Graham Keddie

A friend of mine messaged me this week, more than a little frustrated at what she feels is silence from people who she would expect to be vocal in calling out antisemitism in public. She’s Jewish, her children are escorted to their sports field by security guards and now there are police guarding the school too. “Wouldn’t it be nice if people posted their support for the U.K. Jewish community” she wrote. I felt a bit uneasy replying - won’t it look like I’m claiming some understanding of a community I’m not part of? Is it a bit performative? Is there something more useful I can do? But she’s right - it’s gross that children can’t play sport without a security escort. Can you imagine how you’d feel if that was your child? You’d be wildly angry and you’d want everyone to be shouting about it. And we’re not, not really. Often, I think, because people are afraid to be drawn into a political debate they don’t fully understand or feel comfortable with and they just don’t want the hassle. But this isn’t a political debate. It’s about people turning on our friends and threatening them, attacking them and killing them and it’s happening here. It’s that simple. I am ashamed that children can’t go to school here without a police escort - something has gone horribly wrong. And I’m sorry that we haven’t been more vocal, we should be. It is that simple. This article struck a chord, but I don’t think it applies only to British Muslims. It applies to us all. Silence on antisemitism shames us as British Muslims thetimes.com/article/d93a138…