Peace in Luton

Sign the Commitment

You can now sign an online commitment to "Work Together for Peace and Unity in Luton".

Online petition - Working Together for Peace and Unity in Luton

and join the Facebook page:  Working Together for Peace and Unity in Luton

Download the LCoM and CTL statement .

What the parties said

Two weeks ago we wrote to all candidates / party slates in the contest of seats in the Eastern England region for the European Parliament.

We enclosed the statement (Working Together for Peace and Unity in Luton )and added the following words:

As candidates in the Eastern Region election to seats in the European Parliament, we would draw your attention to the challenge in this statement, and urge you most strongly to express your commitment to the peace and welfare of the community in Luton and all its people of every faith and none, and to opposing all prejudice, hatred, racism or religious intolerance. We would invite you to allow our website, PeaceinLuton to carry your responses to this challenge.

The full list of candidates is here.  Seven people will be elected.

These are the responses we have had:

Animals Count -- 1. Jasmijn De Boo / 2. Alexander Leslie Bourke / 3. Richard James Deboo-- no response.  Nothing of significance in manifesto.

British National Party (BNP) 1. Eddy Butler  2. Emma Louise Colgate   3.    Stephen McCole   4. David Alexander Fleming   5.  David Maurice Lucas   6.    Mark Fuller   7.    Seamus Padraic Dunne    --- No response.

Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship" 1. Jeremy John Tyrrell   2. Kim Christofi    3. John Arthur Jackson 4. Grace Ovba Oghenegare 5. Albert Usikaro 6. Douglas William Suckling 7. Sally Craig  -- Automated response only - of no relevance!

Conservative Party 1. Geoffrey Charles Van Orden 2. Robert William Sturdy 3. Victoria Grace Ford 4. John Christopher Flack 5. Jonathan Morgan 6. Claire Patricia Annette Strong 7. Clare Robina Whelan --

Vicky Ford:  I congratulate you on working together for peace, understanding and unity in Luton. I would like to thank the many members of the public from different walks of life and backgrounds for their warm welcome when I have been to visit.

English Democrats Party 1. Robin Charles William Tilbrook 2. Charles Jeremy Vickers 3. John Robert Cooper 4. Raymond Brown 5. Adrian Ralph Key 6. Nicholas Peter Capp No reply

Jury Team 1. Andrew Timothy Armes  2. Ian Tyes   3. Stephen John Garton   4. Jules Sherrington   5. Andrew Stephen John Parker  6. Michael Edward Yates  7. Patrick James Harris

Ian Tyes: "I am happy to lend my support to your joint faith workings to oppose extremism in Luton."

Jules Sherrington .  "Thank you So much for having the 'faith' to address us with your Peaceful Movement, and I concur with the sentiments you express in your communication. Being a Christian, albeit somewhat infrequently at Church, I am by definition, committed to the cause of peace and understanding across the 'faith boundaries."

Liberal Democrats 1. Andrew Nicholas Duff 2. Linda Anne Jack 3. Ian James Mack 4. Peter James Welch 5. Earnshaw Desmond Bami Joko Palmer   6. Andrew Mark Houseley   7. Qurban Hussain

Linda Jack:  "There has never been a more important time for Christians and Muslims to unite against the threat from those whose mantra is hate and division. I am delighted to offer my full support to this campaign."

Andrew Housely:   "Peace and harmony to all in Luton. Banish hate."

Note: Linda Jack lives in Luton, so does Qurban Huasain. She is a Christian;  and he a Muslim. She spoke to me again today to express her strong support of our initiative.

