Last nights violence across the country brought the inevitable cost here in Birmingham with at least three deaths resulting from a brawl on Dudley Road as local people confronted looters, trying to protect their shops, livelhoods and communities. Young people are being killed on our streets because of what exactly? I am hearing all sorts of excuses and reasons for the current civil disorder, but at root, what is the real cause? I am sure that the causes are many and nebulous and complex in many minds, but in mine they are clear and boil down to one thing. We have lost respect for one another and for the communities and societies in which we live. There is no evidence of respect for property, livelihoods even life. We have cheapened ourselves and each other to such an extent that nothing matters anymore, and it saddens my heart. As I watch the images of looting and violence, and experience the aftermath first hand on my way to the office, seeing pubs I drink in smashed up, my local community torn apart, friends and aquaintances hurt and their businesses damaged I can't help but wonder, what next?
We have a little rain here today, and there is a hope that this change in the weather along with a quieting down of the trouble in London may quieten things down here tonight, but London is quietened as a consequence of being on pretty much complete lockdown. I wonder if we have the policing resources in the West Midlands to do the same. The boys in blue seemed to be having a tough time of it in parts of Birmingham last night. I guess we will just have to see what happens.
I would like to take this opportunity to make a personal plea to the communities that I live in, and to the people who are out on the streets causing this situation, for the sake of our city, and the sake of our people, to bring an end to this before more people like Shazad Hussain, may the peace of the prophet be upon him, lose their lives and leave families shattered. This has already gone too far, and it needs to stop right now. Whatever point may have been the catalyst for this has been lost, whatever was hoped to be achieved has been lost. There is no benefit to be derived from this, to be honest there never was, but it is time to end it. I pray for peace, and would ask all those of faith to do the same. There will be a lot of energy required for rebuilding both physically and emotionally after this is over, and we will need to be strong. I have faith in humanity and in our communities, and I have faith that we can overcome this by working together. This is a great and beautiful and vibrant city and we are better than this.
No comments:
Post a Comment