David Norris and Gary Dobson have been found guilty of the murder of Stephen Lawrence 18 years after his tragic death, following a trial based on new forensic evidence. The two men were originally named as part of five ‘prime suspects’.

A catalogue of police errors marred the case and the ability to bring any suspects to court until now. The original failed investigation lead to the Lawrence Inquiry which branded the Metropolitan police as institutionally racist.

According to research by the Institute of Race Relations, since 1993 when Stephen was killed, 96 people have lost their lives in the UK in apparent racial attacks – a rate of over five each year.

Sabby Dhalu, Secretary of One Society Many Cultures said:

“We stand in solidarity with the family of Stephen Lawrence who have, up until today, been denied any justice for 18 long and painful years. Whilst we welcome the verdict, it has only been possible due to the unrelenting campaigning of the Lawrence family, who have faced many obstacles and had hopes dashed all too often over the years.

“We should heed the words of Doreen Lawrence. Racist murders and attacks still occur. Today’s verdict should not be used as an excuse to pretend institutional racism has been eradicated.

“We hope that lessons are learnt about the barbarity of racism and its mortal impact upon black communities, and that as recommended in the 1999 Stephen Lawrence Inquriy, steps are taken to overcome the institutional racism which denied this family, and continues to deny others, justice.”

The Free Babar Ahmad campaign is encouraging supporters to contact their MPs to ensure they attend the full parliamentary debate on extradition that has been listed for Monday 5 December 2011 and vote to change the law.

1. Background
2. Write to your MP
3. Sample Letter

1. Background

Following tremendous pressure from members of the public, the Parliament’s Backbench Business Committee have now scheduled a full debate on extradition with a vote to take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons where all MPs can attend. The debate will take place on Monday 5 December 2011.

Although disappointingly the motion does not specifically mention Babar Ahmad’s case by name, it does present a unique opportunity for MPs to attend the debate and vote in favour of changing the law such that it will prevent the extradition of Babar and others facing extradition.

The Free Babar Ahmad (FBA) Campaign commends supporters who have worked tirelessly in recent months, not only in encouraging others to sign the petition but in also lobbying their MPs and the Backbench Business Committee to list the matter for a full debate. Had it not been for your action, this may all have ended last Thursday 24 November in Westminster Hall.
2. Write to your MP

We are requesting all campaigners to write to their Member of Parliament as a matter of urgency (please mark the email URGENT in the subject line) and ask them to do the following:

a) Attend the debate in Parliament on Monday 5 December 2011;

b) Dedicate their speech to discussing the case of Babar Ahmad and requesting that any changes in the law will also affect all pending cases.

c) Vote in favour of the motion.

Some or all of the following points should be made to support your argument:

• Babar Ahmad has been detained for over 7 years without trial and is the longest detained-without-trial British citizen in the modern history of the UK.

• Babar is held under the UK’s controversial Extradition Act 2003 which allows British Citizens to be extradited to the U.S for alleged offences that took place in Britain. The CPS recently admitted that it never reviewed all the evidence against Babar before it was sent to the US authorities. Yet it has repeatedly refused to charge Babar Ahmad in the UK with any criminal offence whatsoever.

• Over 141,000 people have signed an e-petition calling for Babar to be put on trial in the UK rather than extradited to the US.

• In June 2011, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights called for the UK’s extradition laws to be changed to prevent the extradition of Babar Ahmad and others in circumstances where the domestic authorities had decided not to prosecute them.

• In June 2011, the Recorder of Westminster, Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, said about Babar Ahmad’s case, “I express the hope that the ordeal of a man in detention in this country for a number of years without trial is brought to an end as soon as possible…”.

• The petition to put Babar on trial in the UK has also been supported by a leading lawyers, academics and celebrities. Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC stated recently that it would be “monstrous and scandalous to extradite Babar Ahmad to the US”.