No2EU: Yes To Democracy 1. Brian Percival Denny 2. Frank James Jepson 3. Stephen William Glennon 4. Philip Katz 5. Eleanor Mary Donne 6. Peter John Relph 7. Ronald Rodwell   No reply

Pro Democracy: Libertas.eu   1. Richard Peter Elvin 2. Margaret Lucille Jeanne Parker 3. Peter Chaplin 4. James Arthur Graham Daniels 5. William Gordon Stuart Winter strong> No reply

Socialist Labour Party 1. David Paul Roberts 2. Paul Amos Liversuch 3. Shaun Alan Kirkpatrick 4. Michael Clifford 5. Thea Ruth Roberts   No reply

The Green Party 1. Sue Mallender 2. Richard Mallender 3. Ashley John Baxter 4. Matt Follett 5. Barney Smith

A party statement sent in reply read: Whether based on creed, colour, religion, sexuality or ethnic background, my Party abhors all kinds of discrimination. Instead of discriminating against the things that divide us, it’s time we all celebrate the things that unite us and learn from each other the sense of diversity we all project on to the world today.

The Labour Party 1. Glenis Willmott 2. Roy Francis Kennedy 3. Kathryn Marie Salt 4. John David Morgan 5. Catherine Anne Marisa Taylor   No reply

United Kingdom First 1. Ian Francis Gillman 2. Christopher Duncan Elliot 3. Nadine Platt 4. David Noakes 5. Mariann French    No reply

United Kingdom Independence Party 1. Derek Roland Clark 2. Christopher Pain 3. Stephen Allison 4. Deva Indeera Asanga Kumarasiri 5. Irenea Marriott  No reply

Comment on the events surrounding the march of 24th May

We have today issued a press statement on the events in Luton yesterday:   Download Statement on may 24th march.  The text is as follows:

We are deeply saddened at the events surrounding the march that took place in Luton yesterday, 24th May 2009. The actions of the large numbers of mainly young people who broke away from the march and created havoc in the streets of the town, damaging cars and property and assaulting a small number of people, are not in the interests of any group within Luton.

The stated purpose of the march as it was originally presented to Luton Borough Council by the organisers to honour British troops who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially after the shameful protests during the Homecoming Parade through Luton of the 2nd Royal Anglian Regiment on 10th March. We have condemned those protests then by a small number of extremists and do so again.

However it was evident in recent weeks that many sought to use yesterday’s march to promote religious hatred and cause division in our community. In the event, the large number of those who demonstrated broke away from the march before it began, and after a short moment of silence at the Town Hall War Memorial ran riot for the next hour. We totally condemn what took place and the damage and fear that resulted from this. Extremist behaviour, whatever its name, has no place in our town nor in our country.

We remain committed as churches and mosques, along with all other faith groups in Luton, to learning to be good neighbours and Working Together for Peace and Unity in Luton for the benefit of all - irrespective of one's faith or ethnicity.

The March This Sunday

An update for prayer on the planned march this Sunday.

(This was a message sent out by Peter Adams to churches on morning of Friday 222nd May. However it serves as an update for all. For those who pray, please pray.)

The short version.
There will be a march this weekend – Sunday at 5pm, to protest against the extreme Muslim demonstrators who disrupted the army march two months ago. The march is not official but will be allowed, as long as it is lawful.

Please pray for the police & Luton Borough Council as they make decisions at this time and seek to keep peace in the town. Pray for the march not to become violent and for it to be contained, and for those demonstrating. Please pray for the safety of the Muslim community. Pray for the Carnival for it to be celebration of diversity in this town, and for it to go peacefully on Monday. And for the peace of the town.

For more information, please read on:
As you will probably be aware from me or others we have been expecting a large demonstration to oppose the extreme Muslim demonstration against the Royal Anglian Parade back on 10th March. As you are also probably aware, that will now take place on this Sunday, 24th May, at 5pm.

The march is being organised by March for England, who have held a number of marches in support of British troops in recent months. They have got behind some local people, who are now calling themselves the “United People of Luton”, who have been attempting to do something since March 10th. The event gathers in Manor Park (off Park Street) on Sunday and at 5pm marches to the Town Hall to have a short ceremony at the War Memorial there, and to deliver a petition to the council and police asking to ban the extremists from the town centre.

