Rising Concerns: Offensive texts, Graffiti and Palestinian Flags Spark Alarm in UK Communities

Image of one of many bus stands sprayed with a Palestinian flag

Ilford resident Dal Kaur has raised concerns about the increasing occurrence of Palestinian flags and offensive graffiti on lamp posts and public property in the community. Kaur, who resides along The Drive, an area known for its significant Jewish population, is urging the local council and police to take a more proactive approach in addressing this growing social issue.

In a letter addressed to her MP and shared with community leaders, including Chairman of United by Faith, Wilson Chowdhry, Kaur highlighted the alarming situation on The Drive. She reported a surge in the display of Palestinian flags on street poles, spanning from Eastern Avenue to Cranbrook Road and from Cranbrook Road to Gants Hill Roundabout.

Palestinian flags adorn several street columns.

Kaur expressed her distress at the persistence of this behavior, despite her initial report to the authorities. "It is troubling to see an increase of Palestinian flags on street poles on The Drive in Ilford from Eastern Avenue to Cranbrook Road. I had reported this a week ago and was told others had reported it too. It was then taken down. However, the following day they were put up again," she stated.

The situation escalated when the flags appeared on bus stands and BT telephone boxes, prompting Kaur to file another report. In her letter, she recounted her conversation with the police, stating, "When I reported this to the Police, I spoke with WPC 748207 who said flags on Poles are okay, and I told her about the bus stands and telephone boxes. She then agreed that this was public property damage."

Highlighting the impact on community members, Kaur emphasized that the actions were instilling fear and anxiety. "As a resident, I am concerned because of the effect it is having not only on me but other people in the community who do not feel safe or are afraid to come out."

In addition to the community's concerns, Kaur highlighted another worrying aspect: the impact on children at schools. She shared a teacher friend's concern about being asked by students to declare her support for either Palestine or Israel. The teacher refrained from answering, emphasizing her job's focus on teaching the curriculum. This incident highlights the negative impact on children, fostering fear and promoting an inappropriate politicization within the school environment.

Despite efforts to remove the offensive flags, Kaur observed their reappearance the next day. Disturbingly, she noticed that the perpetrators had escalated their actions by spray painting flags on bus stops and phone boxes, leading the police to recognize it as criminal damage to public property.

Initially directed to refer the matter to the local council, Kaur later learned that the police, through Operation Payback, were able to address the issue by involving young offenders in community reparations. This development signifies a step towards tackling the problem collaboratively.

Ilford resident Dal Kaur's call for a more robust response to offensive graffiti and Palestinian flags on council property resonates beyond her community. Mr Chowdhry has also received a message from a concerned resident of Newham via Kaur, highlighting similar issues in the neighboring borough.

In a letter addressed to her local council, the Newham resident Ms S. Daswani expressed distress over the increasing presence of Palestinian flags on street poles along Green Street and other locations. She raised concerns about the Christmas festive lights being turned sideways, conveying a message that rejects the season to promote a potentially violent political mindset.

The resident outlined three key points for consideration:

Association with Hamas Charter: She noted that those supporting 'free Palestine' may do so either in agreement with or ignorance of the Hamas Charter, which expresses the desire to extinguish Jews. The resident highlighted that Hamas's 'updated' PR statement has not renounced their original charter.

Terrorist Attack: Daswani referenced an evil terrorist attack against Jewish people on October 7th, attributing it to the real intent of Hamas.

Diversity in Newham: Daswani emphasized that Newham is not an Islamic state, despite having a significant Muslim population. She pointed out the diverse religious and other beliefs in the area, including Christians like herself. The resident questioned why a display of aggressive sectarianism, promoting hatred of Israel, is allowed, and why festive lights are turned aside to give prominence to a political cause.

Daswani concluded the letter by urging the removal of displays of antisemitism, clarifying the subtext of 'free Palestine' as antisemitic in nature.

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of United by Faith, plans to advocate for a unified response from Redbridge Council's Antisocial Behaviour Team and the Redbridge Police to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators of these crimes. He has formally requested to address this issue during the question time at the upcoming Full Council Meeting hosted by Redbridge Council. Additionally, he aims to emphasize the urgency of an enhanced and more efficient service for the removal of offensive material. Mr Chowdhry, highlighted the recent arrest of 9 people under section 18 of the Public Order Act, which prohibits the display of “any written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting” if the intention or likely consequence is to stir up racial hatred.

Mr. Chowdhry has raised significant concerns, particularly noting the data from the last census, which indicates the presence of Jewish communities in both Cranbrook Ward and Valentines Ward in Ilford. Moreover, the flags are extremely close to the premises of Cranbrook United Synagogue, on Beehive Lane and Ilford Federation Synagogue, Clarence Avenue. He expresses apprehension about their safety and mental well-being amid the escalating anti-Semitic sentiments following the recent Israel-Palestine conflict. 

Redbridge Council's Equlaity and Diversity Policy states: "Redbridge Council provides over 600 different services and our ambition is to ensure that these services meet the needs of all our residents. We will deliver services equitably and ensure that our diverse population has equitable outcomes and residents with protected characteristics can also flourish to achieve their full potential."  Mr Chowdhry believes that the Redbridge Council has not fulfilled its duties. 

