Thousands of counter-protesters quell threat of violent riots in England
The expected surge of violent riots in 100 cities and towns in England last night, did not materialise as thousands of counter-protesters overwhelmed the small number of demonstrators who turned up. In joyous scenes, with signs of love not hate, singing, dancing in the street and calls for unity, the counter protesters also waved placards saying “Refugees Welcome: Stop the far right” and others from Stand Up to Racism, saying “No to racism, No to fascism”. Police and communities across England were prepared for another night of violence, continuing a wave of unrest sparked by the killing of three young girls in Southport a week ago. Shops were boarded up, businesses closed early and 6,000 extra police were standing by in case of riots. But minimal arrests were made as huge numbers of counter protesters gathered in Walthamstow, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol, Southampton, Northampton, Brighton and Liverpool, silencing the hate.
MP reports leaflets Finchley protest to the police
One of the expected demonstrations was due to take place in Finchley, but a large group of counter protesters outnumbered the demonstrators. There were several Palestinian flags on display and leaflets were distributed which said “Get fascists, racists, Nazis, Zionists and Islamophobes out of Finchley”. Local MP Sarah Sackman confirmed she had reported leaflets that were clearly antisemitic to the police.
Robert Jenrick MP criticised for “Allahu Akbar” comment
The Conservative MP Robert Jenrick, who is standing in the party’s leadership election, has been criticised for his comments on protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar”, Arabic for “God is great”, during demonstrations. He told Sky News that he was angry about the way police handled pro Palestine protests after 7 October: “I thought it was quite wrong that somebody could shout ‘Allahu Akbar’ on the streets of London and not be immediately arrested”. This drew criticism from other Conservatives including Baroness Sayeeda Warsi who said it was nasty, divisive rhetoric: “Every day before we start parliamentary business in the Commons and Lords we say a prayer and praise God – we say our parliamentary version of Allahu Akbars at the heart of democracy – a process Robert Jenrick is a part of”. Later, on Twitter / X, Mr Jenrick clarified saying “Allahu Akbar is spoken peacefully and spiritually by millions of British Muslims in their daily lives. But the aggressive chanting below is intimidatory and threatening”. This didn’t pacify his critics, with Baroness Warsi saying he should apologise “for this populist nonsense”.
Indian born Bishop of Edmonton “felt unsafe in England” this week
The new Bishop of Edmonton, Dr Anderson Jeremiah, has written an article in the Church Times that this week, as an immigrant from India, he felt unsafe in England. He explained that he came to the UK as a PhD student 20 years ago, married another commonwealth citizen here, settled and as a newly appointed bishop, moved to his new home in London yesterday. But he wrote: “While running last minute errands in Lancaster, I came across anti-immigrant protesters with signs demanding “Stop the boats” and “Protect our kids”, and people yelling at any non-white people to “Go home.” Did they mean me? Did they mean my daughters? .. The politicising of migration and migrants risks tearing our communities apart. The deep concerns fermenting in our society, shaped by manifold inequalities, need to be addressed. But scapegoating particular communities for the ills of wider society is unhelpful and unjust. Of late, we have seen the convergence of racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia, peddled through a proliferation of misinformation. The fact is that they all mar the beauty of our shared humanity. Across the country, people of colour share my fear. We are better than this”.
OTHER NEWS
Lucy Winkett: church must not be “politely silent” over CofE breakaway move
The rector of St James’s Piccadilly, Lucy Winkett, has spoken out against moves by evangelicals in the diocese of London to break away from the Church of England because they object to same sex relationships. St Helens Bishopsgate and All Souls Langham Place have held services commissioning men as new leaders in a parallel church structure, made necessary, they say, because the bishops have betrayed biblical teaching. Holy Trinity Brompton has backed the idea of a parallel structure with alternative bishops. In a sermon, Lucy Winkett said “We cannot, we must not remain politely silent in the face of this”. She said it would embed in church structures an inequality and injustice contrary to the gifts of the spirit, that will not let women lead and “condemns to isolation those who fall in love with someone of the same gender”. She warned: “If we don’t find a way to embed and strengthen the values of inclusive Christianity … we will have been guilty of the most terrible complacency in our generation, where prejudice and division grows and embeds, not only in the violence of the streets, but in the character of our church”. Her sermon is on YouTube here
Vice Presidential nominee Ted Walz – a “Minnesota Lutheran“
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who has been chosen by Kamala Harris as her vice-presidential running mate, calls himself a “Minnesota Lutheran”, according to a report by the Religion News Service. Twenty per cent of Minnesota is Lutheran, dating back to Scandinavian settlers in the 19th century, and the tradition runs deep in Tim Walz. The report quotes two of his speeches where he describes a Minnesota Lutheran rule that “If you do something good and talk about it, it no longer counts”, and he says they don’t talk enough about their accomplishments – like Democrats, he quipped. As governor, he worked alongside faith and community leaders after the murder of George Floyd, describing the state’s values as decency, compassion and justice. He has also engaged with the state’s significant Muslim population, home to more Somalis that any other state, and has spoken publicly against Islamophobia. RNS article is here
Minority religions attacked in Bangladesh amid continuing unrest
Hindu temples and Christian churches are being guarded in Bangladesh as unrest sweeps the country after the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, fled the country following weeks of demonstrations in which 300 people were killed. Bangladesh is 91 per cent Muslims, 8 per cent Hindu and 0.3 per cent Christian. Mainly Muslim university students are keeping watch over Hindu temples and churches, while opposition politicians are calling for the protection of all Bangladeshis “irrespective of religion and politics, from discriminatory violence”. But national monuments and government buildings have been ransacked and the Catholic aid organisation CAFOD says offices of its partner, Caritas Bangladesh, have also been plundered with protesters illegally camped in their grounds. CAFOD says it has worked in Bangladesh for over 40 years, working through partners to support local communities and respond to emergencies such as the Rohingya Crisis, and it is seeking peace and a swift resolution to the unrest. The country’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has appealed for calm.
Diary of a young man psychologically damaged by conversion therapy
The diary of a 35-year-old man who underwent conversion therapy is published in The Telegraph, explaining the way his church community, believing being gay is fundamentally wrong, made people feel “so trapped, dirty and evil that we choose to put ourselves through this kind of therapy”. He describes the process including fasting, counselling, therapy, and standing in the middle of a circle with dim lighting, while men and women surrounded him shouting at the evil inside him to leave and never come back, sometimes leading him into a trance like state causing him to start convulsing, which was explained as God working in his body to remove evil. Lewis Crompton was 25 when he finally realised that he was torturing himself and had to accept his true self, a decision that spelt the end of his relationship with the church, which cut him off. He says the psychological harm was devastating and it had taken a long time to feel at ease. He is now 35, married to a rugby player, no longer attends church, but still prays every day. His diary is here
