United Against Racism

The Cardiff Alternative News reports that a Cardiff mosque has been sent threatening letters and broken in to over the weekend following recent events in London. The details are as follows:

Solidarity Rally & Demonstration
Outside City Hall at 2 pm
Saturday 30 July
Supported by Unite Against Fascism, All Wales Ethnic Minority Association, Cardiff TUC, Plaid Cymru - Party of Wales, Respect - The Unity Coalition, Muslim Society of Wales, Muslim Councillors in Wales, Cardiff Stop the War Coalition, Kevin Brennan MP, Jenny Willott MP, Jenny Randerson AM and many others.

Jeff Baxter, writing in CAN, sums everything up rather well:

The assumption that Cardiff as a multi-racial city is some natural repository of tolerance and unity is a delusion which only results in a 'head in the sand' approach. Cardiff is just as capable of sliding into a culture of hate and antagonism as anywhere else. This incident illustrates that for some people the bombings in London have provided an opening for racial hatred and a hazy and pretty clueless religous xenophobia.

Of course the climate that has helped produce a new generation of the narrowed minded is the one of ignorance and stupidity over asylum seekers. This has in the main been created by the same politicians who now preach calm and tolerance.

In the end as ever if you want a open minded and tolerant city you have to fight for it and support those putting themselves in the firing line.

I am gutted that I won't be in Cardiff on Saturday and want to wish everyone who attends the best of luck for an important afternoon.