Saturdays 23/01/10 EDL protest in Stoke on Trent

The violent English Defence League (EDL) are protesting against Islam on Saturday in Hanley. The EDL is a collection of football hooligans who bring violence to our streets. Many of their supporters are also involved in the BNP. They seek to divide our communities - to criticise and complain rather than strengthen our society.
I've just signed a letter to the Stoke Sentinel which contains a simple message: we reject the EDL's hate, we reject their fear and we stand together against their intimidation.
If you would like to sign it, just go to:
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/StandForStoke
We need to send the message that the EDL do not represent us - and that we stand together for hope.


In 2010 the BNP is pressing to win control of Barking & Dagenham council and become the largest single party on Stoke-on-Trent council. In additon, they will be pushing hard for the parliamentary seat in Barking and dozens of council wards across the country. They already hold political power in thsi country and have two seats in the European paliament. This could be yeat another year of increased membership and more involvement with these parties, which leads to more racial tensions, more hatred and more attacks.

But we can stop them, and the EDL. There are always peacful counter protests to attend, petitions to sign, campaigning to be done, messages of hope and equality to be spread. I urge people to take part in these efforts to preserve and intensify our society based on good, equal values.

On tuesday 26/01/10, we are hosting a holocaust survivor and having a memorial in the guild. More details to follow but please keep the time free as it is so important to support, commemorate and hear these people speak, as we really are the last generation who will have this opportunity.

HMD 27/1/10

Holocaust memorial day is coming up in just a couple of weeks and it is a great opportunity to remember, learn, mourn, and maybe most importantly - try understand how to ensure that we never see anything like it again.

The day was set up specifically on this day because of the liberation of Auschwitz, to commemorate the horrors of the Nazi holocaust, and it should not be a wasted time to reflect on what happened as well as other terrible hate crimes. The second world war is now part of history and what happened should never be forgotten but also, sadly can not be changed. However, discrimination is unfortunately not a part of history, it is a ongoing reality of the present. This, we do have the ability to change. Anti-semitism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, and many other forms of hatred based on identity, skin colour, nationality and religion are still killing people today all over the world.

When the holocaust ended, the world said 'never again'. Yet since then, the world has watched genocides in many places - Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur (which is still ongoing) to name a few. One does not have to look that far for hatred and let us not make the mistake of believing that these things can not happen in our civilised society. Europe was very 'civilised' and 'enlightened' when it systematically murdered six million Jews and a further seven million people for who they were, how they were born or how they chose to identify.

The way we vote, the way we act and the way we make people feel are all important ways of making this world safer and more peaceful. But, we have to go beyond that. Part of the reason the nazis managed to kill so many, was because the world let them. We are still part of a society with influence, power and wealth beyond compare, and yet, we are still letting atrocities occur.

This year, HMDs theme is the legacy of hope. Let us be the generation which stands by our moral convictions, which seriously stands up for what is right and fair in this world. It is our world, lets make it one we can be proud of.