• There are a number of other British citizens facing extradition to the US under the same Treaty including Gary McKinnon, Christopher Tappin, Richard O’ Dwyer, and Talha Ahsan. Two of those pending extradition have, like Babar Ahmad, also been detained without trial for 5-6 years.  The alleged criminal conduct in all these cases is said to have taken place in the UK, yet the domestic authorities have not prosecuted them.

• Sir Scott Baker, who led the government-appointed panel to review the extradition laws, recently stated in a public meeting on extradition that the government has the power to apply any changes in the law retrospectively so that they affect pending cases such as Babar’s.

We encourage supporters to prepare their own letters using the above points. A sample letter is below for your convenience but a personalised letter always carries more weight.

You can find your MP’s email by entering your postcode here: http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

To help us track which MPs have been contacted, kindly send a copy of your correspondence and any replies received to mps@freebabarahmad.com

3. SAMPLE LETTER
Dear [INSERT MP NAME]

It has come to my attention that a debate on reforming our extradition laws to strengthen the protection of British citizens is to take place on Monday 5 December 2011.  As your constituent, I am writing to request that you attend this debate and vote in favour of the motion that calls for a reform of the extradition laws in line with the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

The UK-US Extradition Treaty 2003 is imbalanced and allows British citizens accused of crimes allegedly committed in the UK to be extradited to the US without the US authorities having to demonstrate a prima facie case. A wide range of people from different backgrounds have found themselves ensnared by the Treaty including corporate bankers, terror suspects and alleged computer hackers.

I would like you to speak at the debate and call for any changes in the law to apply to pending cases as well. It would appear immoral to allow individuals to be extradited under a Treaty which is subsequently agreed by our parliament to be so unfair such that it requires amendment. I understand that Sir Scott Baker recently said at a public meeting on extradition that the government has the power to ensure that any amendments made to the law can have retrospective effect.

In particular, I want you to mention the case of Babar Ahmad, the longest detained-without-trial British citizen in the modern history of the UK. I was one of over 141,000 people who recently signed an e-petition calling for Babar Ahmad to be put on trial in the UK rather than extradited to the US. As it was this enormous pressure that has assisted to secure this full debate, it is only right that his case be specifically discussed by parliamentarians. You should note the following:

• Babar has been in prison for over 7 years without trial. He has already served the equivalent of a 14 year sentence.

• All the allegations against him are said to have taken place in the UK.

• The JCHR called for the UK’s extradition laws to be amended to prevent the extradition of Babar and others in circumstances where the domestic authorities had decided not to prosecute them.

• The CPS has admitted that it never reviewed all the evidence against Babar and others before sending it to the US authorities. Yet it has repeatedly refused to charge Babar in the UK with any criminal offence whatsoever.

• If extradited to the US, Babar faces up to three years pre-trial detention in solitary confinement and if convicted, faces life imprisonment without parole in a Supermax detention facility, the conditions of which are so severe that the UN Committee on Torture described it as amounting to torture.

I urge you, as my elected voice in parliament, to attend this important debate and vote in favour of changing the extradition laws such that they offer greater protection to British citizens such as Babar.

Please respond to me with a copy of any correspondence or representations that you make regarding this matter.

Yours sincerely,

[INSERT NAME]

Free Babar Ahmad Campaign
www.freebabarahmad.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Babar-Ahmad/170108582117

http://twitter.com/freebabarahmad

Last week’s joint One Society Many Cultures / Unite Against Fascism Convention was sponsored by SERTUC and supported by a number of trade unions bringing together around 400 delegates around the central themes of celebrating diversity, defending multiculturalism, opposing racism, fascism and Islamophobia.
The first plenary Responding to the far right in Europe – Lessons from Norway heard from Claude Moraes MEP who restated the need to oppose the far right and defend multiculturalism, outlining the dangers of the far right becoming an electoral force across Europe, thriving on anti-semitism, Islamophobia and hatred against the Roma. He highlighted the sections of the media that wrongly blamed Islamic extremism for the murderous actions of Anders Behring Breivik.

