“We Are Happy Living With Muslims”
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“We are not prepared to accept divisive and hate-based politics on our streets,” Woods said. (Google)
CAIRO – Hundreds of Welsh in the coastal city of Swansea are standing side by side with their Muslim neighbours and friends against attempts by far-rightists to paint them as the enemy within.
“We are happy to live together with the Muslim community,” Leanne Woods, National Assembly member for Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales), told the Wales Online on Sunday, October 18.
“We are not prepared to accept divisive and hate-based politics on our streets.”
Hundreds of Swansea residents gathered around Castle Square on Saturday, October 17, to counter an anti-Muslim march by the Welch Defence League (WDL).
“This is the first time they have come to Wales and a lot of people from different organisations have come out to say far-right extremism isn’t acceptable on the streets of Swansea,” asserted Woods.
The WDL had called the march to protest what they called the influence of “extreme Islam” in Wales.
Its supporters chanted anti-Muslim slogans with participants making Nazi salutes, with one of them arrested for a racially-aggravated public order offence.
“My first reaction to the WDL is who are they defending us against?” wonder Keith Ross, one of the organizers of the counter demo.
“I don’t need to be defended against Muslims.”
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom with a population estimated at three million.
Islam is the largest non-Christian religion in Wales, with over 30,000 reported Muslims in the 2001 census.
Intolerance
Many Swansea residents accused the WDL of fuelling hatred and intolerance in their community.
"It is worrying, the intolerance," said Darren Cadwallader, a resident.
"One of the things I love about St Helen's Road is the diversity."
Ross, the organizer, agrees.
“I’m sad that the WDL has made a public call for no more mosques, which is a breach of human rights,” he asserted.
“Yet they have been given the right of freedom of speech.”
Dr Mohammed Rahman said he and fellow Muslims are part of the Swansea society.
“In any society in the world there will be some elements who will be against Islam or Christianity or some other religion, so this is a normal thing to happen,” he reasoned.
“But it is a very, very minor percentage of people.
“I feel very secure in the community here because most of the people support us.”
source: Islamonline