I have been waiting to write until I could be as accurate as possible in what I tell you. The organisers were in discussion with the council and police, and specifically the Safety Advisory Group, and were given a go-ahead subject to meeting all the safety requirements. However they withdrew from cooperation about ten days ago when they didn’t feel the council were responding quickly enough. They said they would continue with the march; the council said no permission had been given, and nobody knew what would happen. That is all reflected on the web and the press. Yesterday, Thursday, the council clarified that while the march was not official, they recognised that people would be gathering and would allow free speech and a peaceful demonstration as long as people remained within the law. They wrote:

We are however bound by the legal system and fundamentally we have a responsibility to ensure freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate peacefully. We have set out our process in Lutonline last month and we made it clear we do not tolerate breaking of the law. I am sure you are aware that following both recent unauthorised demonstrations that arrests have subsequently been made.

In this spirit and within this framework we were in dialogue with the organisers of the proposed march on May 24th. I am sure you are now aware that there is no official march on Sunday as the organisers broke off negotiations with the Safety Advisory Group. Our intelligence tells however that people will still assemble and this will be managed by the Police. In basic terms they will be allowed to process and if they have a petition it will be accepted by the safety officer for delivery to the Town Hall. At all times they will be made to comply with Police instructions.

So the march will go ahead, and we need to pray. Having been talking with most of the groups involved through this time, and watching the others on the web, can I suggest we pray for:

1. The council. They have been under enormous pressure, and while it might have been done differently earlier on it is easy to speak with benefit of hindsight, and they are now clearly seeking to make the best of a very difficult situation. They are in an election season and that adds to their work (they administer the election) and also changes the way things take place.
2. The police. There will be many around on Sunday. Pray for their safety, their wisdom, and their calm and peace when under provocation.
3. The March / Demonstration. While the stated purpose of the march is understandable and good, there are clearly some who will come with other intentions. A number of facebook groups, chat rooms and websites have been alive with very ugly language in these past weeks, and it is fair to say that while the organisers have said they are committed to certain goals and guidelines for the march, they have in the recent past been identified with much more extreme positions, and remain closely linked with many who have said they will come to make known those views. The stated focus is to call for action against extremist Muslims; however the language often identifies all Muslims in this category and is also full of racial hatred.
4. The demonstrators. Lets pray for them. They have some legitimate concerns and many will be seeking to state those fairly and legally. Pray for them not to be drawn into the hatred and violence that is also going to be there. And please pray for the many whose language and actions are full of hatred, for restraint and for change of heart.
5. The Muslim community. Pray for their safety this weekend and in coming weeks, and their restraint when being provoked. Pray for those who are seeking to keep good communications going with them.
6. For the Peace of Luton. Please pray for the different communities in our town, to draw together and not to separate. Please pray for the Peace In Luton process that I am working on with Fiaz Hussain of the Council of Mosques to develop, and which we launched last Wednesday, that we might learn how to be good neighbours.
7. The Carnival. Pray for the Carnival for it to be celebration of diversity in this town, and for it to go peacefully on Monday. 

Finally the council and police have asked for “any one who has influence on any of these groups to discourage unlawful protest and counter-protests at this time as it will escalate the risk of conflict in the town.”

I would suggest it be really good to both pray for peace this Sunday, and to call people to peace.

Working Together for Peace and Unity in Luton

At a meeting hosted by Churches Together in Luton (CTL) and Luton Council of Mosques (LCoM) on Wednesday 13th May 2009, Muslim and Christian leaders in Luton called for peace and good neighbourly relations in the face of the activities of those who would challenge the peace of our town.

We signed the following statement as a commitment to be good neighbours, and as an invitation to others to join us. We are asking our representatives in national and local government to join us or to support us in that commitment, as well as all candidates running in the June 4th elections for the Eastern England seats in the European Parliament. We call on the media to acknowledge and respect that commitment, and to work with us to report on the efforts to build peace and unity in Luton.

