There is so much news that makes us feel angry and scared. These emotions mixing together can be powerful motivators to act. But sometimes these emotions make us want to act before we think. They can drive us to choose violence over non-violence. Anger and fear are dangerous as motivations for action.
On July 29 in Southport in the United Kingdom an assailant carried out an attack at a children’s dance party, killing three young girls and injuring several more. In the understandable haze of anger and fear that followed, false rumours started flowing through social media about the attack. The rumours (unfounded) claimed the youth arrested over the attack was a Muslim and a recent migrant – two fake character traits carefully chosen to stoke anti-Muslim and anti-Migrant fears.
These rumours are examples of misinformation – lies created and spread online by a small group of hate-motivated groups and individuals to a wide global audience, by making their lies look and sound like the truth. This misinformation was amplified by politicians and social media influencers with mass followings over social media platforms that could have stopped the information from spreading.
What started as online misinformation soon turned to offline violence. On July 30 in Southport, anti-Muslim protesters threw bricks, bottles and other missiles at a local mosque and police, injuring dozens of officers. Using the same channels spreading misinformation online, violent protests and riots have spread to other communities across the UK. By August 5, hundreds of rioters were gathering in cities around the country to attack mosques and hotels sheltering recent migrants fleeing oppressive and war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa. Attempts were made to set two hotels on fire with innocent asylum seekers trapped inside.
While riots in the UK were spreading, on August 2 the New Zealand Government announced it was concluding work in response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the March 15th 2019 terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques. The Inquiry made 44 recommendations to keep Muslim and other communities safe following the terrorist shooting at two Christchurch mosques in 2019. The Government announced it will stop work on eight important recommendations designed to make it easier to report and prosecute the same types of hate-motivated crimes we are seeing in the UK. The work will end just as New Zealand Muslims and other faith, ethnic and LGBTQI+ communities are reporting increasing incidents of hate-motivated threats and harassment.
When we look at events around the world, it is understandable that we sometimes feel angry and afraid. These are the times where where prayer, introspection and compassion for others should be put into practice.
We pray for Government action: to recognise the threat that what is happening in the UK can happen here, just as it has in the past. We pray the Government continues to honour the memory of the 51 shuhada and other Muslims killed or injured in the March 15 2019 Christchurch attack by taking stronger action to prevent hate-motivated crimes and misinformation, online and offline.
We pray for victims of the current violence in the UK: we pray for the victims and families affected by the July 30 attack in Southport, and for Muslims and migrants in the United Kingdom who have been wrongfully targeted by misinformation and violence.
We pray for the peacemakers; for the health and safety of first responders, neighbours and wider community members who have taken peaceful action to protect and stand in solidarity with each other in the face of hateful violence. We pray that we can be servants of God’s peace by standing with those in our own lives and communities who are vulnerable.
We pray for New Zealand Muslims and other faith, ethnic and vulnerable communities: We pray for their safety, care and wellbeing here in Aotearoa New Zealand.