Agenda item
MAYOR'S REPORT
The Council’s Constitution provides for the Elected Mayor to give a report at each Ordinary Council Meeting.
A maximum of five minutes is allowed for the Elected Mayor’s report, following which the Speaker of the Council will invite the respective political group leaders to respond for up to one minute each if they wish.
Decision:
The Mayor made his report to the Council meeting. As part of his report the Mayor invited the Deputy Mayor to address the Council about the recent award that the Council had received for its work in preparing for the London Olympics 2012.
The Leader of the Majority Group and Leaders of the Minority Groups each responded briefly to the Mayor’s report.
Procedural motion
At this point, Councillor Fozol Miah moved, and Councillor Harun Miah seconded, a procedural motion – “That under Procedure Rule 14.1.3 the order of business be varied to allow motion 12.5 (Motion regarding the rise of Islamophobia) to be considered as next business.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was unanimously agreed.
Motion 12.5: Motion regarding the rise of Islamophobia
Councillor Harun Miah moved, and Councillor Fozol Miah seconded motion 12.5 as printed in the agenda.
Councillor Fozol Miah indicated that he had tabled an amendment to motion 12.5 as set out below. Councillor Harun Miah accepted the amendment and altered his motion accordingly.
Councillor Sirajul Islam moved, and Councillor Rachael Saunders seconded, a tabled amendment to the motion, incorporating the text of motions 12.2, 12.4 and 12.5 (as amended) into a single motion as below.
Councillor Shahed Ali proposed that the existing second bullet point in Councillor Islam’s amendment should become the third point and vice versa. This was accepted by Councillors Islam and Saunders who altered their amendment accordingly.
Councillor Abdul Asad proposed that the first resolution shown in motion 12.5 should be amended to remove the reference to Rushanara Ali, MP and be re-worded: “That all Group Leaders and the Mayor jointly write to the Home Secretary requesting she take steps to ban the EDL march and ensure that our community is fully protected from the EDL and other extremists.” This was accepted by Councillors Sirajul Islam and Rachael Saunders who altered their amendment accordingly.
After debate, Councillor Sirajul Islam moved, and Councillor Rachael Saunders seconded, a procedural motion – “That under Procedure Rule 14.1.10 the question be now put.” The procedural motion was put to the vote and was agreed.
The amendment as tabled by Councillors Sirajul Islam and Rachael Saunders and subsequently amended as above, was put to the vote and was unanimously agreed.
The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was unanimously agreed.
DECISION
This Council Notes:
-
Offers its sympathies to the family and friends of
Lee Rigby. To try to use a warped view
of any religion or faith to justify his murder is wrong, and cannot
be tolerated.
-
Is deeply concerned about attacks on Islamic
buildings and threats to the safety of individuals and
communities.
-
Calls for unity against the EDL, BNP and others who
seek to stir up hatred and division. We
are at our strongest when we are united, as we must be in the face
of this attack in our neighbouring borough of Greenwich.
- Notes the EDL threat to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets on the 26th August 2013 and that the Labour Group immediately wrote to the Mayor and all Group leaders asking them to join with us in opposing the march.
-
Notes that John Biggs AM, Labour Group and local MPs
have written to the Home Secretary and Borough Commander raising
their concerns and asking for support for a ban on any
march.
- Supports a ban on the EDL marching through our borough.
This Council also notes:
- Cllr Alibor Choudhury and Cllr Harun Miah’s motions on the EDL:
12.4 Motion regarding the EDL
Proposer: Councillor Alibor
Choudhury
Seconder: Councillor Kabir
Ahmed
This Council agrees:
· There can be no justification for the brutal murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in
Woolwich on 22 May. We send our condolences to his
family and friends.
· Racist and fascists are attempting to exploit the actions of a few to whip up
racism and direct hatred against all Muslims. Since
Woolwich there has been a700% increase in the numbers of reported
Islamaphobic incidents, including the
burning down of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Muswell Hill.
· We do not hold Norwegian
Christians responsible for the actions of the fascist Anders
Breivik, whose 2011 rampage left 77
dead.
· We do not hold white people
collectively responsible for Timothy McVeigh, the US neo-Nazi whose
1995 Oklahoma City bomb killed 168 people, or for David Copeland,
the former BNP member who planted bombs across London in 1999.Nor
should anyone suggest that Britain’s Muslims are collectively
responsible for the 22 May attack.
