After the negative publicity around Trojan Horse, terror-related arrests, racially motivated murder and the various marches of the English Defence League it was great to see a national politician recognising the good work going on in Birmingham to build community relations.
The to a gathering of those involved in the grass roots battle against extremism in general and the rise of ISIS in particular served to highlight that it is up to all of us to challenge the politics of hate and division.
It will have come as a surprise to some of the Islamophobic brigade that there are groups like Upstanding Neighbourhoods fighting the ISIS propaganda on its own terms.
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The extremists’ use of social media such as Facebook and YouTube to groom a new generation of adolescent followers in their own bedrooms is well known.
Upstanding Neighbourhoods uses the same tactics – its Say No To Anjem Choudary and Say No To Isis pages now have thousands of followers.
Their videos are as edgy and hard hitting as those put out by the extremists. Of course we may never know how many people they reach or affect, but if they stop even one family being torn apart by the hateful ideology of ISIS then they will have succeeded.
Birmingham born and bred former Crown Prosecution Service chief and anti-extremism campaigner pointed out earlier this year that it was the Muslim communities themselves who must tackle the problems and protect their children and teens, not only from radicalisation, but also drug abuse, sex abuse and gangs.
He warned parents not to assume that because a youngster is studiously quiet in their bedroom they are out of harm’s way and called for better leadership from community elders.
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Well, at the Custard Factory Home Secretary Theresa May found a packed room of grass roots activists – groups like Odara, the Kikit Drugs Project and the Muslim Women’s Network – not only taking on the hate and division, but helping build bridges and giving people the confidence to stand up for themselves.
It was refreshing that, as a national politician with a profile to keep up (and long term leadership ambitions) that Ms May did not come to Birmingham to preach.
Instead she offered the briefest introductory speech before spending her time talking to the various groups.
She did say of the groups: “Their work is vital because tackling extremism is not something that Government can do alone.
“We must work in partnership with local people and communities to challenge those who spread hatred and intolerance. Together we can defeat extremism.”
Not only does it give encouragement to those on the frontline of community relations in Birmingham but we hope that their contribution has played its part in the development of the Government’s forthcoming anti-extremism strategy.
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It seems like an age ago (autumn 2013) that discussions over the Birmingham Development Plan began – and concentrated on the proposals for 6,000 homes and a large factory on Sutton Coldfield’s green belt.
Whether or not the development is sustainable will depend very much on the provision of transport links, schools, health centres and jobs.
A single road link and bus services will not cut it – the Sutton Park rail link needs to be reopened – while the development plan makes it clear that a secondary school and perhaps two primaries are required.
The planning system is loaded in favour of developers – property and construction have a crucial role in the national economy after all – so it can be reasonably assumed that the green belt development will be allowed.
So the next big row will be over who is going to pay for the supporting community infrastructure.
has been on Centro’s to do list for decades but there has never been enough money.
The developers will be building and selling homes at Sutton Coldfield’s hefty prices.
But even with a requirement to make about a third ‘affordable’ (ie 80 per cent of the market value) they remain beyond the reach of many.
They should be the ones paying for all this.
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I was once told of a theory that despite his undoubted talent and ability, the reason the Birmingham City Council leader has never gone onto Parliament or national politics was because of his name.
Any MP or high profile figure with the title ‘A Bore’ is offering an open goal to opponents and satirists.
But one wonders what the national media will make of the newly selected chairman of the fledgling – Councillor Bob Sleigh.
He is the right choice at a time when many services are going downhill fast.