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Suburb tainted by terrorism in line for £100m
Exclusive A run-down suburb blighted by the spectre of terrorism is now set for a near-£100m facelift as it battles to shed the image of deprivation and improve community cohesion.
Beeston, the south Leeds district that became the unwelcome focus of the world's attention following the July 7, 2005 attacks, is now quietly focusing on the future away from the glare of the spotlights.
Yesterday Leeds Council officials responsible for the area said that a combination of community activity and big-money investment was the key to reducing tension.
On the ground, youth workers from the predominantly Muslim community said they believed Beeston will only turn the corner when its young people are better trained and more politically aware.
Over the last six years Leeds Council has applied for large-scale Government housing stock funding four times – and has now been told it is "likely" to receive 92m in the next month.
That money will be used to transform the area and first to go, according to South Leeds area manager Dave Richmond, will be the unsightly and dilapidated tower blocks on Holbeck Moor.
He said: "We'll take out some of the really poor quality housing stock in the area. It will make a significant difference to the area, people will see a physical change.
"At the end of the day, Beeston Hill will never be the most affluent area of Leeds, but people will notice a real difference and that will help with community cohesion."
People are beginning to take more pride in their community, with the Beeston In Bloom group recently winning a silver medal in a national scheme to find the village or suburb with the best use of flowers.
On the ground, community groups have started a series of new projects to engage with the Asian community in the wake of the terrorist attacks, with many concentrating on young people susceptible to the lure of extremism.
"Beeston is a poor area but it has a lot of very active community groups," said Mr Richmond. "For example local residents are taking over the former Hillside Primary School (where 7/7 ringleader Mohammed Sidique Khan worked) and will run it as a community enterprise centre to help people start small businesses.
"Another grassroot initiative has seen new teaching staff placed in every primary school in the area to help parents both support their children and learn new skills themselves."
At the end of next month, South Leeds School will find out if it has won a prestigious local government award for its conflict classes, which so far has seen about 160 teenage pupils learn how to diffuse tensions and act as peer leaders.
A similar project is now running with Muslim students of university age, 10 of whom are undertaking a new qualification created to make them into community ambassadors.
Its co-ordinator Mohammed Kamran, youth development worker at Beeston's Hamara Centre, said: "After the attacks about 150 young Muslims were asked how they felt their lives could be improved.
"They said they wanted to be better skilled, understand how to engage in politics, handle conflict resolution, help improve community cohesion, be better at public speaking so they could become effective spokespeople for their community, and learn leadership skills.
"They want to be involved in the community but don't feel they have the skills. This course will give them a community mindset."
Mr Kamran said the problems in Beeston were not much different from those on run-down mostly-white estates like Gipton and that the "moderate majority" of residents were far more concerned with paying next month's bills than they were about religious extremism.
"Look around Beeston and you'll see social poverty, poor standards of education and health," he said. "The problem here is not so much about the money, it's about equality of opportunity.
"If people feel they have some life chances, an equal share of the pie, it will dramatically reduce tensions. It's about seeing people as equals – that they can get jobs based on merit."Brown rejects no-go areas claim
Gordon Brown has rejected claims by a senior Church of England Bishop that Muslim extremists were creating "no-go areas" for non-Muslims.
At his first Downing Street news conference of the year, the Prime Minister said that he regarded Britain's Christian heritage as an "absolutely critical and essential part" of the fabric of the country's national life.
His comments follow a warning at the weekend by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, that non-Muslims faced a hostile reception in areas dominated by Islamic radicals. He said that Britain's Christian heritage was being undermined by multiculturalism.
However Mr Brown told reporters: "I know that there are pressures in many areas of the country but I don't accept that there are or should be no-go areas in any part of the country.
"I do believe that Britain's Christian heritage which underlies the establishment of the church is an absolutely critical and essential part of the fabric of our national life."
Jewish group seeks Muslim schools adviser
An organisation representing the British Jewish community is planning to appoint a Muslim adviser to a scheme aimed at promoting greater understanding between faith schools.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews is looking for a Muslims schools adviser to take part in its Shared Futures project, an initiative to foster links between Jewish and other faith schools.
The adviser will help to develop programmes that will appeal to Jewish and Muslim schools in the project.
Board of Deputies' community issues director Alex Goldberg said: "This is an exciting opportunity for faith schools. Shared Futures reflects the requirement for greater cooperation between different faith schools in promoting a more cohesive society.
"It will allow our schools to comply with these requirements in ways that conform to the ethos of individual schools."
Reprimand for JP over veiled vandal
A magistrate has received a reprimand after refusing to deal with the case of a Muslim woman wearing a veil covering her face.
Ian Murray walked out of court when Zoobia Hussain, 32, first appeared before the bench at Manchester Magistrates' Court in June last year.
The jobless mother-of-five from Crumpsall, Manchester, was wearing a niqab, a veil covering her entire face apart from her eyes, when she appeared at the court accused of wrecking her council house with graffiti.
Mr Murray left the hearing without explaining why – but said later he felt the way she was dressed raised identity issues.
Hussain's lawyer, Judith Hawkins, said the young mother was "shocked and distressed" by Murray's "insensitive and unacceptable" treatment.
Ms Hawkins told the bench her client was a practising Muslim who covered herself in public places where men were present as part of her religion.
A formal complaint was made by long-term benefit claimant Ms Hussain and an internal investigation launched by local magistrates and passed to the Office of Judicial Complaints.
The Office of Judicial Complaints revealed Mr Murray had been given a formal reprimand and ordered he receive further training.
Some judges and magistrates say it is a vital part of a court hearing to be able to see the face of someone giving evidence.
Hussain's was later convicted of criminal damage after causing 1,500 of damage to a council house when her family was thrown out for rent arrears. Graffiti was sprayed on the walls and there were holes in the doors.
The denied she had trashed the property out of spite.
She was given a curfew order and ordered to pay 500 compensation.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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