In making this statement we recognise the differences there are between our faiths, but we choose to build on those things which unite us. Most importantly, the call to love God and love our neighbours is central to each of our Holy Scriptures. Together with others working for good interfaith relations in the town, we will do all we can to support the building up of common ground between us. We are aware of all the challenges we face, separately and together, especially in the time of economic hardship. We seek to respond to those challenges in friendship and cooperation rather than through prejudice, hatred, racism and religious intolerance.

We are now calling on others in Luton and beyond to join us or support us making this same commitment.

In recent weeks Luton has again been seen in the media as a place of Islamic extremism and rising nationalist extremism. Yet the reality is that these are small extremist groups, and do not represent the majority of the community.

As Muslims and Christians in Luton we are committed to grow in understanding of each other and to work together for good. In doing so we are inspired and challenged by words that lie at the heart of each of our Holy Scriptures, where we are commanded to love God and love our neighbour. As neighbours in this town, we need to discover the things that unite us, and celebrate those. Where we are different we are committed to seek understanding and trust, rather than resorting to hatred and strife. Let us respect each other, be fair, just and kind to one another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill.

In this time of tension we are calling for people of all communities and every area of life in Luton, and especially those elected to local and national governments, and all candidates in the upcoming European elections to join us and support us in this task.

Working Together for Peace and Unity

Luton Council of Mosques

Churches Together in Luton

Working Together for Peace and Unity

In recent weeks Luton has again been seen in the media as a place of Islamic extremism and rising nationalist extremism. Yet the reality is that these are small extremist groups, and do not represent the majority of the community.

As Muslims and Christians in Luton we are committed to grow in understanding of each other and to work together for good. In doing so we are inspired and challenged by words that lie at the heart of each of our Holy Scriptures, where we are commanded to love God and love our neighbour. As neighbours in this town, we need to discover the things that unite us, and celebrate those. Where we are different we are committed to seek understanding and trust, rather than resorting to hatred and strife. Let us respect each other, be fair, just and kind to one another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill.

In this time of tension we are calling for people of all communities and every area of life in Luton, and especially those elected to local and national governments, and all candidates in the upcoming European elections to join us and support us in this task.

Come back soon to sign the commitment

Arson attack and response

There is a lot of news to catch up on in relation to the tensions between a smallish group of extreme Muslims and a larger group (but a majority) of English Nationalists / fascists / BNP supporters.

(1) The big news of the week is of the arson attack on the Islamic Centre in Bury park Road. My own blog ReconciliationTalk has links from pretty much all the national and regional media on it:

Sick: Mosque set on fire in Luton  has links to most of the stories that appeared on teh attack. Not a lot of different news, but more tahn anything I think it helps us get a feel for the sort of thing people are reading.

Leaders of all faiths in Luton condemn Mosque fire has the Luton Council of Faiths press release.

Today the Iman of the Centre called for restraint and peace:  Luton: Imam appeals for racial harmony  with a link to the BBC Lookeast recording of the Iman's message: Imam appeals for racial harmony  and a transcript of most of his message. We can give thanks for this message and pray for those who heard it, for grace to come on them.

(The reason I have not normally taken you to that blog is I am usually freer to express my own thoughts there; here I am trying to be as down the line as possible.)

(2) We will announce separately a meeting next week for Christian and Muslims to express commitment to working together. Please pray as we organise this.

(3) It seems the police and council have finally given the go-ahead to a demonstration later in the month against those who disrupted the origianl army march. More news when we have more. For now lets be in prayer.

(4) The European election campaign kicks off in earnest this next few days. It is likely that there will be attempts to use the stories of recent months against Luton. In Luton we only vote for the East England seat in the European Parmiament, but in Dunstable and South Beds there are  likely to be BNP members a scandidates. Pray.

That will do for now. Have another look here soon.

I finish with a link to an article in the anti-Fascist magazine Searchlight   Fascists fail in bid to hijack Luton rally  on events in Luton in recent weeks, especially the Easter Moday illegal demonstration.

Easter Monday demonstration and update

I was leading a group from the Treehouse  (Beds University Luton campus Chaplaincy) on the Easter Pilgrimage to St Albans and so missed the events in the town centre.  The details of what happened are coming clearer now from a few news articles and  some blog and twitter pieces.

