Communities under siege?

Since the violent events of 9/11, there has been serious concern that anti-Islamic sentiment might fuel a rise in ethnic tension, particularly in places such as Hackney where different faith groups live in close proximity.

More recently, however, the worry has been that developments in world affairs might lead to an increase in expressions of anti-Semitism.

In December 2008 and in January of this year, the Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish organisation, reported a wave of anti-Semitic activity in the Stamford Hill area.

The incidents mostly involved graffiti sprayed on Jewish residences and public places – and this in a community that prides itself on multi-cultural harmony.

As the Council repeatedly states, Hackney is one of the most culturally diverse boroughs in Britain, and Stamford Hill is the epitome of this. But it is not until you stand on the corner of Clapton Common at the end of the school day, watching parents traverse heavy traffic, cars and buggies that the reality of the borough’s diversity hits home.

Women in hijabs pull along chirping children as Hasidic Jewish women in long pleated skirts push prams. This is the age old ritual of the school run, and the scene is like that of any British community going about its daily chores. But how much of this is the cultural utopia that the Council encourages us to believe exists?

Recent events suggest that below the surface, long-standing grievances simmer in certain quarters. On the morning of 15 January, anti-Jewish messages were found painted on bus stops and pavements around Stamford Hill. Similar graffiti was daubed on at least one synagogue in Hackney.

CST spokesperson Mark Gardner told the Citizen: “Primarily it is being done by random individuals. We’ve seen all ages: male and female, non-Muslim, Muslim, left-wing, right-wing.”

A Hackney police spokesperson said the police take all incidents of anti-Semitism and race hate very seriously. However, the graffiti found in Hackney could be particularly damaging to a community where Muslims and Jews live close together.

Rabbi Herschel Gluck, a prominent and well-regarded spokesperson for the Orthodox community, said: “Increasing tensions in the Middle East could have a negative impact upon community relations here in the UK.”

What can the Stamford Hill communities do to ameliorate the situation? This is an issue that Rabbi Gluck is eager to address. Working for a long time on peace and reconciliation on an international scale, Rabbi Gluck decided action needed to be taken in his own community.

He already had very good relations with many members of the Muslim community but felt: “It needed to be seen. Both communities needed to be aware that their leaders were meeting each other and were prepared to communicate about issues of common concern.”

The result was the Muslim Jewish Forum. This was set up in 2003 by Rabbi Gluck and Muslim leader Ismail Amaan, using the community networks developed by Mohammed Munaf Zeena, chair of the North Muslim Community Centre, and Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Sharer.

The forum meets every few months to discuss issues of concern to both Muslim and Jewish communities: housing for large families and a quick post-mortem and burial for the dead, for example. More importantly, in light of recent incidents, the forum also acts as a “safety valve.” Rabbi Gluck said: “If there is trouble between the two communities, people have somewhere to come to before feeling that they need to lash out.”

Rabbi Gluck immediately recalls an instance where the forum worked in exactly this way. “There were some young Muslim kids who were throwing old rancid food at a synagogue. The people came to me and I riased the issue with my Muslim friends who spoke to the kids, and it stopped. These incidents are not frequent, but when they happen we are both prepared to speak to our communities to make sure that the issue doesn’t escalate.”

The infrequency of these incidents cannot be emphasised enough by community leaders from the area. Councillor Ian Sharer celebrates his Cazenove ward as an area that Muslims and Jews share quite happily: “Here we like to see people going to the mosque. We support the mosque when they go for extensions, they support the synagogue when it goes for extensions. I have built up a lot of Muslim friends and a lot of Muslims vote for me.”

The forum represents two communities who live with great respect for each other, but it sometimes has a difficult job. “Both communities feel under siege,” said Gluck. “There is a general fear among the communities about Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.”

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears recently said: “We are very concerned that Israel’s military offensive in Gaza could be used by extremists to recruit vulnerable people.”

Is it of genuine concern in the Stamford Hill Muslim community that disaffected young Muslims could fall prey to extremism? Munaf Zeena said: “Extremism emerges when people feel they are not involved in the democratic process, that they are not in a position to influence any change.”

The Muslim Jewish Forum highlights similarities between the two communities, whilst also addressing some sensitive differences. During the war in Gaza, Zeena answered calls from members of the Muslim community requesting that their Jewish neighbours condemn the Israeli attacks. “We did say to Rabbi Gluck that what is happening in Gaza could have the effect of radicalising young people and that the Jewish community had a responsibility to address this.”

The meeting and the dialogue and debate that ensued are what epitomises the forum. It is a place where they can discuss sensitive issues without the fear of being labelled anti-Semitic or Islamophobic. It has become a crucial outlet for what could easily escalate into difficult tensions.