Click here for video footage of his speech

Jean Lambert MEP outlined that the Norway massacre was an attack on people and a party who were seen as being too inclusive by the far right, against the backdrop of insidious Islamophobia and anti-semitism across Europe. Jean called for support for asylum and migrant rights and rights for equality at work to counter divisions between communities.

Click here for video footage of her speech

Peter Hain MP thanked Unite Against Fascism for its campaign in Barking, stating that without it, the BNP would not have been defeated. He criticised David Cameron’s attack on multiculturalism, which was supported by the BNP and the EDL, explaining that the rise of the far right is feeding off mounting popular grievances caused by the banking crisis, the economic recession, the cuts and attacks on jobs.

Click here for video footage of his speech

Frances O’Grady, Deputy General Secretary of the TUC outlined the need to show solidarity with those on the sharp end of Islamophobia and racism. Frances outlined the importance of highlighting the impact this has on Muslim communities in terms of poverty. She condemned the sections of the media that build up the violent English Defence League as the authentic voice of the working class, when in fact this is represented by the Trade Union movement, with its strong anti-racist stance. Frances called for a real alternative with a plan for growth, instead of scapegoating migrant workers and cutting public services

Click here for video footage of her speech

Dr. Edie Friedman, Chief Executive of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality made a powerful contribution, reading out a letter to Oswald Mosley, which compared the hatred of the Blackshirts towards the Jewish community to the hatred of the EDL against the Muslim community today.

Click here for video footage of her speech

Dilowar Hussein Khan, Director of the London Muslim Centre outlined the victories in Tower Hamlets when the EDL were prevented from coming into the borough by a broad united anti-fascist campaign both last year and this September, in contradiction to some voices who said stay away. The anti-fascist mobilisations were a broad and necessary expression of unity. Dilowar outlined the importance of supporting the British Muslim community, who are an integral part of our society. He outlined that the building of Mosques and other places of worship are not divisive, but instead express Britain’s diversity.

Click here for video footage of his speech

AbdoolKarim Vakil, Kings College academic explained that the attacks in Norway reaffirmed, rather than exposed, how the far right will turn on those around them, demonstrated how they are networked particularly through the internet, and how the whipping up of the myth of the Islamification of Europe has driven the violence of Breivik and the rest of the far right. He called for challenging Islamophobia to be seen not as an issue for the Muslim community, but as a universal issue of overcoming injustice and inequality.

Click here for video footage of his speech

Martin Smith, Co-ordinator of Love Music Hate Racism raised concerns about those that have denounced Breivik’s actions but not his motives, which are part of growing Islamophobia in Europe. He criticised the elements of the mainstream media who are seeking to profit from whipping up hysteria on race. He compared David Cameron’s attack on multiculturalism earlier this year to his speech on migration last week highlighting that many British people would fail the citizenship tests being proposed to ensure migrants know British history.

Click here for video footage of his speech

Sessions were held on a number of topics which explored a number of themes for the conference

Defending our Freedoms – no to religious bans saw Writer Myriam Francois-Cerrah and Sikhs against the EDL representative Varinder Singh outline the importance of defending the right to freedom of expression, including the wearing of religious symbols

The Government’s Prevent Strategy on countering terrorism was heavily criticised by Usman Ali and Pete Mercer, National officers of National Union of Students who reaffirmed their opposition to its inherent stigmatisation of Muslim students. Shamiul Joarder of the Muslim Safety Forum outlined that it has been imposed upon the community and risks being counterproductive as counter-terrorism must not alienate the Muslim community. Rizwaan Sabir described his successful three year campaign to clear his name after being arrested and detained under the counter-terrorism act without charge whilst he was a student at Nottingham university

Mobilising against the EDL featured the speakers Abdullah Faliq (Islamic Forum Europe), Sabby Dhalu (Unite Against Fascism) and Martin Smith (Love Music Hate Racism)

The workshop focused on the recent success in Tower Hamlets, where an alliance involving United East End, Unite Against Fascism, One Society Many Cultures, Lutfur Rahman (Mayor of Tower Hamlets), working with trade unions and community organisations successfully prevented the EDL from demonstrating on September 3rd.