The local Luton & Dunstable Express carried this on the web, and today on their second page: Illegal protest passed peacefully.  'Illegal' protest goes ahead in town centre  was on the Luton Today website and in an extended version in Luton News. BBC Three Counties website does not appear to have carried anything, though it may have been reported on the day..

The only national coverage seems to be in The Star -  on Tuesday it had this story: COPS HALT 'RECLAIM OUR STREETS' DEMO and today (Wednesday) this: IT'S OK FOR MUSLIMS TO ABUSE OUR TROOPS. 

On the "independent" and "unedited" internet sources:
There are short YouTube video here and here that are from Monday. 

Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East, and who was born in Luton, commented here.  She picked up on a Twitter stream of text and pictures from the Luton band UK Decay who seem to have been there.  UK Decay's pictures are here, here, here and here and a little commentary with each.

Kerry McCarthy made some perceptive comment based on growing up here in Luton:

Depressing - this sort of thing used to happen when UKDK played the Luton carnival 25, maybe 30 years ago, with NF skins trying to provoke trouble. More as I hear it.

No reason to believe it wasn't real, but looks like it was kept under control without any real trouble. The next flashpoint could be the Luton carnival, on the second bank holiday in May. There always used to be trouble then, but now it's the biggest one-day carnival in Europe, and people come from far and wide - the BNP would be insane to try anything there, but if they're after publicity I wouldn't put it past them.

There is also chatter on the right wing blogs, chatrooms, and social networking groups, especially those who were seeking to organise a march on St George's Day. (I do not provide links to those on principle.) Some seem to have been there, but they are preferring to stay on the legal side just at present. (More below.)

So in summary, there were approximately 150 people present, who sought to move along George Street from Market Hill to the Town Hall and they appear to ended up being penned in near Bute Street. There were plenty of police, mounted police and police dogs. The protest appears to have lasted at most a couple of hours and the Arndale was closed for some time. 6 people were held in custody during the day (some or all apparently away from the main demo) but none arrested. The police describe it as a peaceful protest. That is not the description on the blogs.   

On the longer term picture, the group planning the march on St George's Day were refused permission for the parade last week by the town councils "safety advisory group", it seems on the grounds that they had not submitted adequate information regarding marshalling etc. Following that decision the group convenor Paul Ray announced on his blog that they would regretfully respect that decision and seek permission for a march on D Day, June 6th. It seems to be supported by a wider group called March for England.  We cannot be sure that nothing will happen on St George's Day, but it should be less that was expected.

The more that is coming out from Monday, the more troubled I am. It hasn't yet been as ugly as it might have been, and it hasn't spread. We can be very grateful there has not been a counter-demo from the Muslim group. I could feel a little like my celebrated namesake Peter who cried "wolf" when there was no wolf, but believe we can be very grateful to God that nothing major has happened to date. I am not sure we can take it for granted that will continue to be the case. St George's Day on Thursday 23rd April and the 6th June are obvious dates to be praying for, but so too (following the reminder of Kerry McCarthy above) are the grand gala opening of the Carnival Arts Centre on 3rd May and the Carnival itself on Monday 25th May. (While the main focus of the BNP and the groups demonstrating is against Extremist Islam, and they always seem to preface their words with "we are not racist", the fact is that the BNP's policy is just that.)

I posted this earlier before the Luton news came out. This troubles me:

From Luton News (15 April 2009)

 

The relevant piece that is of concern is this:

Luton's divisional commander, Chief Supt Andy Frost, said: "Unfortunately the people who organised the protest did not contact the police or the ouncil and had not made any provision for the safety and well-being of those attending the event, or the members of the public going about their everyday activities in the town.

"We were prepared to deal with a lawful protest or march.

"However, the organisers of the protest would not negotiate with the authorities or follow legislation."

Mr Birch said he intended to organise more marches in the future, saying: "We're going to do it every month until they listen. They just want everything to go away.

