Ealing to set new tone for UK Sikh and Muslim co-operation

Map of Ealing area

It had a low-key start but a joining together of Sikh and Muslim community activists lein West London could be a pathfinder for co-operation in other parts of the capital and country.

That’s the hope anyway of representatives of the two faith communities in Ealing and Southall, according to the Ealing Times newspaper.

They met last week to discuss ways of drawing closer and formed the Muslim and Sikh Media Monitoring and Response Project, thought to be a pioneering endeavour in the UK. It will meet every eight weeks to discuss issues reported in the media which might damage relations between Sikhs and Muslims.

There is long-standing concern about reports of poor relations between the communities, including articles on the web and in blogs which are “increasingly being used to corrode relations”, reports the Ealing Times.

At the Monitoring and Response Project’s first meeting residents shared their experiences of local life and honed in on examples of conflict, but also inter-faith harmony. Combined activities will be a feature of the group’s future planning.

Organiser Fiyaz Mughal hopes the project will help people speak out against messages of hate and division.

“By sharing information we can act quickly to resolve tensions and hopefully we can use Ealing as an example to the rest of the country,” he said.