Restoring England’s Tradition of ‘Compassionate Patriotism’
England has always had a history of being welcoming to newcomers, including immigrants. Of course, these days there is an ugly xenophobic head rising.
Not to say that there are genuine issues with illegal immigrants (which in most cases solutions already exist), but there is another way of treating people who arrive on our shores, whether as legal immigrants or genuine refugees, seeking asylum.
Some political parties and media pundits, suggest that to feel empathy and make immigrants feel welcome (or even to have compassion for those who drown on boats) is ‘not being patriotic’. In fact, it’s possible to have strict border controls, and still boast of our kindness as a nation.
Using words like ‘aliens’ (or as Trump recently called people in Somalia – ‘garbage’ – cheered on his by (Roman Catholic) vice-president), says more about them than it does about immigrants, legal or otherwise.
Compassionate patriotism is about building bridges, not walls. It’s about looking out for our neighbours, honouring our shared history, and dreaming a future where everyone belongs.
Often the jobs taken by immigrants are those that the very people who belittle them would never do – being a cleaner, carer or hospital janitor.
Ahmed Al Ahmed (the have-a-go fruit shop owner hero who saved so many lives in the anti-Jewish shooting on Bondi Beach, was from Syria, a country that President Trump has banned nations from visiting the US, thinking they are a terrorism risk.
Recently he and others who helped at the scene were welcomed at a major cricket match. The entire crowd roared with appreciation as he and others walked onto the pitch. While in the US for medical treatment (thankfully Trump let him in), he and the Bondi Beach Rabbi prayed together.
He later said that he had been looking for a cup of coffee. The security guard had told him there would be a hot drink by the sea, as it was Hannukah. He said ‘I saw the Menorah standing tall. I knew these were our Jewish brothers, and I felt happy to see it’.
A few years back in New Zealand, when Muslims were murdered in their mosque in another far-right attack, they were too scared to return to pray. When they did, to their surprise, they found local ‘Hells’ Angel’ type big men protecting the area outside, so their fellow citizens would feel safe.
The Muslim community (who never would normally let others in) invited them to come in, if they wanted to. The tattooed bikers didn’t, but it was a lovely gesture.
Contrast that with what is happening in England at present. Jews accusing anyone who peacefully protests again Israeli armies dropping bombs on children’s hospitals in Gaza being called ‘anti-Jewish’. And hatred starting to fester so much, that it is turning centrist people into supporters of far-right parties.
According to most of the media these days, you can’t call out genocide, without being labelled antisemitic. But of course both sides (not most innocent people) have committed atrocities, yet those in power are not called out on their actions.
Caroline Lucas’ Vision of Another England
Another England is a refreshing, uplifting and important book by England’s first Green MP (now resigned) Caroline Lucas, as a compassionate and alternative response to the hard-right taking over our country.
She writes that when politics becomes too soft on crime, lack of housing and immigration (all linked to our national problems), this gives a vacuum for bigoted politics to rear its ugly head, by those who lazily seek to blame all of society’s problems on others, rather than a lack of vision on the new compassionate society that’s possible, for all.
It’s interesting that Reform UK markets itself as ‘the party of patriotism’. But for what? A beautiful England is one of clean litter-free streets, local independent shops, local economies that protect homeless people, protecting native wildlife.
Yet its policies include zero-hour contracts (which leads to more homelessness, as there are no contracts to support rental or mortgage payments), stopping rewilding (which would lead to extinction of endangered creatures like hedgehogs and dormice – they are also ‘native to England’ – and have been around a lot longer than all of us).
Local independent shops are not deemed as important as sucking up the the USA and Silicone Valley. And accepting million pound donations from funders abroad, who don’t live here and pay tax to fund our NHS, like the rest of us do.
Just like Hamza Yassin recently wrote that he wished all children could name five trees (rather than five Kardashians), one wonders how many of the Reform MPs and would-be MPs could name our endangered species, coastal flowers, and have the scientific argument on why they believe climate change is not manmade (it is, ask any climate scientist that is not funded by the oil industry).
The Reform Party’s only interest really does appear to be making the country as rich (only in monetary terms) as quickly as possible. Reading the manifesto has made me believe they actually see the environment as an inconvenient obstacle one has to live with, and can profit from. Elizabeth Parry
