Shropshire Council and faith leaders affirm joint stance against religious hatred and discrimination

Members of the South Shropshire Interfaith Forum and the Shrewsbury Interfaith Forum have come together with Shropshire Council to make a joint statement of support against religious hatred including antisemitism and islamophobia, and against all forms of discrimination.

The statement further reinforces the statement made by elected councillors across political parties at Full Council last week. Councillors stressed the importance of standing up together for shared values: treating each other with respect and tolerance, and standing up against hate crime in all its forms. In so doing, it builds upon the recent national open letter of support to Jewish people, signed by religious leaders across the United Kingdom.

Local faith leaders now join with the Council in making the following statement:

“We remain deeply saddened by the continuing incidents of antisemitism, islamophobia and hatred shown towards people of different faiths. With the rise in antisemitism in recent weeks across the country, and discrimination being shown towards communities and individuals of faith, it has never been more important to foster good relations between people of all faiths and people of none.   

“When we came together last October to similarly show solidarity towards and across all religions, this followed the deadly attack on Jewish worshippers in Manchester, the arson attack at the Peacehaven Mosque in East Sussex, and attacks on people of Sikh faith in nearby Wolverhampton. Since then, we have seen local incidents such as at the Muslim Prayer Room in Shrewsbury, including a swastika daubed on their walls.

“People of faith should feel safe in their places of worship and in their observations and commemorations of their faiths. They should be able to go about their daily lives without the fear that others are defining them by their religion or by their colour, or by what they are wearing in accordance with their faith. This may be traditionally dressed Jewish men, as with the appalling stabbings and attacks in London, Muslim women dressed in ways that identify their faith, Sikh men in turbans, etc. As representatives of diverse religions, and as a local council representing our diverse communities, we call upon people in Shropshire to stand with us in respect for the beliefs of others.

“Here in Shropshire, we need to show mutual kindness and respect across communities. Expressions of religious hatred and hostility, often alongside acts of racism, cannot continue. Everyone belongs here. 

“We urge anyone witnessing or experiencing antisemitism – hatred of or towards Jewish people, islamophobia – hatred of or towards people of Muslim faith, and any other expression of religious hatred or other hate crimes, to report this to the police immediately”.

The national open letter 

The national open letter was coordinated by the Together Coalition. Among the signatories are the Football Association, the Premier League, faith leaders from the Church of England, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities, the National Lottery Community Fund, and the Women’s Institute, alongside media, sport, and charity organisations. 

The open letter follows a string of attacks at synagogues and other Jewish sites in recent months. In it, faith leaders from Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities assert shared commitment to people of the Jewish faith “…to do everything we can to protect you and your community from the extremists who threaten you”.

The local ‘Everyone belongs Here’ campaign

Links may also be made with the local ‘Everyone belongs here’ campaign, launched twelve months ago on World Cultural Diversity Day, 21 May. The campaign was launched to support staff and communities across settings. This celebrates the rich diversity of our workforce and of communities of different cultures and heritages, as well as demonstrating shared commitments towards tackling discrimination in all its forms.

Developed by colleagues from the NHS, local councils, and wider health and care partners, the campaign builds on ongoing efforts to strengthen the reporting of discriminatory incidents and to ensure consistent monitoring of these reports. ‘Everyone Belongs Here’ reflects the shared values of respect, inclusion, and compassion held within the local health and care system. It shines a light on the contributions of every individual working across the system, from frontline care to leadership roles.

Reporting a hate crime

In Shropshire, agencies and organisations tackle hate crime and hate incidents through partnership working. People can report hate incidents either by directly contacting the police or by completing the reporting form. This is part of a countywide approach that supports third party reporting. This is when a victim of a hate crime or hate incident, or a witness to one, prefers not to report it directly to the police, but still wants action to be taken and reports it to a non-police organisation.

Any information gathered from these reports helps agencies and organisations establish whether there are spikes in hate incidents and crimes or whether specific groups or areas are suffering from more incidents than others.

Report to police

• Does it feel like the situation could get heated or violent very soon? Is someone in immediate danger? Do you need support right away? If so, please call 999 in an emergency.
• Report online – True Vision is a national police scheme to help victims report hate crime online
• Emergency SMS text message
• Call 101 (non-emergency police number).
• Visit a local police station.

Don’t wish to report directly to the police?

Have you been the victim of a hate crime or hate incident, or a witness to one, and prefer not to report it directly to the police but still want action to be taken? You can email the Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership at sscpbusinessunit@shropshire.gov.uk.

Any information gathered from these reports helps agencies and organisations establish whether there are spikes in hate incidents and crimes, or whether specific groups or areas are suffering from more incidents than others.

The charities, groups and organisations below can offer support, advice and ways to report the incident without having to talk directly to the police:

• Crimestoppers – a national charity with a free helpline for reporting crime anonymously.
• Tell MAMA – a national project supporting victims of anti-Muslim hate and monitoring anti-Muslim incidents.
• Community Security Trust (CST) – a charity protecting British Jews from antisemitism and related threats.
• Galop – a national charity providing advice and support to members of the LGBT community.
• Stop Hate UK – a leading national organisation working to challenge all forms of hate crime and discrimination.
• West Mercia Victim Advice Line – free, confidential, emotional and practical support. Call 0800 952 3000 between Monday and Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm.
• Safety Net – prevents the exploitation of people with learning disabilities by those claiming to be their friends.
• Scope – ensuring disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.
• Stonewall – providing support to all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.

Hearing impaired?

Visit the emergencySMS website to find out how you can report emergencies by text (this option is only recommended if you have no other way to report).