‘Respect, equality, goodwill to all’ – Welsh Quakers make stand against extremists

Quakers in Swansea and Newport speak out for respect and diversity

Hearing that the so-called ‘Welsh Defence League’ (WDL) was going to hold an anti-Muslim protest on Saturday 17 October, Swansea Quakers got together with Swansea City of Sanctuary steering group and called for a silent vigil on the theme of ‘Respect, Equality, Goodwill to All’. We wanted to show that Swansea is a welcoming city where we celebrate the part played by everyone, including those of all religions and none. Swansea’s Meeting house is quite central and almost opposite the mosque, so we could provide a visible symbol of community support for freedom of religion and for Swansea’s Muslim community as a welcome part of our vibrant city.

We had more than forty people standing in silence on the lawn outside the Quaker Meeting house for an hour, including the chief executive of Cytun (Churches Together in Wales) and, briefly, the lord mayor of Swansea. There were also a similar number on the street, including several Muslims, who clearly saw themselves as part of the demonstration. An impressive quiet dignity was maintained for the full hour.

In the event the WDL members did not come near the mosque. They were effectively confined by the police to one corner of Castle Square, about half a mile away. We were pleased to hear that there was also a very successful ‘Unite against Fascism’ demonstration, which ran continuously during the afternoon, with at least 300 people taking part. The WDL, reportedly mostly from outside Wales, were outnumbered almost ten to one.

We hope that our silent vigil successfully served its purpose of adding to the sense of solidarity and community among the people of Swansea, complementing the ‘Unite against Fascism’ demonstration, and offering an alternative, quiet way for people to make clear their view.

South Wales Friends join defence of mosque and multifaith community centre plans
Other South Wales Quakers showed opposition to the Welsh Defence League on Saturday 24 October, this time in Newport. A peaceful rally was organised by Newport Community Trust to protest against another planned WDL march against the conversion of a church into a mosque and multifaith community centre. The rally, says David Harries of Bridgend Meeting, was ‘good-natured, with revolutionary songs from Cardiff Welsh Choir. There was some expectation that the WDL would turn up around 1pm, but they would have been greatly outnumbered.’ In the end the WDL protestors failed to materialise – marking a successful rally by Newport’s community.
Joe Mugford

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