Corona Virus – Faith Matters

Police facing ‘toxic mix’ of mental health issues and online extremism

Faith Matters — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 10:17:28 +0000

Counter-terrorism police are facing “a toxic mix” of mental health issues and online radicalisation as the country comes out of lockdown, a senior officer has warned.

Commander Richard Smith, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command, said young people in particular had been left at greater risk of online radicalisation during lockdown.

Giving evidence to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, he said: “One of the impacts of the pandemic has been to leave young people at greater risk of radicalisation and vulnerable people at greater risk of radicalisation online.

“It’s only as we unlock and activity then rises that we will see what that has meant for them as we get more referrals into (anti-radicalisation scheme) Prevent.

“That goes alongside what is now becoming better documented in terms of the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on people’s mental health generally.

“I’m not saying that mental illness and terrorist ideology are corroborated necessarily one way or the other, but they’re certainly not mutually exclusive.

“There’s a real toxic mix that we may see as we come out of the pandemic in terms of the numbers of people who have been at risk of radicalisation.

“I am therefore very keen to see the number of referrals into Prevent increase so that we can engage with those people and direct them onto more productive pathways.”

This week UK counter-terrorism police have teamed up with Netmums to provide advice to parents on how to spot the signs of radicalisation and where to get help.

Law enforcement are growing increasingly concerned about the number of under-18s being groomed by extremists, particularly on the far right.

In the year to March 2021, 13% of suspects arrested for terrorism offences were aged under 18, compared to 5% the previous year. Children were also the only age group to show an increase in this period.

Of the 21 children arrested up to March 2021, 15, or 71%, were linked to extreme right-wing beliefs, and the proportion has been growing since 2015.

In that year, less than 20% of under-24s were held for far right beliefs, rising to 60% in 2020.

Commander Smith said that while the number of arrests for suspected terrorist offences had dropped during the coronavirus lockdowns, this was due to a reduction in opportunities to commit crimes rather than a reduction in threat.

The terror threat for the UK has been substantial since February, and he said it remains at that level.

He told the committee: “In terms of the threat itself I have seen no reduction. Certainly as we come out of lockdown there is a sense that the tempo of activity has risen.

“We are now seeing the tempo of activity rising and therefore the tempo of our activity countering it rising commensurately.”

Police Scotland to double presence along England border

Faith Matters — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 17:53:56 +0000

Police Scotland will double its presence along the border with England after the First Minister announced tighter coronavirus restrictions.

Chief Constable lain Livingstone said “highly visible patrols” on roads will be used to “deter anyone who night be considering breaching the coronavirus travel restrictions”.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced severe lockdown measures for Scotland on Saturday.

They included a “strict travel ban” preventing travel to or from other parts of the UK, which was put in place last month but was due to be removed over the Christmas period.

Some exceptions to the ban are allowed for essential purposes.

In a statement, Mr Livingstone said it would not be “appropriate or proportionate for officers to establish checkpoints or roadblocks to simply enforce travel restrictions”.

But he added: “Today, I have authorised the doubling of our operational presence in the Border areas of Scotland.

“These highly visible patrols will be proactively deployed on our road networks to continue our operational activity to ensure drivers and vehicles are in a fit condition to drive.

“The patrols will also deter anyone who night be considering breaching the coronavirus travel restrictions.”

He said he expects roads to be “quieter than usual over the corning days”.

“We have been clear throughout this public health crisis that your police service is here to support our collective effort to combat coronavirus.

“Though the rules have changed often and, at times, quickly, officers and staff will continue with common sense, empathy and discretion to work with our fellow citizens to help keep everyone safe.

“It is the consent of the public from which policing in Scotland draws its legitimacy.

“As our communities expect, where officers encounter wilful, persistent or flagrant breaches we will act decisively to enforce the law.”

John Lamont, Scottish Conservative MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, said more clarity was needed.

“The Scottish Government and Police Scotland need to ensure clarity around travel restrictions to avoid any public misunderstanding,” he said.

“Clearly this virus does not respect borders but a range of exemptions have always been in place to allow safe and necessary travel for valid reasons, and we need to know if that has changed.”

Rise in home working could lead to increase in prejudice, researchers warn

Faith Matters — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 12:28:53 +0000

Increased home working and fewer opportunities to socialise during the coronavirus pandemic is threatening to make society less tolerant of diversity, a report warns.

Reduced access to workplaces, leisure centres and other communal facilities is likely to make it much harder to form friendships that break down prejudices, the Woolf Institute said.

