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Spreading Unity and Understanding in the Wake of Tragedy
Baktash Noori, a 24-year-old YouTuber, Blogger & Software Engineer from Manchester, captured the world’s attention with his viral video titled “I’m Muslim & I trust you. Do you trust me enough for a hug?”. In the wake of the Manchester Arena bombings, Bako’s heartfelt message resonated deeply with many.
Living just five minutes away from the M.E.N. Arena, Bako vividly recalls the aftermath of the tragic incident. “When the incident happened, I remember going on social media and letting everyone know to stay away from that area of the city centre. I posted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, just like the majority of other people,” he says.
Amidst the turmoil, with Muslims unfairly bearing the brunt of blame and facing backlash, Bako felt compelled to take action. “It was a Muslim who carried out the attack, Muslims were blamed, mosques were vandalised, and there was a lot of tension. All of this was happening in my own city, Manchester…I wanted to do something about it,” he explains.
The video, showing Bako blindfolded on a bustling shopping street, holding a sign that reads “I’m Muslim & I trust you. Do you trust me enough for a hug?”, captures the essence of his message. Despite initial hesitation, Bako embarked on this social experiment to foster understanding and combat prejudice. Reflecting on the experience, he shares, “The first couple seconds before I got the first hug were the longest couple seconds of my life. Once the first hug came in, I felt like a lot of weight came off my shoulders.”
While Islamophobia persists, perpetuated by sensationalist headlines and negative media portrayals, Bako and others like him are leveraging social media to challenge misconceptions and promote unity. “Social media and YouTube are platforms that can be used to influence others based on who you are and what message you are trying to get across,” Bako affirms.
Through his video and online presence, Bako aims to offer a positive narrative about Islam and encourage solidarity among people of diverse backgrounds. He asserts, “The purpose of this video is to remind & unite all people of Manchester…we are all Mancunians and we are no different from another, we are all humans.”
In a media landscape often skewed towards negativity, stories like Bako’s serve as beacons of hope, spreading messages of tolerance and understanding. As Bako continues to receive both positive and negative feedback, his commitment to fostering dialogue and bridging divides remains unwavering.
Manchester’s Battle Against Hate
“One third of Manchester’s population have experienced a hate crime according to ‘the preventing hateful extremism and promoting social cohesion report’ which was ordered after the Manchester Arena attacks by mayor Andy Burnham.
Greater Manchester Police saw a 130% rise in hate crime and a 500% rise in Islamophobic-related hate crime in the weeks following the attacks which resulted in the deaths of 22 people. The figures from the report showed that 65% of people taking part said they have experienced ‘hateful behaviour’, and 33% said they had experienced hate crime based on their ethnicity.
The numerous terror attacks during 2017 are the main contributors to the 94,098 incidents that were recorded by the police throughout England and Wales between 2017 and 2018. Between April 2017 and March 2018, there were 2368 religiously motivated hate crimes reported to Greater Manchester police, less than half of which have been solved.
A research team at Cardiff University are also working on assessing the impact of national events on levels of hate crime and speech, one big event being looked at is Brexit.
Professor Matthew Williams says on a Cardiff university article, ‘Brexit has drawn sharp divisions in society, and the seemingly impossible promises made by leave backing MPs have created a great sense of disillusionment in millions of citizens. In 2019, Britain is likely to be in its most severe crisis in peacetime, and whatever the outcome, be it a second referendum, a soft-Brexit or a no-Brexit, there is concern that events will motivate more hate crime.’
There seems to be a definite need for more work to be done to tackle hate crime in the country. As Greater Manchester is a large metropolitan county with people of various beliefs and ethnicities in all its boroughs, it will certainly be under the spotlight.
Manchester Cathedral over the centuries has been a witness to many wars, revolutions, movements, and today is at the forefront of battling hate crime in Manchester.
Its relatively modern appearance due to work carried out in the nineteenth century can give many people the impression that the building isn’t too old, but in fact, it has been an integral part and at the heart of Manchester for almost 600 years.
The grand Grade I listed building these days plays many roles in the city other than the obvious religious duties. According to their website they aim to ‘celebrate diversity, engage in justice, peace and action in collaboration with other agencies and also celebrate human flourishing through music and the arts’.
In September of last year, the cathedral itself was subject to an attack treated by the police as a hate crime and religiously motivated. CCTV captured a group of hooded people writing offensive graffiti on the cathedral’s walls a day before the inaugural Festival of Thanks for the emergency services.
The cathedral is part of a forum named ‘Challenging Hate Forum’. ‘The aims of the Challenging Hate Forum are to celebrate and preserve diversity in Greater Manchester, promote community cohesion and to educate themselves and others by raising awareness of hate crime and how to report it’ says Alison Rowland, PA to the Dean of Manchester. ‘The Forum is comprised of representatives and individuals from a variety of faith and community groups like Faith Network 4 Manchester, Jewish Representative Council, Muslim Jewish Forum, Europia, Better Things etc. alongside statutory agencies like GMP, Manchester City Council, CPS and Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service’ says Alison.