The main elements of the successful campaign were discussed. Following a campaign the Home Secretary agreed to ban the EDL from marching through Tower Hamlets, with the EDL only permitted a static demonstration. Given this threat, the anti-fascist movement continued to mobilise, which helped persuade the Police to keep the EDL protest outside of the borough.

The workshop unanimously agreed that essential to achieving this victory was the resolve of the anti-fascist movement to mobilise people to oppose the EDL on the day. If anti-fascists had stayed at home and abandoned the local community (who would have protested despite the Home Secretary’s ban), it would have been possible for the EDL to protest in the borough that day.

The teaching unions the University and College Union and the National Union of Teachers held a joint workshop Campaigning against racism and Islamophobia in education with NUT President Nina Franklin and UCU Equalities Support Official Chris Nicholas, which highlighted how cuts to the education sector are reducing resources to challenge racism. The session saw both unions pledging to jointly campaign on this issue.

Institutional Racism was examined in a workshop with Helen Shaw, Co-Director of Inquest and Zita Holbourne, PCS NEC member, which highlighted the disproportionate deaths in custody and stops and searches which Black communities are subjected to. The session raised concerns about the loss of momentum behind the Lawrence Inquiry and the need for unity across communities such as the traveler communities who have been subjected to racist hysteria in the recent Dale Farm eviction.

The truth about immigration and multiculturalism featured  speakers Don Flynn (Migrant Rights Network), Helen Goodman MP, Steve Hart (Unite the Union) and Owen Jones (Author of ‘Chavs : The Demonization of the working class’)

The workshop discussed the increasing restrictions on immigration and asylum rights that has been taking place over recent years, including the latest tightening proposals to cap immigration from the Tories.

Several speakers referred to increased prosperity Britain has experienced as a result of an inflow of labour, including the importance of migrant labour in holding together the NHS. It was pointed out that, in the current economic climate, immigration is increasingly being blamed as responsible for various economic woes such as low wages, and that these views are gaining greater currency in society. In response to this it was argued that these views need to be challenged as migrants are not responsible for the economic crisis. Migrants overall tend to have higher than average incomes, not lower, dispelling the myth that immigration is undercutting wages. It was argued that when any group of workers (whether migrants or not) are being super exploited by employers with low wages and poor conditions of work it is essential that trade unions fight to protect these workers, not accuse them of being the cause of worsening conditions.

All the speakers said it was important to defend multiculturalism. It was pointed out that the way London’s multicultural society works provides an example for the rest of the country.

The Fighting Islamophobia and racism in the media session featured Cllr Rabina Khan from Tower Hamlets Council who criticised the negative media campaigns which have misrepresented the local Muslim community, without highlighting much of the positive work done by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, the first elected Muslim mayor in Britain. Donnacha Delong, President of National Union of Journalists highlighted the need for a fair and accurate media which included challenging racism and Islamophobia in the mainstream media.

The Opposing homophobia, racism and Islamophobia session heard from Pav Akhtar (UK Black Pride), who outlined the need to challenge racism and Islamophobia in the LGBT community as well as homophobia in wider society. Vicki Baars, NUS LGBT Officer highlighted the experience of LGBT students and young people and the threat that fascism poses. Denis Fernando of Lesbian and Gay Coalition Against Racism spoke about the need for unity between LGBT communities and others who are threatened by the far right, highlighting the positive contribution of LGBT communities to campaigns such as Unite Against Fascism

The Students and the struggle against Racism session outlined the importance of building broad alliances against groups the BNP and EDL, and promoted university campuses as an example of multiculturalism in practice. Kanja Sesay (NUS Black Students officer) highlighted the importance of ‘no platform policy’ in students unions and registering to vote to stop the BNP. He cited the racist murders of Black students including Stephen Lawrence to show how racism impact on young Black people. NUS NEC members Aaron Kiely and Mark Bergfeld offered practical steps in combating racism including Unite against Fascism groups on campus, and spoke about the origins of fascism.
Alaa’ Samarrai, (VP Student Affairs, Federation of Islamic Societies – FOSIS) spoke of rising Islamophobia and the increased attacks on both Muslims Students as well as the need to challenge the stigmatisation of FOSIS by the government.

