Some positives
the Guardian today
The archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, spoke out as communities across the UK engaged in
A Million Acts of Hope Week – a celebration of unity and diversity
This year’s Million Acts of Hope has promoted interfaith work and is backed by Mullally – who in March became the first woman to lead the Anglican church – the Muslim Council of Britain, UK Muslim Network and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, the senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism UK.
Mullally said: “When we watch the news or scroll through our phones it can feel as though our country is more divided than ever. But this is not the whole story. When I visit churches and communities, I see people serving one another and looking out for those in need. This gives me hope.
“These acts of hope happen all the time yet so often they go unseen. There is far more that connects us than divides us. And when we choose hope we help build the kind of country we all long to live in.”
Wittenberg, a leading voice in interfaith dialogue, also said he took hope from the solidarity he had received from Muslims and Christians during the period following a spate of attacks last month on Jewish people and sites in London.
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Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg said he had witnessed constant ‘acts of kindness’ between communities, such as the solidarity of many Muslim and Christian colleagues during this spate of antisemitism.
He added: “Every day we remember in our prayers that ‘acts of kindness are immeasurable’. I witness them constantly within my community, like taking food to families in mourning. I experience them between communities, like the solidarity of many Muslim and Christian colleagues during this spate of antisemitism.
“I see them in sustained support for refugees, despite the ugly slogans. I’m conscious of them across the community of all life, like the woman who travels 50 miles to fill the bird feeders on the hillside she loves. These acts of kindness express the true heart of our country.”
Downing Street said Starmer was taking action to “protect British communities from vile hate” amid the bans on foreign activists. Visiting the Metropolitan police’s command and control special operations room, the prime minister said: “We’re in a fight for the soul of this country, and the Unite the Kingdom march this weekend is a stark reminder of exactly what we are up against. Its organisers are peddling hatred and division, plain and simple.
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The archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said choosing hope helped ‘build the kind of country we all long to live in’.Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA
“We will block those coming into the UK who seek to incite hatred and violence. For anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone, you can expect to face the full force of the law. My government will always champion peaceful protest but will act decisively against hatred. We all have a responsibility to speak out against those spouting vile divisive views wherever we see it. We are a country built on decency, fairness and respect, at our best when people from different backgrounds come together in common purpose. That is what we must fight for.”
Tomorrow is expected to be one of the busiest days of the year for policing in London. Many are expected to attend the pro-Palestine protest, while there will also be a presence by anti-fascist protesters organised by Stand Up to Racism’