Category: Newspaper Articles

By Robin de Peyer The minister for faith and communities joined mothers from the Marion Richardson school in Stepney who are taking part in a Church Urban Fund project at the Departure Arts Café in Commercial Road, Limehouse on Monday. The project is the 400th to be awarded the ‘Near Neighbours Grant’. Tory life peer Baroness Warsi said: “Reaching the 400th grant is a real milestone and it shows that, by using faith networks’ existing infrastructure, we can make a real impact in communities. “It was fantastic to hear first-hand how these small grants are making such a big difference to the lives of local people and I’m sure they will have a lasting effect on everyone involved.” The Church Urban Fund project aims to bring together a group of mothers from backgrounds ranging from Bengali to Russian.

By BARONESS WARSI, Minister for Faith YESTERDAY Pope Francis truly established himself as a Pope of the People. I was lucky enough to witness his inauguration up close — close enough to smell the incense. And as a Muslim I was extremely moved.

By Baroness Warsi There is a collective assumption in the west that on this side of the globe we lead the way when it comes to female representation in politics. Britain achieved universal suffrage in the 1920s, elected the first female prime minister in the 1970s, and since then women have taken their rightful place at the heart of public life. Yet countries across the world are showing us up. From south Asia to Latin America, they’re boasting an increasing number of female politicians in top roles – in spite of the inequalities faced in their societies. Take Bangladesh, which I visited last month. It’s a young democracy, yet has several women in senior political roles. The prime minister, the foreign minister and the leader of the opposition are all women. In Pakistan, the foreign minister and the speaker of the national assembly are women. And in India, the head of the governing party, the leader of the opposition and the chief minister of Delhi – who I met on my visit to India – are all women. This trend isn’t just confined to south Asia: Somalia’s foreign minister is a woman, Thailand is ruled by its first female prime minister and both South Korea and Brazil have female presidents. What makes this all the more powerful is that women are achieving these positions, in many cases, in spite of deeply entrenched inequalities. In the Gulf states, for example, women’s employment and decision-making opportunities are said to be the lowest in the world. Yet in 2009, Saudi Arabia appointed its first female minister – a small step but an important signal to send out to the country. In many cases, it’s the inequalities that are driving women to take a stand. Like Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old girl who was shot by the Pakistani Taliban last year for campaigning for girls’ right to an education. Malala, who I’m delighted to hear was recently nominated for a Nobel peace prize, is an inspiration: rising up in defiance of militant misogyny and showing leadership, even when her life is in the gravest danger, and touching thousands across the globe. One thing I have found is that when women do make it to the top, they’re increasingly taking on the heftiest roles. For example, Pakistan’s foreign minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, is leading the country’s key negotiations on peace with Afghanistan and trade with India. And the governor of the central bank of Malaysia, Zeti Akhtar Aziz, is spearheading the economic success of the south-east Asian country. Of course, many of these countries have a long way to go in delivering women’s rights. But that does not mean we should not applaud the continuing representation of women in politics. And we should also applaud the efforts to promote women’s rights – for example in the countries, from Afghanistan to Zambia, that mark International Women’s Day as an official holiday. There is a habit of assuming the west has a monopoly on equality and progress. And yet across the world we are seeing women rise to the top when the odds are stacked against them. In Britain, gender equality is much stronger, yet just 22.5% of parliamentarians elected in 2010 were female – far behind, for example, Rwanda – where over 56% of representatives are women. It is still tough for female politicians in the UK. The low representation of female MPs in our parliament puts us at a ranking of just 57th in the world. It’s hardly what you would expect from a country that elected the first female prime minister more than 30 years ago. So we can’t rest on our laurels. On International Women’s Day, I want our would-be women leaders to be as inspired by the female politicians in Thailand, India and Brazil as they are by people such as Margaret Thatcher, Harriet Harman and Justine Greening, and to think “if they can do it, so can I”.