In Breaking down barriers: How Muslim communities are combating Islamophobia, Junaid Ahmed represented the My Neighbours Project, which successfully brought Muslim communities together with their neighbours prior to Ramadan to learn and share common experiences. Mohammed Kozbar, Manager of Finsbury Park Mosque outlined how the Mosque was targeted for a hate mail campaign against the backdrop of media hysteria and how this has been turned around by the leadership of the Mosque. Harun Rashid Khan of Redbridge Mosque spoke of the attacks by the English Defence League which led to the Imam being injured, and the importance of the police’s rapid response to this. Kevin Ovenden (One Society Many Cultures) highlighted how Islamophobia post 7th July has contributed to the general rise in racist hostility.

Afternoon Plenary:  Celebrating One Society Many Cultures

Jack Dromey MP outlined how successive waves of migration have enriched our society. The migrants who come to Britain put in more and take out less, and are not responsible for the economic crisis that has hit our country. We need to unite all communities targeted by the far right, solidarity is all the more important in tough economic times. He said the message must be: BNP, EDL – they shall not pass!

Farooq Murad, Secretary General of Muslim Council of Britain stated that we can be even richer if we celebrate our diversity. The attacks on multiculturalism have a hidden racism that underlies the idea of assimilation. This labels people extremist if they do not fall in line with so called ‘shared values’. He said multiculturalism is not about separatism, but about inclusion, not leaving people on the margins of society because of their colour, race or religion.

Weyman Bennett Joint National Secretary of Unite Against Fascism showed how the political attacks on multiculturalism are the backdrop to attacks such as that on Redbridge Mosque where the EDL physically attacked people praying inside. Therefore defending multiculturalism is an issue for us all, because describing it as a problem ends up with physical attacks on people.

Bob Lambert Co-Director, European Muslim Research Centre stressed how the EDL is an extremist organisation. He highlighted recent research exposing the racism and violence of the English Defence League and raised concerns that David Cameron has embraced a version of counter-terrorism which is counter-subversion, nothing at all about dealing with people who might plant bombs, but the notion that Muslims who are politically active should be treated as subversives.

He described visits to over one hundred mosques and Islamic organisations that have been violently attacked, ranging from fire bombing arson attacks to bricks smashing windows. He outlined that he couldn’t find a senior national politician who has gone and stood shoulder to shoulder with these victims.

He outlined the positive example of Tower Hamlets, thanks to United East End and the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, which defeated the EDL . These are brilliant successes against the EDL and in support of multiculturalism and importantly successes where Muslims that Cameron describes as extremists are key partners with everyone else in the multicultural movement.

Journalist Peter Oborne outlined the need for the campaign against Islamophobia. He said there are several issues the left got right and the right got wrong over the last generation. These included race, gender and gay issues. The left understood these issues better than the right.

He said that the majority of British newspapers cover Islam in a dog whistle type way, portraying Muslims as terrorists and not British. This is not exposed in Parliament or enough in the press, which does not report the attacks on mosques. He described the daily occurrence of Islamophobia; people on buses being spat at, insulted, attacks on mosques.

He outlined that David Cameron’s muscular liberalism does not make sense, as it is telling British people they are not fully British. He said it is wrong that  government ministers are banned from attending Islam Expo events. He also said there was a whiff of McCarthyism about the way certain Muslim speakers are not allowed to appear on some public platforms.

