanding of history.

Categories: International, MyBlog

Migrants Can Contribute and Add Positively to our Country

April 21, 2015 Article

These posters on the Tube give me hope that the compassion which has saved the lives of so many asylum seekers, continues within the British public. Yet, this poster celebrates migrants, those who have come to work and pay taxes in our country and to contribute to our society. These are just some of the examples that the ‘No Xenophobia’ campaign has highlighted and I warmly welcome this campaign to inform.

The example below shows how people flourish, mature and grow if given the chance. It shows that people can make a difference and the human spirit is unique in how it strives to achieve. This is why we must celebrate those who want to make a difference and who want to add to our country.

As someone who is the child of asylum seekers, (courtesy of the brutal dictator Idi Amin), it has been the compassion and care of many in this country that has always shaped my thinking, even though some agitated at the time rallied by Enoch Powell’s fiery anti-asylum speeches.

Long may we value the human spirit and the desire to do good and to build. This is what we should celebrate and this is what makes Britain Great.

Categories: MyBlog, Politics