“DEHUMANISING language” directed towards migrants should be called out, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Revd Sally Foster-Fulton, has said.
In a video message posted in advance of Racial Justice Sunday, Ms Foster-Fulton says that, over the past few years, “increasingly hostile and dehumanising language [has been] levelled at migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers.
“People coming to the UK have been branded as criminals, as scroungers, and even as part of an invasion. This abuse can be found in the pages of newspapers, comments online, and increasingly from the mouths of our politicians. It’s become so common that we almost don’t notice it any more.”
She says that, as a white American, she has not faced the same barriers as migrants and asylum-seekers of colour do. “It’s clear that not all migrants are treated the same — racism, discrimination, and prejudice mean that God’s children aren’t treated equally.”
Ms Foster-Fulton calls on people not simply to lament the situation, but to “get off our knees and act”.
“I want you to notice when those around you, your family, friends, colleagues, or even your local newspaper, use dehumanising language to describe or refer to migrants,” she says. “When you hear it, call it out. If we let this become part of our normal way of seeing a huge section of the global population, we diminish both our humanity and theirs.”
The Archbishop of York also issued “a collective call to action” to eradicate racism, when he hosted an anti-racism summit at Bishopthorpe last month. It was the first summit of its kind to take place in York (News, 2 February). Hosted with the grass-roots organisation Inclusive Equal Rights, it was attended by about 60 leaders of different religious groups and civil-society organisations.
Archbishop Cottrell said that the summit “stands as a testament to our commitment to justice and equality. It is a collective call to action, reminding us that the eradication of racism and hate in our society is not just a goal, but a moral imperative, essential for the flourishing of all humanity.”
The executive of the City of York Council last year approved a five-year anti-racism and inclusion strategy (News, 7 July 2023). Haddy Njie, who chairs Inclusive Equal Rights UK, said that the summit was “an important next step”.
“Despite a wave of support for our strategy last year, we also saw threatening and racist responses, which highlights how urgent constructive dialogue and engagement is to ensure we make a lasting stand and promote inclusivity. All who attended the summit will leave with actionable solutions. Only by working together can we make a lasting difference.”
In an article in the Church Times today, the Church of England’s Racial Justice Director, the Revd Guy Hewitt, writes that the C of E’s commitment to racial justice does not stem from a desire “to engage in a culture war. The racial-justice mandate flows not from a commitment to identity politics, but from our primary identity in Christ.”
Read the full comment from Guy Hewitt here
ctbi.org.uk/racial-justice-sunday-2024