Hugh Lanning Deputy General Secretary of PCS outlined the need for unity, between anti-racists, trade unions with the community. He said equality must be at the heart of everything we do. Immigration and racism issues are not someone else’s problem, but are here and now. He highlighted Cameron’s attack on multiculturalism, saying he lives in a white elitist world, not the same world as the rest of us. He said it was right that the EDL were banned from the East End, as they are racists who should not be allowed to march on our streets.

Sabby Dhalu, Secretary, One Society Many Cultures said multiculturalism is a reality, that positively contributes to peoples lives. It is  the Muslim community at the sharp end of the attacks on multiculturalism. Everybody should have the right to express their faith, their culture, their identity in the way they choose to, so long as they do not infringe anyone else’s right to do the same. She warned against other countries in Europe who have banned the niqab and minarets, and are attempting to ban halal and kosher food. The main beneficiaries of this are the far right and fascist organisations.

National Convention 15 October 2011
Celebrate diversity, defend multiculturalism, oppose racism and Islamophobia

Dr. Edie Friedman, Executive Director of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality gave a powerful speech at the Celebrate Diversity Convention last weekend – we reproduce it in full below:

I had the privilege of participating recently in some of the events which marked the 75th anniversary of the battle of Cable Street, when thousands of people, some estimated over 300,000, took to the streets  to make  sure that Mosley and his followers in the British Union of Fascists would not be able to march  through the East End. This was the time when Jewish people, Irish dockworkers, Somali seamen, communists, socialists and trade unionists came together to say no to the racism and fascism which Mosley represented.
For my contribution to today’s meeting, I have written a short letter to Oswald Mosley.
…………………………………
Dear Mr. Mosley
Though I suspect you are not in a position to hear this letter, there are alas still too many people today who hold equally destructive views, so I direct this letter to you and to them. You and your ilk created divisions and left a legacy that still haunts Britain today.  But unwittingly you have also created an another legacy so that
Cable Street is:
1)    A UNIVERSAL SYMBOL OF JUSTICE- though the events in Cable Street were not part of my national heritage (I was born in Chicago 15 years   after the event, it nevertheless still represents today, and I hope for future generations, a universal symbol of social justice.

2)     It is for me also a SYMBOL OF A PROUD TRADITION OF JEWISH SOCIAL ACTIVISM – a tradition which can at times be forgotten both within my community and within the wider community.   It is a tradition we must fight to preserve, to teach about and to celebrate.

3)    SYMBOL OF COURAGE – I honestly cannot say what I would have done if I was present at Cable Street in 1936, the courage of those women and men should always serve as an inspiration to us.
Thus we must always continue to remember the importance of heroes.  There is good reason that many people today  feel  cynical and overwhelmed by the many injustices both here in Britain and elsewhere in the world – but we should never  lose sight of those heroes such as  Max  Levitas and Hetty  Bower who recently celebrated her 106 birthday, both veterans who spoke at the Cable Street rally.

4)    Cable Street also left us with a legacy of the importance of different groups working and standing together.  Although different communities can rightly take pride for their involvement in Cable Street it doesn’t of course belong just to one community but to all who fought there.  Mr Mosley, 75 years ago your hatred was directed against Jews, today your inheritors  directs theirs  towards Muslims. And today your political descendants such as the EDL work to divide Muslims and Jews .  But in spite of differences within and between communities, we must never grant a victory to those who wish to divide us.  So one legacy we must make sure  to  develop is seeing Muslims and Jews work more closely together, to deal not only with issues which affect our communities but also to work together for the greater good of Britain as a whole.
Yours  sincerely
Edie Friedman

Article by Hugh Lanning, Deputy General Secretary of PCS in this week’s Morning Star

We know things are serious when Theresa May mimics Ukip in her speech to last week’s Conservative Party Conference. The controversy about the cat was diverting, but served only to fuel myths and misconceptions around immigration and the Human Rights Act. Most worrying is how mainstream it has become to challenge multiculturalism. Everyone does it – from Ed Miliband rightwards.