Mr. Chowdhry expressed concern about the misinformation surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict in schools. He shared a personal experience where his daughter faced abuse from some Muslim children for not accepting certain views on Hamas a proscribed terrorist group. He believes that flags placed before schools contribute to polarization and should be removed unequivocally.  Mr Chowdhry, said:  "It's no surprise to me when I read that the younger generation are far less supportive of Israel than my generation.  We grew up learning about the Nazi Holocaust when survivors were invited to talk about it at schools and universities, there are not many around nowadays.  I asked the school were my daughter was attending if they would allow Dr Martin Stern one of the few child survivors of the Holocaust still alive, to speak at her school and the deputy headteacher initially declined, he later asked for his contact details - they never called Mr Stern." 

Mr. Chowdhry highlighted that some young Muslim children are raised with negative views on Israel and Jews, creating an imbalance in their understanding of the conflict. In contrast, children from non-Muslim families often lack information on the region's complexities and may be susceptible to misinformation from their Muslim peers with ingrained beliefs. He emphasized the need for schools to address this imbalance. During a conversation with a headteacher, Mr. Chowdhry felt that the teacher downplayed the animosity generated by the conflict. He shared a sample of one of his daughters conversations to illustrate his concerns.

The image has been edited to conceal the identity of both children.

In 2010, a BBC Documentary featured on Panorama titled 'British Schools, Islamic Rules'. The program alleged the discovery of 5,000 Muslim schoolchildren being taught disturbing content, including beliefs about Jews turning into pigs and apes, advocating execution for gay sex, and instructing on the brutal punishment of thieves. These teachings were reportedly part of the Saudi national curriculum, delivered in over 40 weekend schools across the country for pupils aged six to 18. Michael Gove, the education secretary, told Panorama: "Saudi Arabia is a sovereign country. I have no desire or wish to intervene in the decisions that the Saudi government makes in its own education system. But I'm clear that we cannot have antisemitic material of any kind being used in English schools."  

Despite this, numerous Muslim families in Britain opt to send their children to Madrassas for Islamic education. In response to a question about 'Out-of-school Education: Islam' posed by Lord Pearson of Rannoch , Baroness Berridge, representing the Department for Education, stated that Madrassas are generally seen as out-of-school settings and are not covered by a specific regulatory framework. As a result, they are exempt from inspections by Ofsted or the department. Baroness Berridge did however, in April 2021 provide information on measures being taken to address this concern. For more details, you can click [here].  Mr. Chowdhry believes that some of the actions taken in response to the issue may be insufficient and coming too late to address the concerns adequately.

Reflecting on his daughter's first year (year 7) at the school, Mr. Chowdhry expressed concern about an apparent rise in radicalization among some Muslim children. His daughter experienced attempts at forced conversion, including instances of violence. At an all-girls school, she was pressured to recite the Shahada on multiple occasions, but refused. Mr. Chowdhry had to engage in meetings with the school headmaster to address this troubling behavior. He noted that it took several meetings for the school to acknowledge the genuineness of their concerns. Being a Pakistani Christian, his daughter was targeted, suggesting a personal affront due to her religiocultural identity. Although assurances were given that she would be separated from the offending children, the school failed to implement this due to administrative issues. Despite apologies, no concrete actions were taken to rectify the situation.

Recently, Mr. Chowdhry raised an additional concern involving an incident where a Muslim child asked his daughter about her nationality. When she replied "Britain," the child of Pakistani origin attempted to coerce her, using violence, into identifying as 'Paki.' This serves as an illustration of a small minority of UK Muslims who do not strongly identify with Britain. In 2016, Policy Exchange published a report titled 'Unsettled Belonging,' addressing this subject. The study appears to be accurate in highlighting this as a small minority issue, as Mr. Chowdhry's daughter has expressed having many Muslim friends with whom she maintains positive relationships. Nevertheless, it is alarming that she has encountered multiple incidents of radicalization at such a young age.

Mr. Chowdhry expressed concern about the polarization caused by the current Israel-Palestine conflict, leading to fear in local communities. He emphasized, "Preventing the spread of hate messages and intimidation is crucial for both local and national authorities. Failing to respond adequately could endanger the delicate fabric of our society, as evidenced by the mobilization of far-right groups exploiting the current schism. While I appreciate the Met Police Spokesperson's acknowledgment of potential charges for racial aggravation linked to specific symbols, images, and chants at pro-Palestine protests, I stress the importance of fostering stronger collaboration between local authorities and the police to achieve concrete results in addressing and mitigating this behavior, extending the same approach to far-right groups."

He additionally emphasized the need for the Government, schools, Ofsted, and other agencies to address the indoctrination of misinformation among children and young people, not only regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict but also concerning any radical ideologies. Mr. Chowdhry stressed that promoting peace and understanding should be a national priority, as most people of all faiths and none in Britain, aspire to lead peaceful lives and engage positively with one another.