Extract from Welsh Parliament: Questions to the Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip - Mr 6

Altaf Hussain: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, sadly, recent events around the world are having a dramatic impact on community cohesion here in Wales. Although there is nothing we can do to force both sides in the Gaza conflict to stop the horrendous killing, apart from praying for peace, we can act to prevent the killing in the middle east from destroying interfaith relations here at home. Minister, what actions are the Welsh Government taking to ensure events happening elsewhere do not impact religious tolerance and freedom in Wales? How are you working with community and faith leaders across the nation to promote and protect community cohesion?

Jane Hutt (Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip): Diolch yn fawr, Altaf Hussain. Thank you for that really very important question for us today. It is a question that we've discussed and debated here in this Chamber, when we came together and debated this issue, and we were able to report, as a Welsh Government, on how we were reaching out. And certainly, I as Minister for Social Justice, and the finance Minister, the education Minister, we are meeting with our communities who are most affected by the events in the middle east. Of course, we are meeting with our Muslim communities, meeting with our Jewish communities—meeting with them and also visiting their places of worship, and understanding what this has meant for them, but also recognising what it has meant for them in terms of the impact that it has on their lives and globally as well. Can I say, our community cohesion teams are crucially important to this, working with our interfaith council, who have been meeting, and also our faith communities forum?

Altaf Hussain: Thank you, Minister. It behoves us all to be more tolerant of those with different beliefs to us. At the same time, we should also be free to criticise religions. We have no blasphemy laws in this country, yet those who rightly call out bigoted Islamist views are condemned as Islamophobic. We only have to look at the Shawcross review of Prevent to see how efforts to avoid racism and Islamophobia have allowed a rise in non-violent Islamist extremists. We can be critical of these people and their views without being Islamophobic, just as we can criticise the state of Israel without being antisemitic.

Yet, in recent weeks it seems that intolerance has gained the upper hand, and the only winners are the extremists, both religious and from the far right. Hamas supporters speaking at Palestine solidarity campaign fundraisers about a genocide, or ultra-orthodox Jews calling for the expulsion of Arabs from the holy land do little to relieve tensions. Minister, what more can the Welsh Government do to ensure that Welsh communities do not give in to hate and division, and that we can call for peace, peacefully? 

Jane Hutt: Thank you for that follow-up question. Let me make it very clear that the Welsh Government speaks out and stands out against Islamophobia and antisemitism. I think that it is really important that, in fact, in this Senedd, there was a really important event, when we were recognising the day of action against Islamophobia. I hope that that was very much recognised as a cross-party event as well.

As we meet with our Muslim colleagues and friends, particularly in the Muslim welfare council, to understand the impact that Islamophobia has on their lives, and equally understanding the impact of antisemitism—. I have to say, Altaf, that I hope that you would, with me, and certainly I know so many in this Chamber, condemn the Islamophobic language that has been spoken by some of the Conservative spokespeople now. Lee Anderson—no longer; suspended. But those words and those attacks on Sadiq Khan—I hope you will join me in condemning those as well.

Altaf Hussain: Thank you, Minister. Sadly, many of the demonstrations have been far from peaceful. We just have to look at the treatment of Jo Stevens MP. She said at the weekend that, following the attack on her office, she has had to change her behaviour when she leaves her house. This follows the earlier, appalling treatment of our own colleague Natasha Asghar. This is totally unacceptable. Why should a Member of Parliament, any Parliament, be forced to change their behaviour as a result of violent protesters? I'm afraid that this could have a chilling effect on our democracy, if left to be unchecked. Minister, what discussions have you had with police forces in Wales about the actions they are taking to protect our democracy from violent extremists? Thank you. 

Jane Hutt: Clearly, we condemn all attacks on elected representatives, but also recognise, and I'm sure many of us across this Chamber particularly recognise, the position of Natasha Asghar, but other elected Members also facing that kind of abuse, and also, in many cases, and I think this is happened even for myself, when there's peaceful protest then that is part of democracy. I welcome that there will be peaceful protest where people have very strong views and feelings about situations that they're caught up in. We condemn attacks, and I particularly recognise the points that you've made about our elected representatives. But you'll be glad to hear that tomorrow we have a meeting, which I'm chairing, of the policing partnership board, and we are going to be discussing particularly the issue of parliamentary security, which we have discussed in this Chamber and outside the Chamber, and the parliamentary security of our elected representatives. Now, there is work being done and funding being made available in terms of the parliamentary security of our MPs, but we are discussing this also in relation to our Senedd Members as well. That, of course, is part of the ways in which we work together with our policing colleagues to ensure that we promote community cohesion, but with the recognition of the importance of peaceful protest, which we stand up to support.

I know the coming weekend there's going to be a Stand Up To Racism rally, march and procession through Cardiff, the streets of our capital. I'm always very proud to join those events, because one of the most important chants that we make on those events is, 'Refugees are welcome here.' I think that's a really important point to make in terms of our nation of sanctuary.