She also added ‘The Challenging Hate Forum has contributed to the formation of the Hate Crime Strategy for Greater Manchester and to the revised strategy in 2016-19. The Dean of Manchester, who convenes the Forum, was elected to represent the Forum members on the Manchester Leaders’ Forum. We are currently participating in the consultations for the next Hate Crime Strategy for Greater Manchester, which is due to launch later this year’.
Manchester Cathedral as well as working with different faith groups and organisations through the forum are also a third-party reporting centre for hate crime. This allows victims to report hate crimes and incidents to specialist agencies, in confidence if required.
Alison spoke about the recent public event held at the Cathedral to raise awareness of hate crime and promote the work being done by different groups and individuals ‘The CHF held a public event entitled ‘Bringing Communities Together with Hobbies’ in support of Hate Crime Awareness Week at Manchester Cathedral on Monday 4 February 2019’. The event included a presentation by artist Stephen Raw on his work titled Ibrahim/Abraham/Avram which portrays the name of Abraham in three languages.
The event hosted by Councillor Nigel Murphy and Chief Inspector Umer Khan included organisations such as ‘Ahmadiyya Women’s Group, Chrysalis Family Centre, the CPS, Faith Network for Manchester, Muslim Engagement & Development, Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester providing visitors with information and advice’ says Alison.”
Exploring Hate Crime in Universities: Challenges and Initiatives in Tackling Rising Incidents
A university is an institution where students study for degrees and where academic research is conducted. It is expected to be a liberal and tolerant place where people from all over the world can work in peace and without fear of abuse or hate.
Data from freedom of information requests by The Independent revealed that the number of racist incidents in universities throughout the country has surged by more than 60% in two years. There are also concerns that the overall number of hate crimes could be much higher as students and staff are failing to report incidents.
Various incidents of racism and hate crimes within university halls and campuses have been published on social media. In June 2018, students from the University of Exeter who allegedly made racist comments in private messages were expelled when screenshots of the messages were shared on Facebook.
“76% of students said they would report hate crime if they had an online or anonymous way of doing so” at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Louise Jones, a Strategic Projects Manager for Student Services at MMU, who managed the institution’s project entitled ‘Tackling hate crime and online harassment’ from August 2017 to January 2019, said, “On campus, we have two hate crime reporting centres: The Union MMU Advice Centre and Birley Student Living reception. If students require immediate assistance, we recommend they call security.”
Even with reporting and advice centres, there is still a lack of people coming forward. “We haven’t had any reports through the reporting centres, but when we hold student awareness events, we hear that students have experienced hate crimes and incidents.”
The Universities UK Taskforce in 2016 examined violence against women, harassment, and hate crime. The report encouraged the Higher Education Funding Council for England to invest £2.45 million to address sexual harassment on campus, £1.8 million to tackle hate crime and online harassment, and a further £480,000 to tackle religion-based hate crime and harassment on campus.
The projects funded by the HEFCE in various universities, including the University of Manchester, aimed to include students to raise awareness, generate ideas on digital innovation, and develop new approaches to prevention and reporting.
In 2018, with the funding, specially trained teams of students started a project with the University of Huddersfield to help tackle hate crime on campuses throughout the country. The aim of this was to remove the obstacles that may inhibit people from reporting incidents.
Developing an online reporting tool was suggested by the project as a solution to encourage people to be more open about their experiences with hate crime on campus.
“This is one of the main motivations for us implementing an online reporting system to make reporting and signposting of student incidents easier and more consistent. The online reporting system will also allow staff and students to seek support or talk to an advisor,” said Louise.
The system, which is still under development, will allow anyone who is part of MMU to report issues from bullying and harassment to domestic violence. Individuals can report their own experiences or something they have seen or heard. The hope is that the university, along with the police, will have a better understanding to tackle the issue.
Currently, the university does not have information on whether any incidents involving staff and students from MMU have resulted in police investigations or convictions. Louise added, “It is the individual’s decision if they would like to report to the police, and in many cases of disclosures, it will be confidential.” “If students would like support from the police, we advise that they report online at report-it.org.uk”.
While there isn’t much direct work being done by the university along with the police due to the lack of information, MMU is working on various internal projects and campaigns to inform more people. “We are aiming to increase awareness in staff and students of what hate crime is, how to report, and the support available through initiatives such as the arts festival in 2018 and events during Hate Crime Awareness week.”
There are also services within the university and through outside organizations where students can find support. “We encourage students to use the Counselling, Health and Wellbeing Service or students’ union advice centre if they would like emotional support.”