· We call on the media and
politicians to stop using inflammatory language that feeds the
fascists and racists. We must challenge Islamophobia wherever it raises its head.
· We must reject those who want to divide our communities and set them against each other, and stand fast to the ideals of anti-racism, multiculturalism and respect for all.
And:
12.5 Motion regarding The Rise of Islamophobia
Proposer: Councillor Harun Miah
Seconder:
Councillor Fozol Miah
This Council notes:
1. There has been a dramatic rise in Islamophobic attacks in London since the
murder of Lee Rigby
in Woolwich
2. These attacks have included arson attacks on mosques and Islamic schools, the tearing of headscarfs from women, spitting and verbal insults
This Council deplores the murder of Lee Rigby and the Islamophobic attacks that have followed that murder
3. The EDL had planned to march through Tower Hamlets and Newham this coming Saturday 29th June
4. The Leaders of the EDL now claim that they are merely “walking for charity” but have invited EDL members and supporters to join then on this “walk” and that this “walk” may take them through Tower Hamlets and Newham
This Council believes:
This Council believes that the EDL
“walk” is still a march and that the purpose of this
march is to incite racial hatred and violence in general and
Islamophobia in particular.
This Council asks the Mayor
1. To do all in his power
to ensure that the authorities, including the police and the
government, deter these Islamophobic
attacks and seeks to counter this tide of Islamophobia
2. To declare that the EDL and the BNP continue to be unwelcome in Tower
Hamlets as they seek to inflame racial
hatred
3. To declare that he will seek to secure a ban against any attempts by racist organisations like the EDL and BNP to march in Tower Hamlets
4. To seek an urgent ban on any attempt by the EDL to march or otherwise parade through Tower Hamlets and Newham this coming Saturday 29th June
This Council resolves:
-
That all Group Leaders and the Mayor
jointly write to the Home Secretary requesting that she take steps
to ban the EDL march and ensure that our community is fully
protected from the EDL and other extremists.
-
To work with community organisations,
faith groups, local people and the police to maintain calm and
safety in our community.
- To call on the independent Mayor and all councillors to unite against all forms of extremism and racism.
(Action by: Fran Jones, One Tower Hamlets Service Manager)
Minutes:
The Mayor made his report to the Council meeting. As part of his report the Mayor invited the Deputy Mayor to address the Council about the recent award that the Council had received for its work in preparing for the London Olympics 2012.
The Leader of the Majority Group and Leaders of the Minority Groups each responded briefly to the Mayor’s report.
Procedural motion
At this point, Councillor Fozol Miah moved, and Councillor Harun Miah seconded, a procedural motion – “That under Procedure Rule 14.1.3 the order of business be varied to allow motion 12.5 (Motion regarding the rise of Islamophobia) to be considered as next business.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was unanimously agreed.
Motion 12.5: Motion regarding the rise of Islamophobia
Councillor Harun Miah moved, and Councillor Fozol Miah seconded motion 12.5 as printed in the agenda.
Councillor Fozol Miah indicated that he had tabled an amendment to motion 12.5 as set out below. Councillor Harun Miah accepted the amendment and altered his motion accordingly.
Councillor Sirajul Islam moved, and Councillor Rachael Saunders seconded, a tabled amendment to the motion, incorporating the text of motions 12.2, 12.4 and 12.5 (as amended) into a single motion as below.
Councillor Shahed Ali proposed that the existing second bullet point in Councillor Islam’s amendment should become the third point and vice versa. This was accepted by Councillors Islam and Saunders who altered their amendment accordingly.
Councillor Abdul Asad proposed that the first resolution shown in motion 12.5 should be amended to remove the reference to Rushanara Ali, MP and be re-worded: “That all Group Leaders and the Mayor jointly write to the Home Secretary requesting she take steps to ban the EDL march and ensure that our community is fully protected from the EDL and other extremists.” This was accepted by Councillors Sirajul Islam and Rachael Saunders who altered their amendment accordingly.
After debate, Councillor Sirajul Islam moved, and Councillor Rachael Saunders seconded, a procedural motion – “That under Procedure Rule 14.1.10 the question be now put.” The procedural motion was put to the vote and was agreed.