Without alternative opportunities for social mixing, its researchers believe this will lead directly to an increase in prejudice.

The research centre, based in Cambridge, is launching the results of a two-year study, which saw 11,701 adults surveyed about their attitudes towards diversity in England and Wales.

The report, How We Get Along, suggests that there is an emerging consensus that diversity is a positive thing, but that change has occurred too quickly.

More than half (53%) agree that ethnic diversity is good for society, 46% believe the same of migrants and 41% believe the same of religious diversity.

However, 60% of respondents said they feel the number of migrants in Britain has risen too quickly over the past decade, half believe ethnic diversity has increased too quickly and 43% believe the same of religious diversity.

The findings also suggests that negative beliefs about religions such as Islam continue to be widely held.

Religious prejudice, particularly towards Muslims, is the “final frontier” for diversity as people still appear willing to express negative attitudes.

The report authors are concerned that Covid-19 will make people become less tolerant, as it reduces their opportunities to make friends outside of their ethnic, religious or national groups.

Workplaces provide opportunities to create “shared goals, break down stereotypes and foster positive attitudes”, with the report finding that those without work are twice as likely to have no friends outside their own ethnicity, nationality and religion.

Dr Ed Kessler, founder director of the Woolf Institute, said: “As people are forced to work from home during Covid, there is a risk that they go back into isolated silos.

“Creating new opportunities for friendships should be a key ingredient of public policy.”

While overall trends are positive, attitudes towards religious diversity were markedly less so, suggesting religion is a “red line” for many people in England and Wales.

The polling found less than half (44%) of people would be comfortable with a close relative marrying a Muslim.

This compares to around seven in 10 respondents feeling comfortable with a loved one marrying an Asian or black person.

However, the data also suggest that a majority of Muslims had the same negative marriage attitudes towards Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh people and those of no faith.

Dr Hargreaves said: “The good news is that there is a strong consensus in our findings that diversity is good for our country, whether we look at ethnicity, migration or religion. It is, however, also clear that, of these three forms of diversity, acceptance of religious diversity lags significantly behind.

“Being Muslim, in particular, appears to remain a “trigger” for prejudice, making religion a ‘final frontier’ for prejudice in England and Wales.”

Overall, women, younger people, Remain, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters appear to be more positive towards ethnic and religious diversity in Britain.

People living in more ethnically and religiously diverse communities were more likely to hold negative attitudes.

Remain, Labour and Liberal Democrat voters showed more positive attitudes towards migrants in Britain.

Attitudes towards migrants were more negative everywhere outside of London except for the south east, which the authors said may be a “regrettable bad news story from the provinces” for multicultural Londoners.

People in the North West were the least likely to have ethnically diverse friendships, and were 54% more likely than Londoners to only have friends from the same ethnic background.

Those in the North East were the least likely to have any non-British friends, and were two-and-a-half times as likely as Londoners to only be friends with British people.

What are the new coronavirus rules in the UK?

Faith Matters — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 23:52:39 +0000

Measures are being tightened in the face of rising coronavirus infections, with Boris Johnson warning the UK has reached a “perilous turning point” in its fight against the disease.

Tougher restrictions are being brought in across all four nations, but vary – here, we take a look at the new rules in each country.

– England

Working from home is once again being encouraged, with anyone who can being asked to do so.

People who cannot, such as those working in construction or retail, are being advised they should continue to go to their workplaces.

From Thursday pubs, bars and restaurants must offer table service only and hospitality, leisure, entertainment and tourism businesses all have to close between 10pm and 5am.

People working in retail, travelling in taxis, and staff and customers in indoor hospitality, except while seated at a table to eat or drink, must wear face coverings.

From Monday, a maximum of 15 people will be allowed to attend wedding ceremonies and receptions, but the limit remains at 30 for funerals.

The rule of six, introduced last weekend, that any social gatherings of more than six people are against the law, is being extended to all adult indoor team sports.

Large sporting events, business conferences and exhibitions will not reopen as had been planned from October 1.

The penalties for disobeying the rules are also greater – failing to wear a mask or breaking the rule of six sees fines doubling to £200 for a first offence.

Businesses which break the rules could be fined up to £10,000 and closed.

Fines of up to £10,000 for people who fail to self-isolate have already been announced.

Downing Street said military support was an option to free up police so they can focus on enforcing the tougher rules.