“There are also several external services that we would refer to if the student wanted more options such as: Citizens Advice provides useful information on the different types of harassment and hate crime people may experience including disability hate crime, racist and religious hate crime, sexual harassment, and sexual orientation and transgender identity hate crime. The Manchester LGBT Foundation has a number of groups covering a wide section of the LGBT community which meet at the Community Resource Centre on Richmond Street in Manchester. They provide a safe and comfortable environment for people who may feel isolated, are coming out, or are new to the area”.
The Struggle and Resilience of Manchester’s Jewish Community
Prestwich is an area steeped in a medley of ancient Jewish traditions, culture, and religion, situated at the heart of Manchester’s substantial Jewish community, which stands as the fastest-growing in Europe. The community boasts over 200 years of history, with its members originally hailing from various parts of Europe in pursuit of trade and a safer life.
On a cloudy November afternoon, at first glance, the only distinguishing feature of this area from any other is the significant number of individuals donning long black attire, with men sporting the distinctive kippa or large furry hats known as shtreimel. Also noticeable is the steady stream of rabbis and young yeshiva students. The shops and butchers here may only differ in one aspect – perhaps the inclusion of the word “kosher” on their signs. Otherwise, it resembles any other neighbourhood, with mothers picking up their children from school, people going about their shopping, and cars idling in traffic. However, despite its peaceful appearance, this modern-day shtetl, as some might describe it, has been the focal point of a troubling number of hate crimes in recent years.
Binyomin Gilbert, programme manager at Campaign Against Antisemitism, voices the community’s concerns: “The Jewish community feels unsettled; antisemitism weighs on people’s minds… Rising incidents, the Labour Party’s antisemitism issue, and failures to prosecute antisemitic crimes have all led to concerns regarding the future of British Jews.”
The previous year witnessed several antisemitic incidents, including 30 headstones being pushed and destroyed in the Urmston Jewish cemetery, two kosher restaurants in Bury being attacked with petrol bombs just days apart, and persistent racist and abusive graffiti appearing throughout the borough.
The government watchdog, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, found police responses to many hate crimes throughout England and Wales to be “inadequate.” This raises questions about why police fail to respond to and visit victims of hate crimes in some instances. Is it due to a shortage of police officers and budget cuts to policing forces throughout the UK?
In October 2018, The Guardian reported that “Policing has been left at a tipping point by government cuts” and was “on the verge of failing the public and struggling to detect crime.” These accusations stem from statements made by a senior police chief on the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) blog.
Failures by authorities have prompted Jewish communities and other organisations, such as universities, to establish their own initiatives to fill the void and safeguard their communities. In modern-day Britain, why are vulnerable communities left to address such issues on their own?
Rabbi Danny Berguson, who has led the congregation at St Anne’s for the past six months and previously worked for seven years at Pinner Synagogue in London, is now also available to support Manchester’s 85,000 university students. He explains, “My role is to support Jewish students in living as proud Jews on campus. It is crucial to communicate to universities the specific needs of religious students. So far, the universities have been accommodating. Working with multi-faith chaplaincy teams is very helpful, as our voice carries more weight when we collaborate. University campuses can become hostile to Jews during times of tension in the Middle East.”
“Opportunistic antisemites have a tendency to exploit politics and international news as excuses for targeting Jewish people. We have observed spikes in antisemitism during times of Middle Eastern conflict; however, it is the antisemites who use decisions and conflicts occurring thousands of miles away as excuses for attacking Jews,” says Binyomin.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity established by the Jewish community to record and monitor antisemitism, states in its annual report that 2017 saw 261 antisemitic incidents in Greater Manchester, the highest number since records began in the 1980s, marking a 27% increase compared to the previous year.
“CST shares statistics with the police. There are ongoing concerns about security and safety at Jewish events, with synagogues and large Jewish venues requiring security, which costs both the community and the taxpayer,” says Rabbi Danny Bergson.
“Every year since 2014 has seen a record-breaking number of antisemitic crimes. However, the Crown Prosecution Service has emboldened antisemites by failing to prosecute antisemitic hate crimes. Their failure is a betrayal of British Jews,” says Binyomin.
The Jewish community feels uncertain about the future and its place in British society, with many even considering emigrating. Binyomin says, “Jews live behind strong security on a daily basis. Life goes on as normal, but with high fences, bulletproof vests, and security guards around synagogues and schools. Every Jewish child grows up accustomed to airport-style security outside Jewish buildings.”
If authorities are failing them, what can ordinary people do to address these issues?
“Interfaith work is a key way to build trust and tackle hate between faiths. This is already being done to a large extent and very effectively; however, much more is needed to combat the grassroots antisemitism felt by other faith groups towards Jews,” says Binyomin.
Rabbi Danny adds, “I work with other faith leaders on campus, which is always a positive step in promoting better understanding and good relationships. The Jewish Representative Council and the Board of Deputies also do a lot of work.”
JAMEEL MIAH 
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