THE UK needs a “moral vision” to move past the rioting that has erupted in towns and cities across the country this week, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.
Violence broke out in London, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Rotherham, Nottingham, Belfast, and elsewhere over the weekend — and spread rapidly to other areas this week — after the murder of three girls at a children’s dance party in Southport on 29 July (News, 2 August).
Speaking on the Radio 4 Today programme on Tuesday, Archbishop Welby said that, while he had not experienced what the families in Southport were going through, he and his wife had lost a child. “All I remember is that it is the most overwhelming, dominating thing that could happen to you. The whole world changes.
“And the last thing you want is for this to be instrumentalised by people far away choosing to turn this into a cause of criminality, rioting — not protest, that’s something completely different — of trying to cause a breakdown of unity.”
He said: “What you want is your friends and family and community, as Southport is doing, surrounding you, supporting you, loving you.”
Mosques, and hotels in which refugees and asylum-seekers are being temporarily housed, were among the buildings targeted by rioters.
Police forces reported that hundreds of arrests had been made, including for and in connection with serious violent disorder and racially aggravated assault, after police cars were set alight and dozens of police officers have been injured in the violence.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, told the BBC on Tuesday that many would face immediate imprisonment. “There should be no doubt about that. They are going to prison. We are willing to look at terrorism offences. I’m aware of at least one instance where that is happening.”
The protests, which by Wednesday had spread to other cities, including Liverpool, Plymouth, Weymouth, and Birmingham, have been triggered by far-right groups, who have targeted immigrants, and spread false rumours online that the 17-year-old man charged with the murders — named in court last week as Axel Muganwa Rudakubana — was an asylum-seeker. Merseyside Police confirmed last week that he had been born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents. A plea and trial preparation hearing has been set for Friday 25 October at Liverpool Crown Court.
Archbishop Welby said of the misinformation: “What is happening here is manipulation — we know that — by people on social media, people abroad, and that needs to be strongly resisted. . .
“There is a use of people in this way which is the most ridiculous, appalling, and immoral thing. . . They [the rioters] talk about defending this country’s Christian values. . . Jesus said: ‘Love God, love your neighbour, love your enemy.’ And when he was asked who your neighbour is, the example he gave was someone who had been an historic enemy of the Jews.”
Speaking of the behaviour of the rioters, Archbishop Welby said: “This is not the UK, it is not British, it is not English — they defile the flag that they wrap themselves in. . . Protest is good and is right, and is fundamental to all our freedoms, but peaceful protest will have tens of thousands of times the impact that this violence is having.”
Being marginalised, and living in areas of deprivation and high unemployment “does not in any way justify this violence”, he said. “Quite the reverse. But it does justify peaceful protest and that will make people listen.”
He continued: “We need a moral vision for this country, which does exist, which is peaceful and united – we are incredibly diverse but we stick to one another, and that we are capable of leading the world and sharing the common good in this country.”
Police were reacting to the outbreaks, and what was not being reported, he suggested, was “the extraordinary cohesion and caring for neighbour that is going on all round the country in the wake of these riots and face-to-face with these riots. . .
“We are seeing the Church, the churches, and the faiths, and people of no faith turning out, cleaning up the streets, supporting people.”
Churches Together in England, of which the Archbishop is President, issued a joint statement on Tuesday afternoon, acknowledging “the anger felt by many at these senseless killings. We also acknowledge deep and troubling anxiety about immigration. Regrettably, we have witnessed violent, racist attacks and intimidation on our streets. Mosques have been attacked, hotels housing people seeking asylum set on fire and individuals set upon simply because of the colour of their skin.
“Racism has no place on our streets or in society and should not be stirred up in communities or online. The police have faced unacceptable levels of violent disorder and rioting in their quest to keep the peace on the streets. We are grateful for the work of the emergency services who put themselves in danger to protect the public. We are grateful for communities who have come together to help with the clear up, demonstrating a determination to serve the good of all.”
The statement concluded: “We are also grateful to the many local churches across the country who provide a place of worship and sanctuary for people and who help build stronger communities through action at the grassroots level, including initiatives like Street Pastors and Response Pastors. Let us all work together to put an end to this violent disorder, restore peace and heal our nation.”
The Archbishop, with other faith leaders, also co-signed a letter published in The Times on Tuesday condemning the targeting of Muslim communities. “Over the last few days we have watched in horror as a small minority has brought hatred, violence and vandalism to towns and cities across the country. We have seen anti-Muslim hatred and the targeting of mosques; asylum-seekers and refugees attacked; violence directed towards the police and private property, all of which are a stain on our national moral conscience.