"We want to know who made the decision to let the extremists protest during the soldiers' parade. Whoever it was should lose their job.

"But if we ask the police again they'll say we won't be allowed to do it. We're not allowed to demonstrate in a country where you’ve got freedom of speech. Its double standards."

There is a lot of work to do among all our communities, especially those on the margins who feel unheard, disempowered, and angry. 

Archbishop of York: 'Be proud to be English.'

The Archbishop of York has just done what so many of us have been looking for. As a senior church leader, he's has spoken of what it means to be English, in an open, embracing forward looking way, and has nailed the arguments of the BNP.  Ruth Gledhill in her Times Articles of Faith blog has some comment and the full text,

Archbishop of York: 'Be proud to be English.'.

and the Archbishops own site also has it here.

He goes right to the heart of the issues we face.

'Let us recognise collectively the enormous treasure that sits in our cultural and spiritual vaults. Let’s draw upon the riches of our heritage and find a sense of purpose for those who are thrashing around for meaning and settling for second best.  Let us not forego our appreciation of an English identity for fear of upset or offence to those who claim such an identity has no place a multi-cultural society. Englishness is not diminished by newcomers who each bring with them a new strand to England’s fabric, rather Englishness is emboldened to grown anew. The truth is that an all embracing England, confident and hopeful in its own identity, is something to celebrate. Let us acknowledge and enjoy what we are.'

'Where there is no awareness of identity, there is a vacuum to be filled. Dissatisfaction with one’s heritage creates an opening for extremist ideologies. Whether it be the terror of salafi-jihadism or the insidious institutional racism of the British National Party, there are those who stand ready to fill the vacuum with a sanitised identity and twisted vision   if the silent majority are reticent in holding back from forging a new identity.   When hateful and vile slogans are shouted at returning soldiers as they march through our towns, Joe and Jane public should gather in large numbers to demonstrate peaceably that such bigotry has no place in England’s green and pleasant land. To be patriotic, is to appreciate and be grateful for all that is valuable in the country you live in.  It does not require you to be a xenophobe or a blinkered nationalist.'

There is a lot of comment in the media already.  Ruth Gledhill asks: "My only puzzlement rests in the question of why it still takes a bishop born in Uganda to tell us what we should not need telling, but do."  But is it not the case that it is always harder to speak of one's self (especially with our own national characteristics he has told us we have!) than to be told by someone else. The Archbishop is African, yet has lived here for many years and regularly walks in the very heartlands of Englishness. Yet he is also very self aware, and so able to speak from all sides.

BNP puts Jesus on its poster

The poster in question is on the extension of this page: click at the bottom of this post.

The Church Times carries the news here:  BNP puts Jesus on its poster

Ekklesia carried the story early on: BNP to launch advertising campaign featuring Jesus Christ where  Jonathan Bartley wrote:

Challenges to the peace of Luton

Originally sent as an email to Luton Church Leaders, 3rd April 2009.

-----

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

As you will be very aware, three weeks ago our town came into the national spotlight when the Homecoming Parade of the Royal Anglian Regiment was met by a small extremist Muslim demonstration. This in turn provoked anger in the crowd and soon led to what became effectively a counter-demonstration. The resulting standoff between the two groups continued long after the parade had finished.  The posters of the Muslim group understandably caused great offense, and provoked a national outcry. Their actions were denounced by the very large majority of Muslims here in Luton, and especially the Luton Council of Mosques.

While the media paid attention to the crowd’s anger, very little comment was made on the fact that a few extreme right-wing nationalist chat rooms had been encouraging people to be there. The activity of these few whipped up and focused the understandable emotion of the crowd in the classic style of the far right.  It was immediately clear that there was a lot of potential anger to be exploited, both here in Luton and around the nation.  Since then the far right internet chat rooms have been buzzing, and it looked likely that there would be a demonstration this past Saturday. In the event those promoting it called it off, and the heavy police presence prevented those who did show up in the town centre from assembling.  Dimensions of the discussions on events in Luton have included showing more support for British troops, opposition to the freedom given to the extreme Muslims to demonstrate, a wider opposition to the “Islamification  of Britain”,  and ultimately the full-on racism of the British National Party and their nationalist fellow-travellers. Two dates are now emerging as probably days for demonstrations or marches here in Luton -  Easter Monday (13^th April) and St George’s Day (Thursday 23^rd April).

