Memorandum from GRASSROOTS (PVE 66)

 

 

1. PVE funding has not helped us in Luton in any way. It did not generate any clear opposition from any Muslim or other groups. It rather helped fractions of Muslim community isolate themselves from within the Muslim community, leave alone isolating from the wider community. Each, with its own theological emphasis, has used the money to train their own young people, not as Peace Ambassadors, but as Ambassadors of Islam. They may not use the language that they want to 'conquer' Britain in the name of Islam, but intentions are clearly focussed only on 'Dawah' and all this is done in the name of PVE or Community Cohesion.

 

2. This has further generated some unrest in the wider community as other faiths are feeling extremely left out and the far right groups get enough ingredients to propagate their agenda against Muslims. Hindus and Sikhs are concerned about conversion yet again. Besides all this, the amount of intra-community politics that the PVE funding stream has generated is beyond comprehension. Now we feel before we work for wider community cohesion, there is a great need to work within the Muslim community for enough cohesion first. I am not saying PVE is the sole cause, but certainly it has become an excuse for many other causes of 'intra' as well as 'inter-community' divisions. To an extent that the local borough council officer has given her hands up and asked for someone different to be appointed as the Prevent Officer.

 

3. Obviously there are people like us who have been tirelessly working in Luton over a decade to bring communities closer and to develop communities across faiths and cultures. None of us are really keen to apply for this position because of complexities associated with it. Perhaps it is time for the government to really think outside the box and find what is already happening on the ground and then invest accordingly into the existing best practices than to worry about re-inventing the wheel all the time for political motives. They can do it in other areas, but for God's sake, not at the cost of community cohesion as people like us have to pick the pieces.

 

September 2009