Much like the protests in London, the police is risking community trust by allowing these protests to take place (Picture: Isabel Infantes/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Worcester is a diverse, small city, full of great people from many corners of the world, where we have all lived side by side unhindered by any cultural or religious differences for many years.

As the general secretary of Worcester Muslim Welfare Association, I am devastated to hear that on Saturday the English Defence League (EDL) will be holding an Islamophobic march in my city.

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Later this year, Worcester Muslim Welfare Association has decided it will showcase a new relocated mosque project to the whole community. Since it was announced, racial and Islamophobic tensions have started to creep into our community, eating away at tolerance this city once enjoyed.



We wanted to give the city something new and bold, and make improvements in an area that really needed it. Our partners of faiths, non-faiths and the general community showed their support for this project and gave positive feedback at all stages of design, backing our philosophy behind this project, which was to create more cohesive and integrated community.


But what for us was such a positive project has escalated into something more sinister. Hate-fuelled propaganda from the far-right is trying to destroy the very fabric of diversity and integration we are all trying to achieve.

Last month, the EDL came to Worcester preaching Islamophobia under the banner of freedom of speech. Their purpose was to sow the seed of hate towards the mosque. Vile speeches and abusive language were hurled towards our religion, our prophet and our scriptures.

Our community and many other faith groups saw this not as freedom of speech, but pure racist and Islamophobic propaganda in an attempt to create a reaction.

The community was betrayed by police, who allowed the EDL to get away with using this language. One month later, the police again have allowed these people a platform to verbally abuse us. This has hindered any good relationship the community was trying to build with police and completely eroded any sense of trust.

Myself and other trustees will attend a counter-protest. We will be supporting all the groups who have come to show solidarity towards this small Muslim community.

We strongly feel the police and the council have made a mistake by allowing this group to come again in short space of time since the last event.

Today will see a number of events which have long been planned to mark the battle of Worcester, but this EDL march will distract from the celebrations, waste hardworking taxpayers’ money and affect our local businesses.

We support peaceful freedom of speech, which has helped this country prosper throughout history, but we cannot condone the radical, racist, far-right provocations the EDL is known for.

Our message to authorities is to use common sense and not let this happen again, learn from previous mistakes and most importantly listen to voices from the community they represent.

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