The amendment as tabled by Councillors Sirajul Islam and Rachael Saunders and subsequently amended as above, was put to the vote and was unanimously agreed.
The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was unanimously agreed. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
This Council Notes:
-
Offers its sympathies to the family and friends of
Lee Rigby. To try to use a warped view
of any religion or faith to justify his murder is wrong, and cannot
be tolerated.
-
Is deeply concerned about attacks on Islamic
buildings and threats to the safety of individuals and
communities.
-
Calls for unity against the EDL, BNP and others who
seek to stir up hatred and division. We
are at our strongest when we are united, as we must be in the face
of this attack in our neighbouring borough of Greenwich.
- Notes the EDL threat to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets on the 26th August 2013 and that the Labour Group immediately wrote to the Mayor and all Group leaders asking them to join with us in opposing the march.
-
Notes that John Biggs AM, Labour Group and local MPs
have written to the Home Secretary and Borough Commander raising
their concerns and asking for support for a ban on any
march.
- Supports a ban on the EDL marching through our borough.
This Council also notes:
- Cllr Alibor Choudhury and Cllr Harun Miah’s motions on the EDL:
12.4 Motion regarding the EDL
Proposer: Councillor Alibor Choudhury
Seconder: Councillor Kabir
Ahmed
This Council agrees:
· There can be no justification for the brutal murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in
Woolwich on 22 May. We send our condolences to his
family and friends.
· Racist and fascists are attempting to exploit the actions of a few to whip up
racism and direct hatred against all Muslims. Since
Woolwich there has been a700% increase in the numbers of reported
Islamaphobic incidents, including the
burning down of the Islamic Cultural Centre in Muswell Hill.
· We do not hold Norwegian
Christians responsible for the actions of the fascist Anders
Breivik, whose 2011 rampage left 77
dead.
· We do not hold white people
collectively responsible for Timothy McVeigh, the US neo-Nazi whose
1995 Oklahoma City bomb killed 168 people, or for David Copeland,
the former BNP member who planted bombs across London in 1999.Nor
should anyone suggest that Britain’s Muslims are collectively
responsible for the 22 May attack.
· We call on the media and
politicians to stop using inflammatory language that feeds the
fascists and racists. We must challenge Islamophobia wherever it raises its head.
· We must reject those who want to divide our communities and set them against each other, and stand fast to the ideals of anti-racism, multiculturalism and respect for all.
And:
12.5 Motion regarding The Rise of Islamophobia
Proposer: Councillor Harun
Miah
Seconder: Councillor Fozol Miah
This Council notes:
1. There has been a dramatic rise in Islamophobic attacks in London since the
murder of Lee Rigby
in Woolwich
2. These attacks have included arson attacks on mosques and Islamic schools, the tearing of headscarfs from women, spitting and verbal insults
This Council deplores the murder of Lee Rigby and the Islamophobic attacks that have followed that murder
3. The EDL had planned to march through Tower Hamlets and Newham this coming Saturday 29th June
4. The Leaders of the EDL now claim that they are merely “walking for charity” but have invited EDL members and supporters to join then on this “walk” and that this “walk” may take them through Tower Hamlets and Newham
This Council believes:
This Council believes that the EDL
“walk” is still a march and that the purpose of this
march is to incite racial hatred and violence in general and
Islamophobia in particular.
This Council asks the Mayor
1. To do all in his power to ensure that the
authorities, including the police and the government, deter these
Islamophobic attacks and seeks to
counter this tide of Islamophobia
2. To declare that the EDL and the BNP continue to be unwelcome in Tower
Hamlets as they seek to inflame racial
hatred
3. To declare that he will seek to secure a ban against any attempts by racist organisations like the EDL and BNP to march in Tower Hamlets
4. To seek an urgent ban on any attempt by the EDL to march or otherwise parade through Tower Hamlets and Newham this coming Saturday 29th June
This Council resolves:
-
That all Group Leaders and the Mayor
jointly write to the Home Secretary requesting that she take steps
to ban the EDL march and ensure that our community is fully
protected from the EDL and other extremists.
-
To work with community organisations,
faith groups, local people and the police to maintain calm and
safety in our community.
- To call on the independent Mayor and all councillors to unite against all forms of extremism and racism.