Friends House responds to online criticism
Friends House has responded to comments from Peter Tatchell on a recent letting
The leading gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has expressed disappointment that Quakers allowed Friends House in London to be used for an event hosted by an organisation that he says ‘supports Sharia executions’.
Britain Yearly Meeting has defended the decision to let ‘The Light’ to the not-for-profit organisation MEND (Muslim Engagement and Development) for an event entitled ‘Islam in Britain: shaping our future’ that was held on Saturday 4 April.
Peter Tatchell made three references to the event at Friends House on his Twitter account, which has 55,000 followers, expressing his concern.
Paul Parker, recording clerk for Britain Yearly Meeting, responded promptly to his comments.
‘For Quakers the freedom to gather is an important principle. Quakers in Britain let meeting space to a wide range of organisations. All our customers are required to agree to our terms and conditions which say that the aims and policies of the hirer may not be in serious conflict with Quaker beliefs. Quaker faith holds that each person is of equal value and must be respected.
‘Quakers in Britain were not the host organisation on Saturday 4 April. In confirming the letting to MEND we bore in mind the stated aim of the conference to engage Muslims ahead of the general election and we received assurances from the organisers that speakers would abide by our Quaker principle that discrimination is not acceptable. We took police advice.’
MEND describes itself as ‘a not-for-profit company working towards enhancing the active engagement of British Muslim communities in our national life, particularly in the fields of politics and the media’.
Comments
I am afraid Peter Tatchell raises an important point. In many other organisations this would be considered a serious aspirational issue; for Quakers it is more serious as it challenges our deepest values which are far more complex than the right to gather. The lettings policy of the Light should be straightened out before the Quaker preoccupation with property and money prevails. At the LM I have just resigned from these matters ended up oppressing Friends with many leaving. That meeting house was let weekly to a church with openly professed homophobic values but above all the burden of making money will break the society.
By Janeee56 on 10th April 2015 - 8:35
*reputational
By Janeee56 on 11th April 2015 - 12:30
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