The “Celebrate diversity, defence multiculturalism” conference this weekend comes at a good time to develop tactics and a strategy in advance of next year’s London and local elections. In the current economic crisis, instead of fuelling myths around immigration, the aim should be to identify solutions. It is not immigration, welfare claimants or Dale Farm that have caused this crisis. Occupying Wall Street has focussed attention on the real culprits.

Whilst they evade taxes and contribute so little, the enormous contribution made by minority ethnic communities which makes the Britain of today, despite facing racism and social exclusion, goes unrewarded and unobserved.

One of Britain’s core strengths is its diversity.  In recent years, different expressions of culture have, far from being respected, been used to identify and rebrand people as the undesirable “other”. The growth of Islamophobia is but the most recent example of a dirty and nasty tradition. What needs to be guarded against is talk of culture being a code for nationalism and underlying racism that leads to immigration and asylum policies being developed to exclude people and groups unless they fit the so called cultural norms

The trade union movement has history of fighting for equality along with anti-racist, anti-fascist organisations, most recently to defend against the current attacks on our communities by the likes of the BNP and EDL.  Even though significant gains have been made – like not one single BNP member winning a seat in Barking & Dagenham – we cannot afford to be complacent, and must be strategic in the fight against racism, fascism, homophobia and Islamaphobia. The language of exclusion is now the prevalent norm in the media and political mainstream. It is not now – if it has ever been – the property of the extremists.

PCS, in this context, sees its role to defend that anti-fascist tradition by teaming up with others in the trade union movement to voice the alternatives to the rise of the extreme right. Working in the community, with all anti-racist groups, unity should not just be a desirable objective – but a cornerstone of how we work. It is our strength – we only need to look at our opponents to see where sectarianism leads. Building alliances and coalitions is boring work, but someone has to do it – the up-coming strike on November 30 shows what can be done with a bit of coercion!

The second building block is the workplace – it is our home territory and not immune to racism. The offices our members work in reflect the communities they work for. Therefore, as part of our strategy, we are producing basic guidance on combating racism and fascists in the workplace for our members to use in instances where racist behaviour and actions are occurring. Part of this is our continuing campaign to have fascists banned from the civil service. It is our view that membership of a fascist or racist organisation is incompatible with delivering a public service which is meant to be based on the law and principles of equality.

If the workplace is not immune, neither is the union itself. Judging by my in-box – when we are supporting the “other” – be it Palestinians or travellers; we have members who agree with the views that are promoted in the media – blaming everyone but the guilty. So, in addition, we are also implementing an action plan to take forward and implement priorities identified by black members at the union’s first Race Equality Strategy Forum, which included looking at improving the way we develop and implement policies to improve race equality outcomes. Judging the union by what it does, rather than just by its noble words.

If we are to be successful, equality must be at the heart of everything we do. In the way the union organises and campaigns, always striving to ensure we are representing all of our members.  Fighting racism and fascism cannot be a passing fad that looks good on the union’s curriculum vitae. Nor can we just parachute into communities, set up camp for the immediate fight and then expect their eternal gratitude after we have gone. Our aim should be to get our representatives and members to promote equality and tackle discrimination in the workplace and, also, in the communities in which they live and work.

The special one-day conference on October 15 – “Celebrate diversity, defence multiculturalism, oppose Islamaphobia and racism”, organised by UAF and One Society Many Cultures, is an important event.  We are people from all cultures, origins, faiths, and countries.  We should celebrate our differences because they are part of who we are as a diverse community. This is what makes us strong.

By Sabby Dhalu, Unite Against Fascism Joint Secretary and One Society Many Cultures Secretary

Despite a ban on its march in Tower Hamlets, the English Defence League (EDL) is attempting to organise a static demonstration. At the time of writing it is not clear where this demonstration will be.

The EDL must not be allowed to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets.

