Faithful response to far-right violence
This weekend we have seen harrowing scenes on our streets. It is important to call this what it is: racist and Islamophobic. Thankfully there is little evidence of the violence spreading to Scotland as of yet, but we must be careful not to be complacent. Even if we see no unrest north of the border, fear and anxiety is already being felt by people in our communities and especially those asylum seekers living in hotels.
As faith communities is now more important that ever that we act has havens of sanctuary and champions of welcome. With that in mind here are some key things to consider over the coming few days:
Staying Safe
The first and most important thing we can do is keep ourselves and our friends safe. Check in on people, as if they are ok, offer to accompany people to appointments they are feeling afraid. Hope Not Hate have produced a very helpful resource (attached above) on how to keep safe during these times. If you run groups with asylum seekers I would encourage you to have a think about a risk assessment, on the off chance that a group is targeted. The risks are small so there is no reason for alarm or panic, but we show each other love in this difficult time by keeping one another safe.
Understanding what is going on
When it comes to information I would recommend Hope not Hate as the source of some of the most accurate and insightful information, found here https://hopenothate.org.uk/blog/ This is an ever changing situation but some things we can say for sure are:
- This violence is targeted and come from years of anti-refugee and anti-migrant hostility
- These riots have been fuelled by misinformation and conspiracy theories, many centring around asylum seekers
- It has not been organised by one central organisation like the ‘EDL’ but by decentralised networks of online agitators
Beyond that remember always to check multiple sources and beware of innocently spreading misinformation about possible rallies or flashpoints.
Speaking up for our values 🧡
If you can I would encourage you to use your voice to speak up, not simply against the violence, but for the values we cherish: hospitality, welcome and integration. Our friends in the asylum system are hearing a barrage of hate and hostility, so it’s now more important than ever to remind people that we care and that the rioters do not speak for us, that we value them. Here are some helpful resources to start:
- “Start having courageous conversations about refugee rights” by City of Sanctuary https://cityofsanctuary.org/2024/04/17/start-having-courageous-conversations-about-refugee-rights/
- A guide to effective messaging from IMIX (media organisation) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a1xP-C2dgEWvOBWTeafhttlWeEHiTXmF4k9xXPD1PHM/edit
- Remember to use the orange heart 🧡 logo as a symbol of your support https://togetherwithrefugees.org.uk/get-involved/show-support/
These times are scary for all of us, most of all for New Scots in our communities. But we remember that love is stronger than fear and that together our communities are strong. Stay in touch and if there is anything we can help with please let me know.
