Can I add to Kate’s excellent report. I was there at the protest last night in front of the Village Islamic Centre, Daniels Road, with the objective to protect this mosque from any racist attacks.
I had seen the racist Telegram messages circulating all afternoon and it was clear that this mosque nearest the MacDonalds by Heartlands hospital was going to be a target by the racists. I decided that I would show my solidarity with the Muslim community and help protect their mosque.
Outside the mosque there were about 200 to 300 people from the South Asian community, all there to protect it. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Complete strangers in the crowd chatted to me. One offered me a bottle of water. Another man – of South Asian heritage – was informing me how his grandfather had been a member of the British army in the World War and was so proud of the medals his grandfather received; he himself had wanted to join the British army but his soon-to-be-wife stopped him.
The Imam was doing a superb job in keeping the protesters calm – he deserves credit for this - informing them that violence is not allowed in the Koran, and everyone should not react to any racist provocation. I will also give credit to Shakeel Afsar, independent candidate in the recent parliamentary elections, who was also spreading the same message to the protesters.
I left at 6.30pm, when the Imam decided to do prays out on the street. Carpets came out from the mosque, and they were spread out on the road surface; the Imam did the call to pray; and the place fell into silence as everyone did their prayers. Absolutely beautiful to watch.
It was also at this stage that it was clear the racists were not turning up.
I will add that I saw no police officers nor police cars in the immediate area of the protest. Maybe this was a wise move by the police; to stand back and only intervene if the racists appeared. I’ll leave that to others to debate.
It was only when I got home, back in Moseley, that I saw the video images of what was happening at the traffic roundabout in front the MacDonalds on the junction of Bordesley Green and Belchers Lane. Watching the video images, the atmosphere appeared more tense compared to the calm atmosphere I had witnessed outside the mosque. Maybe, they needed the calming influence of the Imam at this location from the start.
Dan, regarding your love for interconnecting cycle lanes, better not consider a move to Bromsgrove. There are major road works on the A38 at the moment which are to provide a cycle lane that goes nowhere apparently. The funding has to be used for this.
Hundreds of trees have been felled much to local disgust and protest and we have tents for protesters by a large poplar tree on Stratford Road under threat of felling that's further away from the A38 not even close to the works.
We're all really sad about the trees. Of course hundreds more will be planted but the present ones have been there for over 40 years when the A38 was put there to avoid the centre of town. They will take decades to grow again . Not against cycle lanes at all but surely they have to be used , but will they ?
Anne! I am so sorry for my tardy reply. A couple of days back and it feels like I've been here again weeks again. No rest for the wicked eh! I think Kate will be messaging you super soon about the tree issues on that road as she's started looking into this! I do here you though, the very surface level (and personal rather than my journo's hat) research i've done into 'why do roads feel so much better in germany/netherlands/belgium' is because of a compromise being reached between all parties that works, as you hinted at. Seems like vehicles, pedestrians, nature and cyclists all thought of -- and you can feel that as you move around these spaces. If only here!
The English Defence League? Come on Dispatch. Lazy reporting of the kind that led me to prefer you way ahead of BirminghamLive. Please don't give e hint of 'oxygen' to an organisation founded in 2009, declining swiftly by 2011, and, by 2024, defunct. There's an interesting story reported in 2013. Anti-extremist group Quilliam’s co-founder, Maajid Nawaz met up over 6 month's of conversation with Tommy Robinson who was persuaded by Nawaz not only to abandon the EDL but to criticise it's membership. Nawaz announced at the time, “We have been able to show that Britain stands together against extremism regardless of political views and hope to continue supporting Tommy (Robinson) in a journey to counter Islamism and neo-Nazi extremism.” Please note the pairing of Islamism and Neo-Nazism. Your reporting oversimplifies a complex, dramatic and tragic moment in the hopes for, and ideals of the multiculturism I've enjoyed and celebrated over the 45 years I and my family have lived in and participated in the rich life of Handsworth.
Hey, from what I understand the EDL no longer officially exists but it is still used by some on the far right and I have seen it used in their Telegram channels in the last few days. I could have made this clearer in the briefing. Tommy Robinson has clearly stoked the riots we are seeing today. I'm not at all convinced by the suggestion he is progressive.
Thanks Kate. That's simply a reasonable excuse which I accept in the polite way you present it. I don't see you noticing the delicate nuances contained in my comment. I think we may have to do some heavy lifting on future visions of what is meant by that most political of pronouns - 'we'. In olden times when 'we' (the centre that could not hold) broke down people could voluntary emigrate as millions did to Australia, Canada and America. Others, perhaps the thugs so loathed in our midst but who hold UK passports could have been transported to try their fortunes as convicts across the seas. Now we're all in the same boat. What's to do? Can the law and the police be left to make the peace with the millions who voted for Reform? How can we find ways to live together as I and my family have lived with my neighbours, and they with us, from Britain's imploded empire these last 45 years? We have some very hard work to do, and that includes thinking geo-politically as well as locally. Defining the current social disorder as all far right, fascist and xenophobic is like describing the Handsworth Riots (and similar events across the country) of many decades ago as the work of 'coloured criminals' as many who should have known better did, until intelligent people started thinking more carefully and shrewdly about underling causes.
