Deeply Anxious Luton visited by the Bishop of St Albans
The Bishop of St Albans with members of the Luton Council of Faiths
The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith, has described the mood in Luton ahead of the English Defence League demonstration on 5th February as “deeply anxious”.
Speaking after a series of meetings on February 1st with local faith leaders from Christian denominations and Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and the Jewish faith, he said:
“Only a week ago Luton celebrated the positive aspects of the town in a peaceful day of carnival called ‘Luton in Harmony’. It was attended by many church and other faith leaders. It is tragic that the positive images promoted by that day, which many Lutonians regard as well-founded, could be tarnished by a demonstration which highlights differences and which has the potential to create divisions between people.
“Some of the people I met are deeply anxious. Yet at the same time others spoke of their determination not to allow a small number of people to destroy the excellent community relations that have been building in recent years. Indeed, some community leaders have pointed out that the threat of the demonstration has brought people of different faiths and races even closer together. They are encouraging their own communities to remain calm and not to engage. It is sad that communities which are committed to living peacefully and contributing positively, emphasising similarities not differences, are living in fear of Saturday.
“I am told that some local businesses are being forced to close for the day and police are being drafted in from far and wide. The cost of allowing such an event weighs heavily on the whole community in Luton.
“The contrast between last weekend’s Luton in Harmony and what we fear will result next weekend could not be greater. Peace requires a real commitment to relationship and dialogue - not the politics of the demonstration and counter-demonstration.”
The meetings follow the participation of the Bishop of Bedford and other senior church figures in Luton in the successful celebration of Luton in Harmony’s first birthday on Saturday 29th January. Luton in Harmony is a civic celebration of all that is positive in Luton.
The Bishop and the other faith leaders look ahead to an event of an altogether different character next weekend when the demonstration due to take place on February 5th is believed by Bishop Alan and many community leaders to carry a substantial risk of causing division and disruption to good inter-communal relations.
Bishop Alan supports the efforts of the community in Luton, through initiatives such as Luton in Harmony, to demonstrate the real co-operation that exists between the people of Luton and to build on it. His visit was intended to demonstrate the same co-operation, especially to the other faith leaders in the community who may feel unsettled by the demonstration.
Bishop Alan does not believe that the demonstration in Luton will contribute positively to harmony in Luton in the short or long term.
Ends