“Every British citizen has a right to be respected and a responsibility to respect others, so that together we can build a cohesive and harmonious society for all.
“As faith leaders, we salute the many people who have stepped forward to repair damage and restore their neighbourhoods. We pledge to work with government and all sections of society towards a constructive and compassionate dialogue on immigration and social cohesion.”
It was also signed by the RC Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols; the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis; the Chief Imam and director general of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society, Imam Dr Sayed Razawi; and the chairman of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, Imam Qari Asim.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said on Wednesday that the racially motivated violence threatened the values of British society. “They [the rioters] demonstrate a complete disregard of the values which underpin the civil life of our country,” the Rt Revd Paul McAleenan, the Lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees and an auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Westminster, said.
“The actions of the few involved in violence stand in stark contrast to the work of charities, Church groups and volunteers who tirelessly extend the hand of welcome to migrants in acts of solidarity.”
Volunteers, charities, and faith groups have been praised for helping to clean up the mess and for supporting the communities being targeted.
After an emergency Cobra meeting on Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister said that justice would be swift for those who had been arrested, who could be expected to be in court within the week, and insisted that communities “will be safe”. The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper warned that “keyboard warriors also cannot hide” and would be “liable for prosecution and strong penalties too”.
The owner of X, Elon Musk, has been criticised by Sir Keir for suggesting in a post that “civil war is inevitable” following the UK unrest. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that there was “no justification” for Mr Musk’s comments, and that social media companies should be doing more to defuse tensions.
Responding to the criticism on the Today programme, Archbishop Welby pointed to the recent transfer of power after the General Election: “Between the closing of the polls and a new Prime Minister peacefully in place was 14 hours, and some gracious words from the outgoing Prime Minister — that is about as far from talking about civil war as it is possible to get.”
The Government, he said, were “responding extremely well. . . They are speaking of peace, they are condemning violence, as we all do.” But longer-term thinking was needed, he said, “which will come when this dies down, which it very shortly will”.
FAITH leaders across the UK continued to call for unity and calm this week.
The Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, said in a statement on Tuesday that “words are not enough” to comfort the community in Southport in mourning after “the dreadful murders and attack on innocent children and the courageous adults who sought to defend them”.
She said, however, that “the violence that has followed in towns and cities across our nation has been despicable. There is no place for racism and hate anywhere and at any time, particularly towards faith communities, mosques, and vulnerable people who have sought refuge and asylum, and I condemn this utterly.”
She continued: “I was particularly grieved to see the disorder in Sunderland, the city I grew up in and where I retain strong links. At the same time it was inspiring to see the people of that city come together to clean up the streets and restore pride and dignity.”
In Newcastle, she said, “There are many groups and charities who also work tirelessly to support the most vulnerable amongst us, and other faith groups are part of this landscape of hope. I am deeply concerned by reports that action is being planned for this coming weekend and urge all those considering peddling fear and hatred to think again.”
Later on Tuesday, the Bishop of Southwark and his Area Bishops of Kingston, Croydon, and Woolwich issued a joint statement urging their communities to seek “peace and unity” in response to the murders. “We are heartbroken for those girls, for their families and those injured in the attack. We are heartbroken, too, to see how this terrible crime is being used by those on the far-right to stir up racist violence and hatred on our streets. The riots and racist attacks of recent days are a smear on our nation — they are neither patriotic nor Christian. Violence is not a legitimate form of protest and has no place in our society.”
The statement went on to condemn “the poisonous rhetoric of those on the far-right which seeks to stir up hatred and division. We stand with those who feel targeted — especially our Muslim brothers and sisters and those who are seeking asylum on our shores.”
Like many other church leaders, the London bishops said that Jesus was a refugee, pointed to the Christian commitment of welcoming the stranger, and called for prayers for all affected by the stabbing attack, and by the subsequent unrest.
The Archbishop of York also encouraged people to pray for “the communities in the UK affected in recent days by the senseless violence on our streets. There may be a vigil taking place at your local place of worship.”
On Tuesday, a service was held at St Patrick’s RC Church, Southport, to celebrate the life of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, one of the three young girls who were killed in the knife attack that has been cited as a pretext for the riots.
Bebe King, aged six, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were the other two. Five other children and two adults were injured.
The adults — since confirmed to be Leanne Lucas, the class yoga teacher, and John Hayes, a local businessman who was stabbed in the leg — and four of the injured children have been discharged from hospital. At the time of writing, one child remains in hospital.