‘The best of humanity’: faith groups help Grenfell victims let down by the authorities
Faith and community organisations had to fill the vacuum left by the authorities after the Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017 that killed 72 people. The seven-volume report resulting from a long running public inquiry, said the “substantial involvement” played by the faith, community and voluntary organisations was “a striking response” to the fire, providing sanctuary and support. It also highlighted how the needs of Muslims in particular were ignored in the aftermath of the fire which occurred during the month of Ramadan when Muslims have special dietary needs due to the fasting requirements of their faith. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea — the council responsible for the tower — should have done more, and their response “contributed to the widespread feeling .. that the council had no regard for their cultural and religious needs.” But the report also singled out for special commendation the work of local faith and community organisations which, it said, “portrays the best of humanity”. Read Catherine Pepinster’s article on the report’s conclusions on faith communities here.
Reaction – ‘Muslims mistreated’, dishonesty condemned
Responding to the report, the Muslim Council of Britain said Muslims were mistreated by the council: “The victims of Grenfell were abandoned by those in power. It was local heroes, especially the Al Manaar mosque, that provided sanctuary and support when public services and government failed to act. Many of the victims were Muslims, and today we learn of the mistreatment they faced from the council, even during the holy month of Ramadan, where little to no provision of halal food was made”.
Bishop Graham Tomlin, former bishop of Kensington, played a leading role in the community response to the tragedy. He said the report was devastating and brutal. Writing for the website Seen and Unseen, he said the companies involved have a lot to answer for: “Listening to the statement by Sir Martin Moore-Bick and reading the report, words such as ‘failure’, ‘dishonesty’, ‘misleading’, and ‘defective’ sounded like a tolling bell throughout his account…Grenfell was the result of a culture that has become so individualistic that we have lost sight of the fact that we are our brothers’ (and sisters’) keepers, that we have a responsibility for each other, and that we find purpose and meaning in loving our neighbours as we love ourselves, whoever they happen to be”.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, issued a statement, condemning “systematic dishonesty” and calling for meaningful change to ensure such a tragedy never happens again: “It is chilling to read that systematic dishonesty and a refusal to listen to concerns were in part to blame for Grenfell Tower becoming a death trap. This is a dreadful reminder that human lives should never be sacrificed in the pursuit of profit….This tragedy shows us that we must cherish and protect everyone in our society, and that safety should not just be the preserve of the wealthy. We must commit to building a housing system that is safe and fair for everyone in this country.”
The National Zakat Foundation was involved in the emergency response, offering immediate aid to those affected. In a statement it said: “We urge those in power to act swiftly and decisively on the recommendations contained in today’s report. It is essential that lessons are learned and changes are made to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again”.
Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council said it would learn from every criticism in the report and it was clear the residents had been failed at every level: “On behalf of the Council, I apologise unreservedly and with all my heart to you, and to the local community, for our failure to listen to residents and to protect them. Put simply, we could, and should, have done more to keep people safe in their homes and to care for all of our residents in the aftermath of the fire. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has laid bare the chain of events that led to that night. It shows how you were let down by the systems and people responsible for protecting you and your families. It shows – beyond doubt – that this Council failed the residents of Grenfell Tower and the 72 people, including 18 children, who died”.
Other news
Pope to sign interfaith declaration in Jakarta today
Pope Francis is due to sign an interfaith declaration when he visits the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, on his 12-day trip to southeast Asia. He has consistently highlighted the importance of inter-religious dialogue, particularly important in this region and Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim majority country. Catholics are in the minority, but they are actively involved in education and social need, and say their mission is to serve the common good. At the mosque, the largest in southeast Asia, he will meet religious leaders including the Grand Imam of Indonesia, Nasaruddin Umar. They will both sign the declaration and then the Pope is expected to visit the neighbouring Catholic cathedral via an underpass which links the two buildings. This is the third interfaith declaration the Pope will have signed in his pontificate. In 2019, he signed the Document on Human Fraternity (Abu Dhabi Declaration); and in 2021 he signed the Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change. Speaking to political leaders yesterday, he said Indonesia’s many ethnicities and religions were its “unifying fabric” and harmony requires everyone “to embrace a spirit of fraternity in seeking the good of all”. Christopher Lamb’s report for CNN is here.
Government minister apologises for pain caused by restricting arms licenses to Israel
Junior Foreign Office minister, Hamish Falconer, has apologised for the pain caused by the government’s announcement restricting arms licenses to Israel, according to a report in the Jewish News. It says he acknowledged the pain caused, but explained the timing was due to a legal process. The announcement was made on Monday, the day after six Israeli hostages were killed by Hamas. The Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the decision “beggars belief” and the Board of Deputies, Jewish Leadership Council and Labour Friends of Israel reacted angrily. In an interview with the paper, Mr Falconer said he regretted that that the timing overlapped so closely, and gave an assurance that Keir Starmer remained committed to fighting antisemitism.
Legal action against US university over “caste discrimination”
More than 20 higher education institutions in the USA have recognised “caste discrimination” in their policies. The latest is Rutgers, in New Jersey, which Prof Audrey Truschke says has a higher-than-average Indian population of any US university. She said it is misconceived to think of caste as only a Hindu concept. Nonetheless, there are concerns that this negatively labels Hindus as biased against their members. CasteFiles, a think tank challenging “the harmful labelling of Caste in global lexicon”, filed a federal civil rights complaint against Rutgers and Truschke last Thursday arguing a violation of the Civil Rights Act. Religion News Service report here
Gen Z Trad Catholics – the new phenomenon with TikTok as its church
The Telegraph reports what it calls “a growing cultural phenomenon known as Gen Z Trad Catholics” who are flocking to a new type of church – TikTok An article by Natasha Leake describes young women who wear a lace veil, attend Latin Mass, pray at least five times a day, attend church once a week, go online to meet each other on “Catholic Tok” or “God Tok” and have strange religious experiences. Ion one case a 20-year-old woman heard God tell her to look at the ground at 3 am, where she found blood on the carpet and then a voice telling her it was the blood of Jesus. Article is here