Can I add to Kate’s excellent report. I was there at the protest last night in front of the Village Islamic Centre, Daniels Road, with the objective to protect this mosque from any racist attacks.
I had seen the racist Telegram messages circulating all afternoon and it was clear that this mosque nearest the MacDonalds by Heartlands hospital was going to be a target by the racists. I decided that I would show my solidarity with the Muslim community and help protect their mosque.
Outside the mosque there were about 200 to 300 people from the South Asian community, all there to protect it. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Complete strangers in the crowd chatted to me. One offered me a bottle of water. Another man – of South Asian heritage – was informing me how his grandfather had been a member of the British army in the World War and was so proud of the medals his grandfather received; he himself had wanted to join the British army but his soon-to-be-wife stopped him.
The Imam was doing a superb job in keeping the protesters calm – he deserves credit for this - informing them that violence is not allowed in the Koran, and everyone should not react to any racist provocation. I will also give credit to Shakeel Afsar, independent candidate in the recent parliamentary elections, who was also spreading the same message to the protesters.
I left at 6.30pm, when the Imam decided to do prays out on the street. Carpets came out from the mosque, and they were spread out on the road surface; the Imam did the call to pray; and the place fell into silence as everyone did their prayers. Absolutely beautiful to watch.
It was also at this stage that it was clear the racists were not turning up.
I will add that I saw no police officers nor police cars in the immediate area of the protest. Maybe this was a wise move by the police; to stand back and only intervene if the racists appeared. I’ll leave that to others to debate.
It was only when I got home, back in Moseley, that I saw the video images of what was happening at the traffic roundabout in front the MacDonalds on the junction of Bordesley Green and Belchers Lane. Watching the video images, the atmosphere appeared more tense compared to the calm atmosphere I had witnessed outside the mosque. Maybe, they needed the calming influence of the Imam at this location from the start.
Thanks Martin
Dan, regarding your love for interconnecting cycle lanes, better not consider a move to Bromsgrove. There are major road works on the A38 at the moment which are to provide a cycle lane that goes nowhere apparently. The funding has to be used for this.
Hundreds of trees have been felled much to local disgust and protest and we have tents for protesters by a large poplar tree on Stratford Road under threat of felling that's further away from the A38 not even close to the works.
We're all really sad about the trees. Of course hundreds more will be planted but the present ones have been there for over 40 years when the A38 was put there to avoid the centre of town. They will take decades to grow again . Not against cycle lanes at all but surely they have to be used , but will they ?
Anne! I am so sorry for my tardy reply. A couple of days back and it feels like I've been here again weeks again. No rest for the wicked eh! I think Kate will be messaging you super soon about the tree issues on that road as she's started looking into this! I do here you though, the very surface level (and personal rather than my journo's hat) research i've done into 'why do roads feel so much better in germany/netherlands/belgium' is because of a compromise being reached between all parties that works, as you hinted at. Seems like vehicles, pedestrians, nature and cyclists all thought of -- and you can feel that as you move around these spaces. If only here!
The English Defence League? Come on Dispatch. Lazy reporting of the kind that led me to prefer you way ahead of BirminghamLive. Please don't give e hint of 'oxygen' to an organisation founded in 2009, declining swiftly by 2011, and, by 2024, defunct. There's an interesting story reported in 2013. Anti-extremist group Quilliam’s co-founder, Maajid Nawaz met up over 6 month's of conversation with Tommy Robinson who was persuaded by Nawaz not only to abandon the EDL but to criticise it's membership. Nawaz announced at the time, “We have been able to show that Britain stands together against extremism regardless of political views and hope to continue supporting Tommy (Robinson) in a journey to counter Islamism and neo-Nazi extremism.” Please note the pairing of Islamism and Neo-Nazism. Your reporting oversimplifies a complex, dramatic and tragic moment in the hopes for, and ideals of the multiculturism I've enjoyed and celebrated over the 45 years I and my family have lived in and participated in the rich life of Handsworth.
Hey, from what I understand the EDL no longer officially exists but it is still used by some on the far right and I have seen it used in their Telegram channels in the last few days. I could have made this clearer in the briefing. Tommy Robinson has clearly stoked the riots we are seeing today. I'm not at all convinced by the suggestion he is progressive.
Thanks Kate. That's simply a reasonable excuse which I accept in the polite way you present it. I don't see you noticing the delicate nuances contained in my comment. I think we may have to do some heavy lifting on future visions of what is meant by that most political of pronouns - 'we'. In olden times when 'we' (the centre that could not hold) broke down people could voluntary emigrate as millions did to Australia, Canada and America. Others, perhaps the thugs so loathed in our midst but who hold UK passports could have been transported to try their fortunes as convicts across the seas. Now we're all in the same boat. What's to do? Can the law and the police be left to make the peace with the millions who voted for Reform? How can we find ways to live together as I and my family have lived with my neighbours, and they with us, from Britain's imploded empire these last 45 years? We have some very hard work to do, and that includes thinking geo-politically as well as locally. Defining the current social disorder as all far right, fascist and xenophobic is like describing the Handsworth Riots (and similar events across the country) of many decades ago as the work of 'coloured criminals' as many who should have known better did, until intelligent people started thinking more carefully and shrewdly about underling causes.