Difficult times for London's diverse communities

Written by Graham Tope and published in North West London Newspaper Group on Wed 26th Mar 2003

It is with great sadness that I acknowledge, at the time of writing, Britain is at war with Iraq. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sympathies to the families of those who have lost their lives. I hope the war is concluded swiftly with minimal casualties.

Although the London Assembly Liberal Democrats are united in supporting the troops and their families, we still believe that taking military action against Iraq was unjustified at this time. We tried to persuade our colleagues of other political persuasions to join with us in opposing war without a second UN resolution. However the Assembly Labour Group chose not to speak out against the Government – maybe they feared the wrath of No 10?

The war could have seriously damaging effects on London's social and economic welfare - the Greater London Authority believes it could cost the capital £1bn in lost tourism and other business alone because of our heavy reliance on stable international relations and trade.

And of even greater concern is the fear that our participation in this attack will harm community relations and see an increase in racist attacks.

One of London's great attractions is its diversity. Our ever-changing cultural mix, particularly in the last 50 years or so, has encouraged the development of greater prosperity and opportunity for all. Diversity enriches our city. A key to this success has been London's sense of community spirit and our tolerance of each other.

But tensions inevitably rise in a time of war. There are fears that places of worship or communities of minority groups may become the target of attacks and there may be a growth in suspicion or hostility towards those from other communities.

Retaliation or recrimination against any section of London's communities because of their religion or ethnic origins cannot be tolerated. Although we are facing immensely difficult times, there is no excuse for those who use the war as an opportunity to launch racist attacks. And the British National Party's decision to field a candidate in a London by-election next month amidst the current fears about ethnic tensions has sparked further concern.

On the whole the police will be countering fear rather than actual incidents, but all ethnic groups must feel safe and be reassured that the police will take swift action against those who use the war as an excuse to attack or intimidate others. The Metropolitan Police have already taken some proactive steps to protect mosques, synagogues and other places of worship that were in danger of desecration.

In these troubled times, I hope that all communities will be able to live alongside one another in peace and harmony free from tensions arising from the current geopolitical climate.