Tag: Racism

Lega nel Mondo in Liverpool

February 26, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Matteo Salvini was the Deputy Prime Minister in Italy until the end of last year. He has been held responsible for a lot of the far right anti-immigration hate in Italy and has also been reported as saying he wanted a “mass-cleansing” of the country. Shortly after becoming Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister,  Salvini announced his intention to conduct a compulsory census of Italians in order to identify and deport Roma people from the country.

On 12th February the Italian senate formally authorised a criminal case against Salvini,  This is due to Salvini allegedly depriving 131  asylum-seekers, who were on board the Gregoretti coastguard ship, of their liberty, by not allowing them to disembark.  He will now be tried for kidnapping.

Unfortunately Salvini’s right-wing views have had support both in Italy and in other areas of the world. In 2018 Salvini ‘s party, The League, formed a global network of supporters. Some of The League’s supporters are in the UK and have organised a dinner at a restaurant in Liverpool for 28th March 2020, which has caused outrage amongst residents of Liverpool. The advert implies that Salvini will be present. However, since it was first published, Salvini has denied this,  saying that he will not be present, and that: “What is happening there is not a rally, but a dinner among supporters of the League in Liverpool – they are going to eat fish and chips.”

The Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotheram, said “division and hate” was not welcome in Liverpool and “the only audience he’ll find here is one that won’t be shy in telling him what they think of fascists like him.”

Liverpool has a strong history of opposing far-right visits to the city and standing up for what is right. They have had a 30-year boycott refusing to sell The Sun newspaper after the Hillsborough disaster.  We expect this event will not be ignored and that, if it does go ahead, there will most likely be protests and rallies.

 

 

Multilingualism is here to stay!

February 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

We wrote our own blog post about an increase in hate crime incidents in Sheffield since Brexit, and the importance of supporting our international friends and students. Now, the Big Issue have also reported that EU members have been subjected to hate crime in Brighton & Hove and London amongst other places.

The crimes appear to be happening after members of the public hear people speaking in other languages apart from English. There is a lack of acceptance of different cultures by some individuals, and this is making people feel unsafe. The UK is a vast multicultural country where hundreds of different languages and dialects are spoken. We need to be proud of our multicultural community and celebrate the diversity that enhances our every day lives rather than persecute those who are different. Just because Brexit has happened does not mean other languages should disappear in the UK. The ability to speak more than one language is increasingly important nowadays and the people who live here who can do that should be appreciated more.

Perhaps the British public should learn from, as the Big Issue recall, the story of protesters in Warsaw. “After a man on a number 22 tram in Warsaw punched a university professor for speaking German to a visiting German colleague, protesters rode number 22 trams in Kraków speaking foreign languages and reading aloud from books in German and Russian.”

The coronavirus isn’t an excuse for hate crime

February 2, 2020 / / 0 Comments

The news of the Coronavirus has been causing panic and worry across the world. The virus started in China in a city called Wuhan and has sadly caused deaths in the city amongst the most vulnerable members of the population. People are worried about the spread of the virus and the country is taking precautions to keep everyone safe. One of the ways they are doing this is through encouraging people to wear surgical face masks.

Chinese people have been wearing face masks for decades as a way of protecting themselves from pollution and viruses. If someone is ill they also wear a mask to protect other people from catching it and spreading the illness further. This is sensible and respectful to humanity as a whole. In Sheffield there are around 10,000 Chinese nationals and many of them are students at Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Sheffield.

It was reported last week in Sheffield, by The Sheffield Star, that a Chinese student had been a target of hate crime as a result of wearing a mask. The post-graduate student from Sheffield University was walking up West Street alone in broad daylight when she was verbally abused and pushed by three people. The student was wearing a protective mask at the time following advice from Chinese media to keep her and everyone else safe. The student has decided not to prosecute but is hoping the incident can educate others.

The coronavirus is worrying but, just because it started in China, that does not mean that Asian people across the world should become targets of abuse and hate crimes. Remember a surgical face mask is protecting other people, as well as the person wearing it.

