Letters - 2 August 2021
From Asylum to Antisemitism
Asylum
Last week marked the seventieth anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, which outlined the legal obligations of states to offer protection. This principle is now under attack by the British government, which is proposing legislation to make it very difficult to claim asylum in the UK. In future, those who manage to escape to the UK, and then prove that they have been persecuted or tortured, will not be granted refugee status or any pathway to permanent settlement here. The magnitude of this is difficult to grasp: the post-war achievement of legal protection for refugees is part of our cultural and ethical landscape. How can it not be there?
Many Quakers work with and befriend refugees and those in the UK asylum system. Quaker Peace & Social Witness’ (QPSW) Sanctuary Everywhere programme provided important context and valuable support for Meetings with a concern for refugees. At the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network (QARN) Special Interest Group yesterday, Friends expressed appreciation for the support to Meetings that Tatiana Garavito had provided in her role of Sanctuary programme co-ordinator. They were also anxious to know what help and guidance they could expect in the future. QARN offers information and opportunities for advocacy through its email list and Facebook page which are open to all Quakers. Up-to-date information and suggestions can be found on the website (https://qarn.org.uk/category/what-can-you-do/). However, QARN cannot step into Tatiana’s shoes.
Sanctuary meetings can help shine a light on the increasingly stark two-tier system we have in the UK. Our pastoral involvement with refugees and asylum seekers can lead to deep and lasting friendships but it can also open our eyes to the inequities of the system their lives are caught up in. So, when we make connections, as we are bound to do, we too taste the inhumanity of a process which was set up to provide safety yet too often exacerbates suffering.
I appreciate the challenges that QPSW is facing with much reduced resources for programmes, and I understand that discussions are still in progress about future support for Sanctuary meetings. I look forward to hearing what form support for this vital area of Quaker concern will take and how we can work together on this.
Catherine Henderson
William Penn
I keep reading with dismay some of the correspondence concerning our Friend William Penn. Are we not in danger of being guilty of arrogance when we presume to see into, and criticise, the minds and motives of our great forefathers and foremothers?
We forget that our founders and early Quakers were men and women of their times, as are we. They had causes that they fervently believed in and worked for, as do we. We also forget that they were men and women of scripture, which does not forbid the owning of slaves, indeed in many places speaks as if it is normal.
Who are we to judge William Penn’s motives in not freeing his slaves? Maybe he knew that they would have no means of livelihood if he did. Maybe they were better off remaining in his care. Thank you, John Lampen (16 July), for reminding us of Jesus’ words about casting the first stone.
As to the stripping of the rooms at Friends House of their historical names and giving them mere numbers – are we turning Friends House into an office block that could be any business, hosting meetings (without the worship, of course)? I can’t see much outreach flowing from a room with just a number on the door.
Mike Glover
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