Birmingham faith leaders have come together to condemn racism and call for peace ahead of a rally led by far-right movement Britain First this weekend.
Unity Statement
Leaders of the Church of England, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu and other faith groups in the city say they 'reject any attempt to reverse Birmingham's diversity.' Their joint statement aims to solidify opposition to the far right ahead of a planned rally by Britain First in the city on Saturday.
The statement reads: “Birmingham has long been a city that welcomes and is enriched by people from different countries, cultures and faiths. This continues today.”
“As leaders of faith communities across our city, we celebrate Birmingham’s diversity and reject any attempt to reverse it. Our communities are better, richer and stronger when we include and serve all who live here, wherever they may come from. As faith leaders we will continue to work together for the peace and flourishing of all in our city, regardless of their race, faith or background.”
Signatories
The signatories to the open letter include:
- Right Revd Dr Michael Volland, Bishop of Birmingham, Church of England
- Right Revd Esther Prior, Bishop of Aston, Church of England
- Imam Mohammad Asad, Lead Imam, Birmingham Central Mosque
- Rabbi Lisa Barrett, Senior Rabbi, Birmingham Progressive Synagogue
- Rabbi Yossi Jacobs, Chief Minister, Birmingham Hebrew Congregation
- Archbishop Bernard Longley, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham
- Venerable Dr Ottara Nyana, Spiritual leader, Birmingham Buddhist Vihara and the Dhamma Talaka Peace Pagoda
- Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, Chair, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha
- Patricia Whitney, Chair, Birmingham Faith Leaders Group
- Amrick Singh Ubi, Director of Civic Engagement, Nishkam Group
- Naima Ali, Director, Uplift Adult and Youth CIC
- Jill Appleton, National Director, The Feast Youth Project
- Shaykh Paul Salahuddin Armstrong, Managing Director, The Association of British Muslims
- Dr Iqtidar Karamat Cheema, Director, Institute for Leadership and Community Development
- Revd Steve Faber, Synod Moderator, The United Reformed Church
- Revd Novette Headley, Co-Chair, West Midlands Methodist District
- Ruth Jacobs, Chair, Jewish Representative Council for Birmingham and the West Midlands
- Sheikh Nuru Mohammed, Resident Imam, KSIMC of Birmingham
- Tervinder Singh Nazran, Representative of Shri Dasmesh Sikh Temple
- Hakk Özal, West Midlands Regional Director, Dialogue Society
- Dr Shaykh IMAM Abdul Pirzada, Director, Al-Shaafi Pirzada Foundation UK
- Imam Qiyam, Head Imam, Adam Mosque & Dawah Academy Birmingham
- Dr Peter Rookes, Chair, Birmingham More in Common Group
- Jas Singh Sharma, President, Hindu Council of Central England
- Hafiz Adeel Tassawar, Chair, Masjid Ali Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaat
- Kuldip Singh Ubhi, National President, Namdhari Sikhs UK
- Acharya Dharm Dutt Vasistha, Head Priest, Shree Geeta Bhawan
Background
The move follows a similar call to reject far-right ideology and division by a collective of anti-racism organisations and groups in the city pulled together in unity by Birmingham Stand Up To Racism.
Britain First, the political group set up by former members of the BNP and led by Paul Golding, claimed it would attract 'thousands' to their rally on Saturday under the banner 'March for Remigration'. It is seeking to capitalise on anger over the recent high-profile killing of Henry Nowak and the Belfast knife attack to drive home its message against migrants and to call for mass deportations.
But unions and anti-racist organisations in the city say they intend to show their views are not welcome in Birmingham, a super-diverse city with a proud history as a city of sanctuary. The event, coordinated by Birmingham Stand Up To Racism, coincides with World Refugee Day.
Anti-Racist Coalition
A broad coalition of groups intends to ensure anyone attending the Britain First rally is met with 'resistance'. “Across Britain, an anti-migrant and anti-Muslim movement is becoming more visible and more violent...but the values of solidarity, tolerance and unity that have made Birmingham one of Britain's most diverse and resilient cities are worth defending,” the coalition said.
“Our city is proudly diverse, built by working class people, black, white, brown, local people and migrants from all over the world. The real causes of hardship - low pay, crumbling public services, unaffordable housing, high energy bills - come from a broken system. The far right does not speak for this city. Fascists are not welcome here.”
The anti-racist coalition united by Birmingham Stand Up To Racism also includes Birmingham Trades Union Congress, Birmingham Friends of the Earth, West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Birmingham Unison, Birmingham NEU, Birmingham Race Impact Group, Brummies United Against Racism and Hate Crime, and Birmingham Green Party.
Counter-Protest Planning
Community representatives have met West Midlands Police to confirm the counter-protest will take place in Victoria Square, while the Britain First march will begin in another part of the city centre and follow a pre-arranged route. Such rallies are permitted under freedom of peaceful assembly rules enshrined in the Human Rights Act 1998, which ensures citizens can gather and express views, even if those views are widely considered offensive or racist, provided the gathering remains peaceful.