By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor Baroness Warsi will defend the right of Christians, Muslims, Jews and others to publicly practise their faith insisting that “people who do God do good”. Her comments come in a speech in London marking the first anniversary of a landmark visit to the Vatican by a delegation of ministers in which she claimed that British society is under threat from the rising tide of “militant secularisation”. It comes as new research lays bare the scale of Britain’s growing dependence on religious groups to meet social needs in the midst of recession. Churches alone are providing almost 100 million hours of unpaid volunteer work on social projects a year, up by more than a third in two years, while donations for such work are up by a fifth, it found. Lady Warsi, a practising Muslim, will tell a meeting in the Houses of Parliament that faith groups can “reach areas of need that Government cannot”. Her comments echo a call last month by the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, for churches to step in and do things which the state has “run out of the capacity to do”. He said the financial crisis could signal the “greatest moment of opportunity since the Second World War” for churches to grow. Lady Warsi, who combines a ministerial role in the Foreign Office with being Britain’s first minister for faith, will say that she went to meet Pope Benedict last year “to tell the world that Britain does do God”. She will say: “There is one big reason why I made the case for faith that day … and why, I have made freedom of religion and belief a priority, and that’s that people who do God do good. “In other words, very often faith is the basis for good deeds. It influences, it inspires, it impels at every turn.” In a reference to the recent European Court of Human Rights cases involving attempts to ban workers from wearing crosses, she will add: “We may see the manifestation of faith as a crucifix around a neck, or a spire on a skyline – which of course it is. “But too often we overlook the practical manifestation of faith: the mother and toddlers groups, the school assemblies, the fundraiser days, the 98 million hours churchgoers spend volunteering each year. “For me, that’s the most powerful manifestation of faith: The collective demonstration of people’s individual beliefs. “It reminds for of something the ever-sage Lord Singh [leader of the Network of Sikh Organisations] said to me: that faith reaches areas of need that Government cannot. “It is what churches, synagogues, temples and mosques have been doing since time immemorial.” The Baroness will be speaking at the publication of the annual “Church and Community Involvement” survey. It will show that despite the economic situation, church members alone have increased their donations to social action projects by 19 per cent in two years to £342 million. In an article published on telegraph.co.uk today the Baroness speaks about her visit to Rome last year describing how the Pope put her and other nervous ministers at their ease and arguing that Britain’s current relations with the Holy See are better than at any point for centuries. She adds: “The Pope’s decision to step down was, I’m sure, not taken at all lightly and would have been done so after much consideration and prayer. “He seemed frail last year and his declining health must have been hard to bear given the weight of his duties.”

On Holocaust Memorial Day, Sayeeda Warsi explains the importance of visiting the sites of atrocities. By Baroness Warsi It was a bitterly cold day when I first visited Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the wind penetrated my thick coat and warm boots. As I stood in the place where millions of people were imprisoned and murdered, the haunting atmosphere made this whole event feel real – no longer a chapter in history but an actual place where people became the victims of the biggest atrocity in European history. Standing there, feeling that cold wind, seeing those bleak surroundings, the reality of what happened hit home in a way that no history book, TV documentary or historian had managed to do. Years later, visiting Srebrenica sent a shiver down my spine in a very similar way. Srebrenica is a name that no longer denotes a town, but the massacre of thousands of men and boys, taken from their families and summarily killed by the forces of Ratko Mladic. That rural valley and the beauty of the hillside location stood stark against the pock-marked, bullet-ridden buildings, which silently stood witness to the utter horror of what took place there in July 1995.The message of Holocaust Memorial Day is to remember the horrors of the past to prevent them from happening in the future. As an annual event, some argue that it is easy to become blasé about or immune to its message. That’s why I believe it’s vitally important that we make our history real. My experiences in Poland and Bosnia were turning points for me. After the latter, I pledged to return; so I set up Project Maja, a social action scheme, which would allow other people to share the experience I had, while giving something back to the community that had suffered so much. I’m not the only one who places great importance on living history. I’m pleased to serve in a government that wants to give as many people as possible the chance to understand and learn about our continent’s past. By funding the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, we are enabling thousands of schoolchildren and teachers to visit Poland each year so they can realise the true horrors of the Holocaust, and challenge prejudice, discrimination and hatred today. With the centenary of the First World War next year, we have pledged money for two children from every secondary state aided school to visit the battlefields. The scars of that bloody conflict remain there too, with shells lying at roadsides, craters revealing where explosives were set off, and row upon row of headstones marking the spots where men fell. I hope many thousands of children can come back from France and Belgium with the understanding of the sacrifice made by these young men from across world – men from different backgrounds and faiths – and how this impacts on our common British identity. There is another important reason why we need to learn about and remember the horrors of the past: that we don’t ever repeat the mistakes in the future. As the minister with responsibility for Human Rights, I have made freedom of religion and tackling religious intolerance my priority. It’s an issue of huge concern as we worry about the persecution of minorities – those who are attacked, abused and discriminated against simply because they are different. I’m committed to making progress in this area and so last week I convened an international ministerial conference on the subject. It was heartening to speak to ministers from so many countries who are equally committed to this agenda. I think if more people learnt about past atrocities, about the escalation of hatred, about the culmination of persecution, our world would be better guarded against repeating the mistakes of the past. Personally, if the debate is ever bogged down in jargon or obscured by diplomatic speak, I just cast my mind back to that cold, unforgettable morning I first visited Poland.

Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent, and Richard Ford, Home Correspondent Anti-Muslim hatred is being fuelled by “an underlying, profound mistrust” and a “misinformed suspicion” of people who follow Islam, according to the country’s most senior Muslim politician. Baroness Warsi, the Minister for Faith and Communities, will warn today of a “particularly concerning” problem that she believes is “paving the way for anti-Muslim hatred”. In a speech this evening to the Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks (MAMA) project, Lady Warsi will outline what she believes is a continuing “negative perception” of Muslims. Almost two years to the day after a controversial speech in which she said that Islamophobia had “passed the dinner table test” — meaning that anti-Muslim sentiment had become so socially acceptable it could be found even in the most civilised of settings — she will warn that the problem has if anything got worse and outline statistical evidence in support. Citing a recent YouGov survey, where just 23 per cent of people said that Islam was not a threat to Western civilisation and only 24 per cent thought Muslims were compatible with the British way of life, she will warn that seeing one community as the “other” was a slippery slope that would “enable extremists to advance their twisted interests unchecked”. She will continue: “I don’t have to remind anyone what happens when an unfounded suspicion of one people can escalate into unspeakable horror. Let me tell you what’s really dangerous,” she will say. “It’s when people are treated differently because they hold a different religious belief.” Lady Warsi’s views were rounded on by Philip Davies, the MP for Shipley, in West Yorkshire, a fellow Tory. He said that negative perceptions of Muslims are in part being fuelled by the community itself and that the segregation of communities meant there was a lack of understanding and mistrust on both sides. “In Bradford they don’t mix, they stick to their own areas,” he said. “Muslims in Bradford might blame white people for the problem whereas a lot of people in my constituency would say the problem is that many Muslims don’t integrate, don’t want to integrate and they don’t learn the language”. Lady Warsi’s speech comes after the arrest this week of two men by police investigating reports that a gang claiming to be Islamic vigilantes have been confronting people in the street demanding they throw away alcohol and cover their bare skin. In one video, posted online, men from the self-styled Muslim Patrol in Whitechapel, East London, tell another man “no drink in this area, it’s a Muslim area” before ordering him to pour away his alcohol. The Tory peer will urge all faiths to come together to tackle the “scourge” of prejudice and will say: “An attack on a church is an attack on a gurdwara, or a mosque, or a synagogue. Likewise, I believe an attack on a Muslim is an attack on a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu or a Sikh. “An attack on one faith is an attack on all faiths. And an attack on faith is an attack on freedom.” Earlier this week, Lady Warsi hosted a meeting of senior representatives from the Vatican, the United States and Canada on freedom of religion and belief.