The EDL is a fascist street fighting movement. Attempting to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets is a highly provocative move by the EDL and consistent with previous attempts to bring their violent Islamaphobia into Britain’s Muslim communities. EDL demonstrations have led to riots, with violent attacks upon police officers, Muslim, Asian and black communities,  Mosques, Sikh and Hindu temples. Its actions are aimed at inciting hatred against Muslims with placards saying “Allah is a paedophile” and chanting “Burn down a Mosque”. Members of the EDL have also been linked to Norway terrorist Anders Behring-Breivik.

However recently the EDL has also turned its violence on the labour movement, attacking a trade union book shop in Liverpool and a meeting in Barking organised by local Labour Party members with Unite Against Fascism (UAF), resulting in injuries.

We welcome the public initiative led by Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman to ban the EDL’s march. A march through the heart of the East End, a multicultural borough with the biggest concentration of Muslim communities in the country, would have been damaging for community relations.

However banning EDL marches is not sufficient in itself in opposing the EDL. The EDL still intends to hold a static demonstration.  The police say it cannot ban static demonstrations. We believe the EDL’s previous violence indicates it is a clear threat to public order, and overtly incites religious and racial hatred. This supersedes any so-called right of the EDL to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets, and on these grounds it should be prevented from having static demonstrations in multicultural areas with large Muslim populations.

Crucially, the lesson of history is that fascist organisations must be mobilised against. The EDL represent a tiny minority in society. We must alert and mobilise the vast majority of people in our society who find its violent, racist and Islamophobic behaviour abhorrent. We must unite all those in society that fascists target : Muslim, Jewish, other faiths, black, Asian, LGBT communities, trade unions, the labour movement, liberals, socialists, disabled people and all those for freedom and democracy, against fascism and racism.  This is how similar movements in the past like the National Front and Mosley’s Black shirts were defeated.

Today Muslim, Asian and black communities walk freely through the streets of Poplar and the Isle of Dogs without fear. This right was hard won and thanks to those that actively campaigned against racism and fascism before us.

We cannot be complacent in the face of racism and fascism. We must actively oppose and unite against it the moment it rears its ugly head. Failing to do so would give the EDL the green light to continue its violent hate campaign without opposition.

That is why local community organisations in Tower Hamlets formed “United East End” to oppose this threat.  Together with Unite Against Fascism, we will be hosting an event on Saturday 3^rd September in Whitechapel to celebrate our diverse communities.

This year is the 75^th anniversary of the Cable Street demonstration when Moseley’s fascists were stopped from running amock amongst the East End’s Jewish community. Today the Muslim community in the East End is facing a similar menace. It is vital that we stand together against this threat.

Saturday 15th October
supported by SERTUC
TUC Conference Centre, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

A national conference to bring together the broadest alliance to celebrate diversity, defend multiculturalism, and oppose Islamophobia and racism.

The shocking massacre in Norway in July has underlined the pressing need to bring together all those who wish to defend freedom of expression and diversity, and oppose fascism
Our hard won rights, including freedom of expression, speech, thought, conscience, religious and cultural expression and defending civil liberties, are the product of hundreds of years of struggle, creating a more civilised society in which each person is able to live their life as they wish and to the fullest expression of their talents.

These rights are under attack on many fronts, including the actions of Breivik, but also through legislation banning religious dress, the building of minarets, bans on kosher and halal butchers, inflammatory and inaccurate media scare stories suggesting that the tiny minority of Muslim residents in Europe threaten the introduction of ‘sharia’ law or ‘creeping Islamification’, and fascist attacks on places of worship, communities, meetings and cemeteries.

The response to those who sow division is that we are one society with many cultures, ideas, faiths and beliefs.  Celebrate our diversity and organise to oppose racism, fascism and hatred.
Initially confirmed speakers include:

To register now please click here
http://uaf.org.uk/2011/07/book-now-for-15-oct-conference-to-defend-multiculturalism/