For people in the shielding category, Mr Johnson said the guidance remains that shielding is not currently needed, unless they are in a local lockdown area.

In a televised address on Tuesday evening, he said he was “spiritually reluctant” to impinge on people’s freedoms, but warned: “Unless we take action the risk is that we will have to go for tougher measures later.”

– Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has the highest infection rate across the UK and Ireland, and fresh Covid-19 restrictions were extended from some specific postcodes to the whole country from 6pm on Tuesday.

Households will no longer be allowed to mix indoors, except for single-person bubbles and certain other exemptions.

No more than six people from two households can meet in a garden.

But pubs which do not serve food, known as wet pubs, were able to open once again on Wednesday, despite the latest restrictions.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said whether to introduce an early closing time for pubs is something ministers would consider, describing replicating the 10pm curfew being introduced in England as “fair enough”.

First Minister Arlene Foster said a two-week period of lockdown to try to halt the spread of the virus, a so-called circuit breaker, could not be ruled out.

Discussing the latest measures, she said: “We need to act, but I do want to reassure you that despite all of the headlines this is not a second lockdown.

“This is a wake-up call, a reminder that we are not out of the woods.”

– Scotland

Household mixing indoors will no longer be allowed, with exemptions for those living alone, couples not living together, childcare and tradespeople.

Regulations come into force on Friday but people are being asked to comply from Wednesday.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said children under 12 will be exempt from the current limit of six people from two households when meeting outside, and those between 12 and 18 will be able to meet a limit of six others from six households outdoors.

From Friday pubs, bars and restaurants must close at 10pm and further resources will be given to environmental health officials to step up enforcement and inspections, to check that social distancing and other hygiene guidance is being adhered to.

People in Scotland are also being advised against car-sharing, with Ms Sturgeon saying that according to Test and Protect data there is a “significant risk of transmission” in such settings.

She said no decision has been taken yet on a so-called circuit-break in October, and the Scottish Government is “keeping it under review”.

She asked people not to book any overseas travel for the half-term break unless it is essential, and to use it as an opportunity to “further limit social interaction”.

She said people who were shielding earlier in the year are not at this stage being asked to do so again, but that they should follow the steps outlined for the general population.

In an address to the nation, the First Minister acknowledged the measures might feel like “a step backwards”, but added: “We know what we need to do to protect ourselves and others – and all of us have a part to play.”

– Wales

Pubs, cafes, restaurants and casinos in Wales must operate as table service only and close from 10pm on Thursday.

Off-licences including supermarkets will also be stopped from selling alcohol at the same time each day as part of the measures.

Only six people are able to meet indoors and must be part of a single extended household.

Face coverings must be worn on public transport, in shops and in enclosed public spaces across Wales.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said in a televised address: ““Families have lost loved ones. People have lost jobs and livelihoods. This is a highly infectious virus.

“We cannot let it take a hold of our lives again. We have come too far to let that happen.”

Additional measures across much of South Wales are due to come into force from 6pm on Tuesday.

The measures, which are already in force across Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly county borough, will apply in Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport and Blaenau Gwent.

Under the new rules people must not enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse and are only able to meet with other households outdoors, including members of their extended household.

All licensed premises such as pubs have to close at 11pm.

– How long will these new measures last?

Mr Johnson said that “unless we palpably make progress”, we should assume the restrictions he announced on Tuesday will remain in place for “perhaps six months”.

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon said she hoped the measures in Scotland would not have to be in place for that long, saying that while the absence of a game-changer vaccine means the virus will impact people’s lives “that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the new restrictions I am announcing today will be in place for six months”.

On Monday, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty suggested that science would eventually “ride to our rescue”, but “in this period of the next six months, I think we have to realise that we have to take this, collectively, very seriously”.

What time will people have to leave pubs under the new rules?

In Wales, Mr Drakeford said pubs and restaurants would finish serving alcohol at 10pm, but people would be allowed to “drink up, to eat up, to bring their evening to an orderly close and then make their way home” beyond that point.

In England, officials said they had decided on a simple 10pm deadline which would be easier to enforce, meaning that venues would have to be closed to the public by that time.

Will cafes and fast-food restaurants have to give table service?

Not in England. While all restaurants and pubs will have to become table service-only, cafes and chains such as McDonald’s will continue to take orders at the counter.

Downing Street said the law will only apply to licensed premises, so those selling alcohol.

There will also be a “small number of exemptions” to the rule such as cinemas which serve alcohol, meaning table service would not be necessary in those circumstances either.

