The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has reassured communities across the capital today that increased security measures will continue to be in place to protect places of worship following the
impact of the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in Israel.
The horrific loss of life in both Israel and Gaza in the last week has impacted communities across London and the Mayor is determined to do everything he can to support communities and show that there is zero-tolerance to any Islamophobia or antisemitism.
City Hall’s resilience team and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) are continuing to work closely with London’s communities, and the Metropolitan Police has stepped up patrols to provide reassurance and deter hateful acts. This includes a rolling programme of security visits to all London Synagogues.
As part of ongoing work from City Hall to support faith leaders, the Mayor has also announced today a new Community Resilience Champions programme1, which is being run in partnership with London Boroughs Faiths Network, to provide more practical support for faith leaders on how to keep their places of worship safe for staff, visitors and communities.
The programme is designed to give faith leaders and communities further expert support to ensure security in their buildings and practical guidance to stamp out hate. That includes safety actions, safeguarding and how to support communities in the event of emergencies.
This £10,000 investment, which has been announced during National Hate Crime Awareness Week, strengthens the existing support which is already in place, with MOPAC providing hundreds of free safety and security seminars and webinars for places of worship which impart practical tips on how to keep premises and worshippers safe.2
It is also builds on the Mayor’s record £3million Shared Endeavour Fund3 which is empowering thousands of Londoners to get involved in grassroots community-led projects across London that stand up to tackle extremism, hate, intolerance and radicalisation wherever they are.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The suffering and loss of innocent life in both Israel and Gaza is truly heart-breaking and my thoughts are with all those impacted. It’s vital that we don’t allow events overseas to spill over onto our streets in London and I want to reassure both the Jewish community and the Muslim community that we will take a zero-tolerance approach to any Islamophobia or antisemitism.
“I’m continuing to work closely with the police and community leaders to ensure our communities feel safe, and are safe, as they go about their daily lives. Our city is united against all forms of hate and we will continue to do all we can to support faith leaders and communities as we build a safer London for all.”
Fiona Twycross, Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience, said: “We know that the potential threats our communities and cities are facing is evolving which is why the Mayor and I are committed to working with faith leaders to ensure that their places of worship remain safe spaces where individuals and communities can come together in peace. It’s incredibly important that we do all we can to protect our communities and the Mayor’s new Community Resilience Champions programme will help to build a safer city for all Londoners.”
Steve Miller, Convenor at the London Boroughs Faiths Network, said: “After many years of discussion, and with the insights we gained through the pandemic, I'm delighted that the Community Resilience training course is being launched. It will enhance the potential for faith communities and emergency responders to work together. Now is a great opportunity for every faith tradition and place of worship to begin the process of building a London-wide network of Community Resilience Champions and Responders by nominating key leaders to be a part of this course.”
Dr Deesha Chadha, Co-Chair of the London Faith and Belief Sector Panel, said: “I strongly encourage anyone who represents their place of worship to register for this free training which provides you with all the necessary tools and guidance to keep your places of worship safe, secure and prepared for emergencies. Resilience training for communities is becoming ever more important as communities seek to respond to a myriad of potential risks and hazards. I especially recommend this training to representatives from the Dharmic faith traditions – who do not always take up such opportunities – as it is relevant, up-to-date, delivered by experts and could make a significant, tangible difference to their communities.” Photo by DAVID HOLT from London, England, Wikimedia commons.