What has been happening comes into focus around the upcoming European Elections on 3^rd June. BNP support is apparently rising around the nation, and with social conditions ripe for a far right party to gain electoral success, they are hopeful of a seat or two in Brussels. They are running with a platform focussed on “British jobs for British workers”  and opposition to the Islamification of Britain. They have been able to tap in to intense Islamophobia following the Muslim demo at the march, and a report on it is still top of the BNP website. National and local government are perceived to have caused the economic woes, continually given ground to Islam, and denied our Christian heritage as a nation. While many believe there to be degrees of truth in this, they are now using it to portray themselves as the rightful guardians of our nations Christian heritage. And this week their advertising (billboards, flyers, etc) has included a quote from John 15:20 "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you" and asked "What would Jesus do?"  The answer – Vote BNP.     

I imagine like me you are horrified that our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ can even be linked with such hateful political views.  I also imagine that you will look with great concern on the impact of such a campaign focussed on our town. 

An aside for those who do not know me. I was recently nominated by Churches Together in Luton to be the Christian representative on Luton’s Council of Faiths, and I was hoping to write and introduce myself under more favourable circumstances.  I have met a good number of church leaders in the town, but I also know many of you do not know me. I joined the team at St Mary’s in the town centre two years ago to work in Intercultural & Interfaith Relations and peacemaking, from a background of working in the same field. Since that time I have been active across the different faith communities of the town, doing what I love which is building bridges of friendship and understanding between divided communities. It has been a  great joy to work with many other faith leaders in Luton Council of Faiths (LCOF) during that time, and to become very active in so many areas of the town’s life and in so many communities.  Now, as the Christian rep on LCOF, I especially want to be available to any of the churches in the town in any way I can to bring what I know of intercultural and interfaith relations, intercultural conflict resolution, peacemaking and reconciliation.

Back to the immediate situation. LCOF, Luton Borough Council, the police and others are very actively seeking to keep an eye on things, and suggest what can be done. The Muslim community are very aware of the situation and are very concerned for the safety of their own community, the peace of the town and that their community are not drawn into a response. I would like to be able to assure them of the concern for their safety from Luton’s Christian community,  and our deep regret that the name of Christ is being associated with such hatred. Please do the same if you have relationships with particular mosques. In the event of problems I hope they will be able to find that the Christian community stand with them, united against all hatred. Indeed, as we approach Easter, I am reminded of one of the great themes of redemption, that what was intended for evil was turned to become a means of good.  May this current evil intent be turned to good as we stand together.        

I know there will be many in our midst with concerns at the Islamic agenda in our nation; others who will be fearful; and indeed many angry at what happened three weeks ago as well as in recent years.  I have some things in mind and would appreciate your thoughts as to what we can do together to build more understanding and friendships between Christians and Muslims once we put this season behind us.

I am working with LCOF and others to see if there are initiatives we can take around St George’s  Day to ensure that the cross of St George and indeed Englishness itself is not solely to be associated with aggressive and exclusive nationalism.  Many of us find it hard for various reasons to engage positively with St George as our patron saint, but I believe to do so now will be to give further ground to those who seek to claim these things for their own. Again if you have any thoughts please let me know. 

We would especially ask you, your church members and your congregations for prayer for the peace of Luton during the next few weeks.  At the present time I have nothing else to announce. To make it easy to get the word out, I have started an on-line blog on which I will put the latest information for prayer and action. I will post this letter as soon as it is sent, and then tidy it up. You can access it at  http://reconciliation.typepad.com/peace_in_luton/ .

In the Peace of Christ,

Peter Adams