Brexit

February 2, 2020 / / 0 Comments

On 31st January the UK left the European Union. The UK is still in Europe and still abides by the UK Equality Act 2010, but it seems some individuals are finding this hard to understand. As members of the human race we should respect each other and celebrate our different backgrounds and cultures. Diversity makes our lives more exciting and enhances our experiences. However there seems to be an increase in people taking the opportunity of Brexit to give them free rein to preach hate and racial abuse. 

We need to be aware of these crimes and to call people out who do this. We need to defend our international friends. In the past few weeks there have been some worrying incidents of hate crime in pubs and bars in Sheffield as a result of Brexit, which have affected students at Sheffield Hallam. 

One Hallam student, who is originally from Spain, was talking to her mother in Spanish on the phone in a local bar, and was told by a bystander that she should only speak English. No one stepped in to support her, but thankfully she managed to defend herself. However she should not have had to. 

A different Hallam student from Bulgaria was also in a pub drinking with friends from different countries. A man in the pub thought it was appropriate to say racist comments to the group. This was frowned upon by the bar staff but unfortunately they did not evict the individual.

Sheffield is a city of sanctuary with a history of welcoming new arrivals and being multicultural. This sort of behaviour is not what we expect to see or should accept. Sheffield has two universities with many international students and has won awards for the safest UK city, and this needs to continue. Everyone should feel safe and welcome in the UK. Brexit was not an excuse for right-wing propaganda to take hold in our culture. If you hear friends making comments or see someone being abused, please step in, take them away from the situation, show them that Sheffield still has caring people that welcome them.

Tackling Racism

January 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Recently in the news is Uni of Sheffield’s attempt at tackling racism on campus and in Halls. They plan on hiring students to be “race equality champions”. This seems like a potentially good idea, however their execution of it is lacking.

Their plan is to tackle so called “microaggressions”, which they so happen to give a list of examples. Are microaggressions really the type of racism that needs addressing? Is there not something more pressing? A report from last autumn stated incidents of name-calling, physical attacks and racist material on their campus, shouldn’t this be dealt with first? The idea is to open communication surrounding racism, not to control free speech. This response to the idea that universities can be oblivious to hate is a step forward but is it focusing on the right issues, especially when microaggressions are mostly unintentional.

It’s not like Hallam hasn’t had problems, so should Hallam take the same initiative and have our own “champions”? Is there another way Hallam could tackle racism? Should students be paid to tackle racism or should it be something any decent person should tackle for free?

Take a stand against Antisemitism

January 1, 2020 / / 0 Comments

We must unite together!

During December antisemitic graffiti and violence was reported in both America and the UK. On the evening of Saturday 28th December 2019 antisemitic graffiti was sprayed on shop windows and a synagogue wall in the Hampstead area of north London. The graffiti depicted the red cross of David as well as 9/11.

Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn tweeted her disgust and disbelief at the attacks.

Camden councillor Oliver Cooper tweeted a picture of “9.11” on the wall of the South Hampstead synagogue  “This is a place of peace and prayer, desecrated by the world’s oldest hatred,” he said.

Sir Keir Starmer Labour MP for Holborn said the graffiti was disgusting and that we should stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism.

Councillor Georgia Gould (Leader of Camden Council), Keir Starmer (MP for Holborn and St Pancras) and Tulip Siddiq (MP for Hampstead and Kilburn) have released the following joint statement (which can be read in full here).

“As the Leader of Camden and MPs for Hampstead and Kilburn, and Holborn and St Pancras, we are horrified at the anti-Semitic graffiti that has been drawn on buildings around Hampstead and Belsize Park, including South Hampstead Synagogue. Camden is and always will be no place for hate. We stand together with all of our Jewish residents and our whole community in saying these cowardly pedlars of hate do not represent Camden and our values. We are proud to have a strong, vibrant Jewish community as part of our beautiful borough.

This is not an isolated incident and we must all confront the rising tide of hate crime and antisemitism in the UK. Now is the moment to find the courage to confront hatred and prejudice wherever we see it.”

Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn sent his “love and solidarity to Jewish communities around the world”

Eminent historian Simon Schama, whose books include The Story of the Jews, commented: “Taken together with the stabbings in New York something truly monstrous is rising from the slime.”

Rabbi Sacks, a faith leader, philosopher and author echoes the thoughts that action needs to be taken now:

Since the attacks have happened the graffiti has been removed and the Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into racially motivated hate crime.

What can you do?

It is important that we all stand together against antisemitism and all forms of hate crime and racism. You can join the protests on UN anti-racism day on Saturday 21st March. There is a March Against Racism being held in London from 12:00 – 16:00. More details are available by clicking here.

If you witness any anti-Semitic hate crime such as violence, abuse, or vandalism – please contact the police on 101 and the @CST_UK on  0800 0323263.

Hate Crimes v Politics

December 20, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Every general election the topics of Hate Crimes, discrimination and racism appear; this year Hate Incidents have appeared within the political parties themselves. Both leading parties seem to have issues revolving around Hate and Discrimination.

How can Hate Crime be reduced when the leaders of the country have issues with discrimination in their own parties? Has this given permission for people to be more racist? Hate crime has more than doubled since 2013 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/oct/15/hate-crimes-double-england-wales)

One party has members that claims Muslims have a ‘nasty culture’ and always play the ‘race card’ (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/09/tory-candidate-linden-kemkaran-shared-tweet-claiming-muslims-play-race-card). This way of thinking and blatant discrimination is embodied by their leader too. There are many instances of the leader stating their opinion on Islam and Muslims; going as far as stating that Islam is the problem and that women in niqabs look like letterboxes and bank robbers.(https://inews.co.uk/opinion/general-election-results-2019-boris-johnson-conservative-majority-muslim-woman-1340462).This leader’s remarks and actions have been seen to ‘encourage’ racism within football as the UEFA president remarked (https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/03/football/boris-johnson-ceferin-racism-football-spt-intl/index.html)

Another party appears to have issues within itself when it comes to Anti-Semitism; Anti-Semitism being the specific name to hatred towards people of the Jewish faith. There has been sworn statements from party members about the anti-Semitic abuse they suffer within the party; including being called Zio scum, child killer and being told Hitler was right. (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/05/seventy-labour-staffers-give-statements-to-antisemitism-inquiry). There have been around 673 reports made within 10 months on this (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-43893791).

The issues within the parties has not been unnoticed by the public, especially when some members of the leading party have shown their contempt for Muslims. It is no wonder that the rate of Hate Crimes, especially on Muslim and Jewish victims, has increased the past 5 years since the Muslim hating party has been in power. The statistics show that there has been a significant increase in both Jewish and Muslim hate crimes. 47% of religious Hate Crime were against Muslims while Jewish Hate Crimes were doubled to 18%. Hate crimes have increased in all aspects, doubling in five years. (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/oct/15/hate-crimes-double-england-wales)

Islamophobic incidents were reportedly risen by 375% after the ‘letterbox’ remark (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/boris-johnson-muslim-women-letterboxes-burqa-islamphobia-rise-a9088476.html ).With the Jewish community being a target four times a day within 2017 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/01/antisemitic-incidents-in-uk-at-all-time-high ).

The increase in Hate Crimes has been reported in many areas. Just recently antisemitic incident happened in London (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/antisemitic-hate-crimes-london-bus-attack-jewish-man-stamford-hill-a9246301.html). Also there was a hate incident in Sheffield supposedly due to the fact of the election outcome, (https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/hate-crime-culprits-sheffield-suburb-emboldened-boris-johnson-1341719).  If this is how people are treated in public it is no wonder there is an issue with university students and Hate crime and Harassment.

By Ryan Minion, Serish Khan and Zalmea Naseem.

 

CST Anti-Semitic Discourse Report for 2017

December 4, 2018 / / 0 Comments

The Community Security Trust released their annual report on anti-Semitic discourse on 30th November 2018.  This report looks at antisemitic ideas and language, and the coverage of antisemitism in general,  in mainstream media, politics and public debate.  The CST also provide an annual report of antisemitic incidents.  For more information and the full report, visit the CST website.

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