Celebrate Diversity Convention unites communities to oppose racism, fascism and Islamophobia
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.