Does the “rule of six” apply to christenings?

Typically baptisms are carried out during Sunday services, which are exempted from the rule.

But “standalone life events” including christenings outside normal services will, from Monday, be subject to the six-person limit.

The Church of England has sought clarity from the Government, but it is understood the limit would include the baby.

How about “fledgling romances” during the pandemic?

During the early days of the lockdown, couples were told to move in together or stay apart.

But Government guidance has been updated to say that those in “an established relationship” do not need to socially distance from each other.

What exactly an established relationship means has not been clarified, but the guidance has sparked concerns that casual sex remains against the rules.

Find out more about the appeal by British Charities to fight Covid-19 in the world’s poorest countries.

BAME people more likely to be arrested under coronavirus laws, figures suggest

Faith Matters — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 21:59:56 +0000

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people were nearly 50% more likely than white people to be arrested in London using coronavirus laws, new figures suggest.

The total number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) handed out by the Metropolitan Police between March 27 and May 14 was almost a fifth higher for those from non-white communities.

While people from Asian, black, mixed and other backgrounds make up around four in 10 of the capital’s population, according to Office for National Statistics data, they account for more than half of the fines and arrests for alleged breaches of Covid-19 legislation.

Black people make up 12% of the population but received 26% of the 973 fines handed out by police and accounted for 31% of arrests.

Asian people, who account for 18% of London’s population, were handed 23% of fines and were subject to 14% of arrests.

The UK’s largest police force admitted “higher proportions of those in black and minority ethnic (BAME) groups were issued with FPNs or arrested across London as a whole”.

But the Met said the reasons “are likely to be complex and reflect a range of factors”, adding: “This includes interactions between the areas subject to significant proactive policing activity targeting crime hot-spots and both the variation in the age-profile and geographical distribution of ethnic groups in London.”

Police were given powers to break up gatherings or fine and arrest people for breaching restriction of movement rules under the Health Protection Regulations 2020, from March 27.

The data released on Wednesday shows 973 FPNs were issued by the Met up to May 14.

Some 444 were given to white people, with the total figure (526) 18% higher for non-white people, including 253 issued to black people, 220 to Asian people and 53 to others, according to the information recorded by officers.

The Met made a total of 747 arrests, although just 36 were for alleged breached of Covid-19 regulations alone, with the majority coming alongside arrests for other offences.

There were a total of 414 arrests for those who classify themselves as black (232), Asian (106), mixed (47) and other (29), some 46% higher than the 284 arrests of white people.

While non-white people make up 41% of London’s population, they account for 54% of fines and 55% of arrests, with no ethnicity stated in 7% of the arrests.

Former chief superintendent Owen West said racism was a potential factor in the number of fines handed out to BAME people.

“We have a real issue in the UK around the disproportionate effect of police powers and coercion in the UK,” the retired officer told BBC Five Live.

“Of course the UK police service has massive issues with discrimination, has massive issues in relation to the use of coercive powers and the use of fixed penalties and criminal justice issues in this country. And I really do think now is the time to confront it.”

Asked if racism has played a part in the giving out of fines, he said: “There is a potential for that, and we have to confront it.

“And there are many, many communities out there that feel that that is their experience, that feel that stop (and) search, that feel that Covid fixed penalty notices are there on the basis of discrimination by officers.”

Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said officers had taken enforcement action in a “very, very low” number of cases among “millions of encounters” between officers and members of the public.

But she said she did not see the data as “extremely surprising” with any apparent disproportionality in line with other trends.

She told the London Assembly police and crime committee: “Nobody is happy, for example, that our black and minority ethnic friends, family and colleagues are subject to far higher levels of victimisation.

“Nobody is happy that there are lots of differences in society in that way.

“And nobody is happy, I suppose overall, that when the police are enforcing the law they often, at this time in our history, are coming into contact with people in different ways across society.”

Rosalind Comyn, policy and campaigns officer at human rights group Liberty, said: “These figures reflect the unjust reality that affected communities are well aware of, even when lockdown is not in place.

“In the short term the Government needs to create a right to appeal these fines, in the long term they need to listen to those most affected by overbearing policing and take meaningful steps to address long-standing disparities in the way we are policed.”

Coronavirus: Latest updates from around the world

Faith Matters — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 12:41:12 +0000

Coronavirus has infected more than six million people across the world and killed more than 370,000, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Here are the latest updates on the pandemic from around the world:

INDONESIA

Indonesia’s government has decided not to participate in this year’s hajj pilgrimage because of the coronavirus outbreak, an official said.