By Oliver Wright Fewer than one in four people now believe that following Islam is compatible with a British way of life, Britain’s most senior Muslim minister will warn today. Highlighting unpublished research showing that a majority of the country now believes that Islam is a threat to Western civilisation Baroness Sayeeda Warsi will say that “underlying, unfounded mistrust” of Muslims is in itself fuelling extremism. And she will cite new figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers showing that between 50 to 60 per cent of all religious hate crimes reported to police in Britain are now perpetrated against Muslims. “My fear is that seeing one community as the ‘other’ is a slippery slope that will enable extremists to advance their twisted interests unchecked,” she will say. “I don’t have to remind anyone what happens when an unfounded suspicion of one people can escalate into unspeakable horror.” Two years ago Baroness Warsi, who has responsibility in Government for faith and communities, was criticised claiming that Islamophobia in Britain “had passed the dinner table test”. But in her speech to a support service for those who have suffered anti-Muslim attacks Baroness Warsi will say new data supports the evidence of widespread anti-Muslim feeling in the UK. She will cite new research by academics that shows that just 23 per cent of a representative sample questioned said that Islam was not a threat to Western civilisation. Just 24 per cent thought Muslims were compatible with the British way of life – with nearly half of people disagreeing that Muslims were compatible. This compares with research among Muslims that showed 83 per were proud to be British, compared to 79 per cent of Britons overall. “When I said that Islamophobia had ‘passed the dinner table test’ I got a fair amount of stick,” she will say. “There were those who denied the problem existed. There were those who said talking about it was dangerous. But let me tell you what’s really dangerous: It’s when a country turns a blind eye towards that discrimination.” She said preliminary figures from the Association of Chief Police officers found that between 50 to 60 per cent of religious hate crimes were now perpetrated against Muslims – amounting to hundreds of attacks a year. But Baroness Warsi will warn that not enough leadership is being given by politicians to tackling Islamaphobia and misconceptions about Islam in the UK. “Anti-Muslim hatred is a form of prejudice and there should be no place in Britain for this prejudice,” she will say. “It would be a more powerful message from a non-Muslim, someone for whom this is not personally painful. ”The fact is that everyone should have an interest in this issue. “It’s not just a matter for Muslims or a matter for people of faith. It’s a matter for everyone who cares about Britain being the modern, equal, fair society that we want it to be.” Baroness Warsi said more work needed to be done highlighting Muslim role models such as Mo Farah. “To those who say that there is a conflict of being loyal to Britain and a Muslim, you have to look no further than Mohamed Farah,” she will say. “Our national hero is a practising Muslim. The double gold medallist saw no conflict between crossing the finish line in the Union Flag and dropping to the ground in prayer. ”In fact, he showed how seamlessly religion and patriotism can go together.“ She will also cite Muslim like her own family – who fought alongside British soldiers in both world wars. ”Thousands of Muslims from the Commonwealth fought alongside the Allies in both the world wars. These patriots fought and died for the freedoms we all enjoy today. “People like my two grandfathers who fought for this country long before my parents came to its shores. And you will therefore understand why I will not take lessons on loyalty from those on the extreme right who demonstrate the ideology of intolerance – the very fascism that my grandparents fought all those years ago.” It’s a matter for everyone who cares about Britain being the modern, equal, fair society that we want it to be.“ Baroness Warsi will pledge further Government support for combatting all types of Muslim discrimination and restore Britain’s reputation for tolerance. ”Let’s prove that we once again can rise to the challenge and stamp out this new and rising form of prejudice. There should be no place in Britain for this prejudice.“

Ruth Gledhill Senior representatives from the Vatican, the United States and Canada are among those flying into Britain to discuss freedom of religion and belief at a high level meeting in London this week. This is an issue particularly close to the heart of Baroness Warsi, Senior Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Minister for Faith and Communities, who is hosting the gathering of foreign ministers and representatives from around the world. The Baroness, a practising Muslim who is the first female Muslim Government minister in the UK, wants to address the issue of religious freedom within the context of the UN Human Rights Council resolution 16/18. This resolution, passed in 2011, is aimed at combating intolerance, stigmatisation and advocacy of discrimination or violence on the basis of religion or belief. It reaffirms the commitment made by all States under the United Nations Charter to promote and encourage universal respect for and observance of all human rights, including religion and belief, and their obligation to prohibit discrimination. It also defends the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. And it recommends training of Government officials in effective “outreach” strategies to faith communities. The meeting comes just a week after the landmark ruling in the European Court of Human Rights where one of the four cases brought by Christians was upheld. The judges ruled that Nadia Eweida, a British Airways employee, had her rights violated when the company said she could not wear a cross over her uniform. The European Court ruling is expected to strengthen the rights of religious believers in the workplace and ensure that their freedom to express their faith is properly weighed against restrictions that employers may impose. Significantly, this week’s meeting will involve many representatives from many states outside Europe. Baroness Warsi told The Times: “Today’s meeting is an important step in opening up the discussion around religious intolerance and freedom of religion and belief worldwide. This is a personal priority for me which is why I’m bringing together a group of key ministers, ambassadors and senior advisers from around the world to explore this topic. I firmly believe that through building a deeper understanding of the shared issues we face together, and understanding more about each other’s viewpoints, we will be able to build on a stronger consensus on the issues of how best to deal with religious intolerance and guarantee the right to freedom of religion or belief for all.” A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: “Baroness Warsi will be hosting a high level ministerial meeting to discuss religious intolerance and freedom of religion and belief worldwide. This international issue is a plank at the heart of our human rights agenda and this meeting will enable us to discuss and how we can move international discussions forward on these issues within the framework of the UN Human Rights Council resolution 16/18. “We also want to build a deeper understanding of the shared issues we face together, and to understand more about each others’ viewpoints. Through this we hope to be able to build a stronger international consensus on the issues of how best to deal with religious intolerance and guarantee the right to freedom of religion or belief for all. “Those attending include ministers, ambassador and senior advisors from around the world.”