Britain is so much better than the racists causing destruction, hatred and intimidation: Christa Ackroyd

Our friendship is a recent thing, yet we had an instant connection. We knew in a heartbeat we were kindred spirits with so much in common. We are all Bradford girls. Our childhoods and home lives were similar. Our schooling almost identical. Family was everything.

We were all three the product of an era when women had to fight to be heard, over-achieve to be considered equal. Without being boastful we are all proud to say we have done well in our chosen careers from business to law to journalism. And we are also proud of our roots.

And our journey. And yet there are those who would argue we should have no connection at all. That our differences should define us. That we cannot possibly understand each other. Well we are here to tell you that we do. Absolutely. I am a white woman raised in a Christian family.

My friends who shared this weekend are brown. They are both Muslims born in Bradford, one of Pakistani heritage, the other’s family came from India. And together as we returned to our rented apartment each evening and turned on the television we watched the riots and unrest and anarchy unfold. And we all felt the same.

Far from dividing us, we determined that what we were witnessing had to make us even more resolute. That what we have in common is far stronger than our differences.

And that the soul destroying scenes of thuggery and intimidation must be defeated and called out for what it is – racism. And that has no place in our lives.

Racism and the riots that were deliberately manipulated nearly destroyed our home city more than 20 years ago. We saw it. We each felt it then and still feel the repercussions and stigma of it today.

Yet out of the ashes of the Bradford riots communities came together as they are doing right now across the country to stand shoulder to shoulder. We didn’t even know each other then. But we all completely agreed that now is the time to once more declare ‘not in my name.’

I am not going to comment on what we witnessed together unfold on our TV screen and on social media. I won’t add fuel to the burning fires of hatred. There can be no justification ever, ever, ever. But I will just remind us all as to how it all started and declare that to use the deaths of three beautiful innocent little girls at a holiday dance club in Southport is especially wicked.

But that was the awful manipulated abhorrent excuse the power crazed vengeful haters were waiting for. Amidst the grief of those little girls’ families felt by a whole town and the nation they deliberately spread their lies and altered the facts.

And their troops who are either stupid or equally wicked answered their call.

I have seen it all before, though this weekend I watched it through different eyes. I saw the messages being sent to my friends from the mosques asking their followers to stay away, that no matter the provocation not to engage.

I heard my friends quietly, without anger, but with sadness, send messages to their loved ones to stay safe, to be aware of the tinderbox atmosphere. And I inwardly reminded myself yet again that as a white person I would never truly know what it feels like to feel threatened or fearful because of the colour of my skin.

But then also why it is all the more important I should speak out.

My travelling companions and I discussed that which we all knew. In this world there are more good people than bad. We saw them in action after the rioters had gone home. They came out to rebuild communities and clear away the mess, both physically and metaphorically.

But good people generally don’t shout about it. They just get on and do it . And amidst the chaos we must always remember that. Good people are the majority and will not be dictated to by the mindless minority who seek power from division.

For a while parts of our country last week became no go areas. Men and women, white, black and brown were told to lock their doors and stay inside. Mission accomplished by those who seek power over others. But we must not stay there and hide away.

We must open our doors, check on our neighbours and remind those who feel frightened and intimidated that we see them. And we are with them. We may not walk in their shoes but we walk beside them.

Someone far more eloquent than I once said for evil to triumph good men do nothing. And that will not happen here. Out of the ashes people will come together and the passion and will to do so must be ignited and burn as fiercely as any wreckage from the rioting.

We must understand each others backgrounds and cultures, even our religions because to do so means we are prepared to listen and learn. And if we do we will realise that we are all simply just people, that religion has one thing in common, a belief in a higher being.

And however differently that story is told it must never be used to preach violence and superiority. Rather to show humanity. This week I went to London with three women. The scenes we saw were meant to make us look at each other differently.

We were meant to question our trust in each other and our faith in a world which appears to be at its most fractured. But we didn’t. It brought us together. I didn’t need to say sorry but I almost felt as a white person I should.

I am sorry that because of the colour of someone’s skin they live a life which in the blink of an eye can change as they face the fact that they are being singled out because of beliefs, background or simple genetics. But I refuse to be angry.

That is what the manipulators want us to to be. They want to sit back, light the blue touch paper and watch those on both sides fight it out. Yet there are no sides. There is only right and wrong.

This weekend three women who all come from a city nearly destroyed by division came together to agree on one thing. Stop. Right now.

Sharing each others cultures is one of our greatest joys. It is why we travel to far off lands on holiday.

It is why we eat food from every continent. It is where we find an opportunity to learn and appreciate and above all respect each other. Why can we not do so here at home? Well we can.

As our Olympians return from Paris having achieved their goals and received their medals draped in the union flag let us not allow that same flag to be used as a symbol of destruction, hatred and intimidation. Because good people know that which is true, Britain is so much better than this.