Indonesian religious affairs minister Fachrul Razi said Saudi Arabia has not announced it will open the July hajj pilgrimage to other countries, and it is too late to prepare if it does so now.

“The government will not send the 2020 hajj pilgrimage,” Mr Razi said.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, normally sends the largest contingent to the pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest cities, Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It was expected to send 221,000 pilgrims this year.

PAKISTAN

A leaked government document reveals authorities ignored experts who wanted a month-long lockdown in Pakistan’s Punjab province and who estimated 670,000 might have been infected in the provincial capital of Lahore.

After media published the experts’ report, residents criticised the government for easing the restrictions last month instead of heeding the recommendation.

The report was based on a sample survey done in Lahore, which had 245 deaths through May 15. Since then, Punjab has reported nearly 200 more fatalities related to Covid-19.

The document surfaced hours before prime minister Imran Khan relaxed more coronavirus restrictions implemented in March, saying Pakistanis must learn how to live with the virus since lockdowns do not treat the disease. Pakistan has registered 1,621 fatalities amid 76,398 cases.

SINGAPORE

Singapore has reopened 75% of its economy as part of a three-phase controlled approach to end a virus lockdown in place since early April.

Finance, electronics manufacturing and logistics are among sectors that resumed operations after a two-month closure with strict safety requirements.

Schools will also reopen in stages this month but most retail shops, personal services, dining in at restaurants and social gatherings are still banned.

The affluent city-state has more than 35,000 cases, one of the highest in Asia. More than 90% of cases involved foreign workers living in crowded dormitories and the government says it will only lift further restrictions if infections remain low.

A Pesach Message at This Troubling Time by Rabbi Wittenberg

Faith Matters — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 15:46:52 +0000

This is written in haste on the eve of an exceptionally different night, at a bewildering and frightening time.

First and foremost, I wish everyone a good and safe festival.

Pesach means gratitude for deliverance. Words are insufficient to express our thankfulness to the NHS, to everyone caring, filling shop shelves, delivering food and medicines, helping the nation keep fit, supporting our morale and giving us strength in adversity. In the words of the Psalm, ‘May the work of your hands be blessed.’ Thank you, and thank you again!

When we sit at the table for the Seder tonight, when we open the Haggadah, however few we may be, even it is just me, or you, we must not think that we are alone. With us is Moses, leading the Children of Israel to freedom. Nearer us on our table sits Rabbi Akiva with his colleagues, debating liberty, dignity and justice until break of day. Yet nearer are our grand- or great-grandparents, who fled Nazism, escaped tyranny and fought for freedom across the earth. Surrounding us are women and men of all peoples who have found in this great story of liberty their hope, inspiration and courage. All of you, invisible as you are, are close by and with us, holding our hands, strong inside our hearts.

Your strength is our strength; your resilience and faith is our faith and resilience. Together we partake of, and dedicate ourselves to, the unfailing spirit of humanity in our struggle against illness, in our fight against injustice, in our respect for God’s world, and in the inexhaustible capacity to turn to each other in times of need with generosity, understanding, kindness, healing and love.

Therefore, let this Seder be a night of affirmation and celebration.

We affirm and celebrate life itself, the precious gift of breathing, the ability to stand, stretch out, take steps, may God protect it in every one of us.

We celebrate, even as we treasure it more deeply in its absence, the freedom to move, to walk in whichever direction, to seek liberty and to work for that same liberty for those who suffer under persecution, until, in Isaiah’s words, we ‘Give food to the hungry, clothe the naked and break the bonds of oppression.’

We celebrate love and friendship, even as in their absence we are more intensely aware than ever of those we love, those for whose companionship we long, and those whose listening heart we need, as the beloved says in the Song of Songs: O my companions, listen to me; let me hear your voice.’

We celebrate the value and dignity of life, all life together, in this wondrous, interdependent, fragile, precious world. We honour the life and dignity of every human being, and the lives, may God protect them, of those we love.

Do not imagine you are utterly alone. Thought, with its secret powers, knows how to navigate heart-space. Our words and songs join with the voices of our ancestors of three thousand years, and with those of many peoples. Together we shall speak and we shall sing, we shall pray and we shall learn, until the birdsong heralds the new dawn – of life and hope and joy.

Chag Sameach

Jonathan Wittenberg.