We Reject Racism

In the aftermath of the UK's vote to leave the EU, there has been a horrifying upsurge of racist incidents. Tell MAMA reported a 540% increase in reported incidents. (Reported in The Independent, Huffington Post, The Guardian, Mashable, Vice News, Washington Post, and many more. Incidents are also being collated by This is what you have done, the Worrying Signs Facebook group and Twitter account, and the PostRefRacism hashtag and account on Twitter.)

It is not that every Leave vote was motivated by racism, but extreme toxic racism was expressed by the Leave campaign (which went unchallenged by the Remain campaign, which also promised to "control immigration" and boasted about how being in the EU helped us to deport hundreds of criminals - which is unjust because then they are being punished twice for the same crime).

Surveys of Leave voters have indicated that their main reason for voting Leave was to "take back control" (just so they could give it to the out-of-touch old Etonians who have bled the UK dry with their imposition of austerity). This seems xenophobic as well. The second most common reason given was that people were against immigration.

The people who are committing these vile racist atrocities seem to think that the other 17 million leave voters agree with them, as there have been a lot of racist comments along the lines of "we voted leave, so you should be packing to go home" - despite the fact that many of the people who have been targeted were born here, or have lived here for generations, and have every right to be here whether they have been here for five minutes or five generations.



Inclusive Wicca Statement on racist violence

We Reject Racism

We reject racism and want an open, inclusive, diverse, and welcoming Britain, that is open to the rest of Europe and the rest of the world, that celebrates diversity and rejects hate and racism.

We recognise that racism is systemic and structural, as well as incidents of interpersonal violence. We will work to dismantle racism in all its forms. 

We want Pagan religions to be open and welcoming to people of all ethnic backgrounds, and we utterly reject notions that you can only follow a specific religion based on who you are genetically descended from. We will work to make our spaces and rituals welcoming and inclusive to everyone, of every ethnicity, disability, gender, age, and sexuality.

We call upon all people of good will to stand up to racism and fascism wherever they are encountered, and to defend victims of harassment and attacks, and pledge to do this ourselves.

Inclusive Wicca (design by Yvonne Aburrow)

Resources

Who, if not you? Civil courage - an explanation of how to stand up to racism, and a plan for a workshop to develop skills for standing up to it when you witness it.

The safety pin campaign - wear a safety pin to show that you are a safe person and willing to help - but don't wait to be asked to step in if you witness racist abuse - do something.

Report it - if you are the witness or the victim of a hate crime, please report it to the police.
Hate crimes and incidents come in many different forms. It can be because of hatred on the grounds of your race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability.
Hate crime in any form is wrong. That is why it is important that if hate crime happens to you or someone you know, that you report it.
Pagans Against Racism (UK) - Facebook group, working to challenge racism in the UK and in Paganism.

Pagans Against Racism - US-based website with an excellent selection of articles on racism, white privilege, and how these play out in Pagan culture.
Co-signatories

Please feel free to sign up to this statement in the comments. If you want to repost it to your blog or website, feel free to do so, but please link back to it here.



Comments

  1. Yvonne Aburrow
    author of All Acts of Love and Pleasure: inclusive Wicca

    ReplyDelete
  2. Our coven House of the Rowan stand together against racism and the people in Scotland also stand together against racism, we do so in love and with a open hand, BB

    ReplyDelete
  3. Linda Haggerstone, Druid, Shaman, Interfaith Devotee. "From head to heart to hands", a circle of justice, respect and compassion.

    ReplyDelete
  4. All my life I have hated racism. I am proud to sign this.
    Emlyn Price. Pagan and Witch

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Shared to the Facebook group Pagans and Witches of the UK.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shared to the Facebook group Pagans and Witches of the UK.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New book: Transmasculine Guide to Physical Transition

The festival of Borrowed

What does “inclusive” mean?