Community event shares message of 'peace, love and harmony' following riots

Ahead of speeches and prayers at the community event at Jamia Masjid Abu Bakr Mosque in Eastwood, children held up placards declaring 'Unity in the community', 'Diversity is strength' and 'United against racism'.

A panel of speakers was invited including Sarah Champion MP, Insp John Crapper, who leads the Rotherham central neighbourhood team at South Yorkshire Police and Revd Canon Phil Batchford, the Vicar of Rotherham Minster.

The event at the Mosque on Russell Street was arranged following riots across England and in Belfast targeting Muslims, people of colour and asylum seekers – the latter group being residents at the Holiday Inn at Manvers which had many windows smashed and an attempt made to set the building alight.

Police, who have since made a number of arrests leading to court appearances, said the rioters were believed to have “held far-right and anti-immigration views”.

Welcoming guests and the panel to the community event Imam Abdul Mateen said: “I'm very happy to see this turnout.

“It gives us a very happy feeling and uplifts us and makes us more confident that people are behind us.

“We are united here today as a true example of community.”

Mosque chairman Sabir Hussain praised the work of the Prime Minster and Home Secretary as well as local police officers in their “proactive” response to the riots.

He also referenced the reaction across the country to expected further disorder last Wednesday night (August 7) when thousands of anti-fascist protestors took to the streets and out-numbered the far-right.

He said: “We have been protected widely across the country.

“On Wednesday people came out in their masses to stand with us.

“We are one community and we will work together to make sure all forms of extremism are defeated.

“When humanity comes together it makes a difference.

“Hopefully we can rise from here with a message of peace, love and harmony.”

MP – ‘Diversity is our strength not weakness’

MP Sarah Champion said: “I've been working for three or four years now on anti-atrocity and preventing crimes against humanity.

“It started when I went to Bosnia and you could feel the tension on the street.

“Relatives of people were rounded up because they were Muslim and it was done by neighbours and family friends.

“I was really, really shocked that could be a reality.

“You hear about this level of violence but the question is how it happens.”

She identified “an increase in domestic violence, an increase in hate crime, the media using inflammatory language and policies from government which make people more and more isolated and vulnerable.”

And she described the events of Sunday, August 4 as “the potential escalation that leads to neighbour attacking neighbour and thinking they have got the state's backing.”

Ms Champion warned against the “fantasy” of social media platforms which were currently being trusted over the news.

“Algorithms and AI (artificial intelligence) are manipulated by people who want to divide our communities – usually because they have a financial vested interest in doing so.

“What I saw at the weekend was racists and fascists trying to divide us.

“What we have since seen is our communities rising up and saying 'no, you're not representing us and we will not have this in our country.'

“That makes me proud to be British – that we have care and love for our communities and recognise that diversity is our strength and not a weakness.”

Police – ‘Rioters’ actions don’t represent majority’

Insp John Crapper, Rotherham central neighbourhood team at SYP, said: “The scenes we saw at Manvers and elsewhere in no way represent the majority of people in the UK.

“I'm a practising Christian and have enjoyed many respectful conversations with Muslims and long may that continue.”

Addressing the claim of 'two-tier policing' – the impression some demonstrations are dealt with more harshly than others – Insp Crapper said: “The protests we've seen regarding Gaza (the Israel-Gaza war), sometimes they've been raucous, but, whatever your view on the situation, we've seen legitimate protests.

“These (the rioters) were people who have gone clearly out of their way to commit violence.

“Saying one group is being treated differently to another really does not bear any analysis.”

He added police had been patrolling outside every Mosque in Rotherham.

“There is no specific intelligence we are expecting anything to happen at the moment,” he said.

“But we are there to speak to and reassure people.”

Vicar – ‘We are one community’

Revd. Canon Paul Batchford, Vicar of Rotherham Minster, told the event of his shock the riots could happen “in our land and in our town in the 21st century.

“Yet I am absolutely convinced the events we saw do not represent the heart of our community.

“We opened the doors of the Minster on Wednesday evening in peace, hope and mutual respect and 120 people of all faiths and no faith came.

“We may have religious and cultural differences but we are one community.”

Council – ‘No room for racism’

Eastwood Cllr Haroon Rashid said: “There is no room for racism in our town.

“The far right are not welcome here or anywhere else in the country.

“I joined the good people of Rotherham in Manvers the next day to clear the damage left behind by rioters and to protect places of worship.

“Hundreds of volunteers came together to show solidarity and send a clear message of how we stand united.

“The police, emergency services and local authority carried out an excellent job under difficult circumstances.”