Official Statement by Muhbeen Hussain on behalf of all in the Rotherham Muslim Community Alliance ending the boycott of South Yorkshire Police: (Includes comments by Sarah Champion MP. Also proposals that have been agreed upon by Muhbeen Hussain (British Muslim Youth), Sarah Champion MP & Dr Alan Billings (South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner) – Wednesday, 28th October 2015
“I am pleased to announce the end of the boycott in terms of engagement with South
Yorkshire Police within Rotherham.
The boycott was led by the Rotherham Muslim Community Alliance along with other
organisations and was due to feelings of heightened community tensions and
disengagement from the Muslim community in Rotherham by South Yorkshire Police. This
was a desperate and drastic measure which was taken with full support from the local
Muslim community.
To clarify a few points within the original official statement of the boycott:
The boycott of Muslim organisations that didn’t adhere to the engagement policy was not
applicable to individuals, statutory bodies and groups that were actively funded or worked
directly with the South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The
boycott was due to the incompetent engagement policy used by South Yorkshire Police,
therefore, the boycott of other Muslim groups only applied to any connection to such forms of
engagement policies.
Furthermore, within the original statement it needs to be robustly clarified that we have
stated that no individual or group is able to take the law into their own hands. We have never
argued that there is a problem with the legal system, only the engagement aspects of the
law providing service such as the South Yorkshire Police. We have, and always will,
continue to advocate only a message of peace, love, harmony and full cooperation with the
law.
We believe that the boycott has been successful in facilitating the correct dialogue needed to
hear the concerns of many ordinary law-abiding Muslims living within Rotherham and silently
enduring hate crimes.
We are aware that the boycott was a bold step. However, many felt that the British Muslim
Youth took a bold step when it led the very first UK Muslim led demonstration against Child
Sexual Exploitation (CSE). Just as that bold step allowed us to stand with the victims of CSE
to highlight the injustice done to those victims, we believe that this bold step has highlighted
anti-Muslim hate crimes.
All the organisations involved within the Rotherham Muslim Community Alliance want
to pave the way for successful dialogue and as those channels have now been opened, we
look forward to working in partnership with Sarah Champion MP and Dr. Alan Billings (South
Yorkshire PCC) in implementing the proposals below to ensure proper channels of
engagement and to work to build a more cohesive society for every community in Rotherham. We
would also like to thank Naz Shah MP for liaising and playing her role towards building this
engagement route.
We welcome this partnership and want to strive towards the implementation of these proposals and
hope to work towards a brighter future for all within Rotherham.”
Muhbeen Hussain
Muhbeen Hussain, Founder & Director of the British Muslim Youth
Sarah Champion MP commented; “South Yorkshire Police acknowledge that hate crimes are
increasing in Rotherham. However, when I speak to my constituents they are not even
reporting the crimes they endure and they don’t believe the police take them seriously.
“I am optimistic that there is now an opportunity to start a positive and productive working
relationship between the Rotherham Muslim community, South Yorkshire Police and the
Police and Crime Commissioner to tackle this vile crime head on.
“It is completely unacceptable that my constituents, many of whom are third generation
Rotherham, are too scared to go into town because of the abuse they face because they are
a British Muslim. No one should feel a hostage in their own home because of their faith or
ethnicity.”
The Proposals:
RMBC and South Yorkshire Police to detail their strategy to tackle all forms of hate crimes
(not only those that target British Muslims) within Rotherham and make a commitment to
involve community groups and organisations on whom the crimes impact within all stages of
the process.
Sarah Champion MP and the affiliates listed within this statement will write to the Home
Secretary requesting a meeting to make her aware of the impact of both hate crimes and the
repeat far right marches to Rotherham and ask for a commitment to ending the intimidation
Muslims in Rotherham face.
An independent inquiry conducted by the South Yorkshire PCC into the policing tactics used
in the 5th of September 2015 demonstration held in Rotherham. The PCC to set up a panel
involving community groups to consider the way in which demonstrations are policed along
the lines of the panel of the PCC for Greater Manchester.
To build on community relations and work with all communities to ensure cohesion in
Rotherham. We hope that in the coming years this will become a beacon of hope for towns
and cities around the country.
END.
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