A Love Letter: Dear England, "There's another country": there is a better England
A
Love Letter:
Dear
England,
“There’s
another country”:
there
is a better England.
We are two England’s.
One is callous, cold, and cruel:
digging division, stirring fear, fanning flames of hatred for anyone who is
different.
“There’s another country”[i]: a better England. Where hospitality and welcome matters.
Where diversity is a source of strength, and not a show of weakness. Let us be “another country”. A better England.
One where everyone is free to grow, allowed to live, and able to work:
together.
This General Election
Refugees and Asylum Seekers have been weaponised to stir division, fear and hatred
in our beautiful country. The politics of division, fear, and hatred is alive
and angry in England. It stalks across the land. Setting up camp in every
Constituency. It is printed on the Ballot Paper.
The
story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Chapter 19 of the Book of Genesis is being misquoted to justify homophobic bigotry and prejudice. The sin of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah
was not that they practiced male on male rape. The sin of the people of Sodom
and Gomorrah was that they failed to practice hospitality to the stranger and
welcome them.
The Book of Leviticus says “When
a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the
native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in
the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God[ii].”
Yes, you read that
correctly: we are quoting the Book of Leviticus. Irony is not dead. In righteous
anger irony lives. In the Jewish and Christian traditions, their shared texts
of Scripture, call us to welcome the stranger. It is not an invitation. It is
an instruction.
For people of faith in the
Jewish and Christian traditions welcoming Refugees and Asylum Seekers is a matter
of faith. Refugees and Asylum Seekers are all human beings. They are not
“illegals”. They are human beings. They
are no different to the rest of us. We share a common humanity. The only
difference between most of us, and the Refugees and Asylum Seekers asking to
come to the UK, is luck. The luck of where we were born. Any of us could be a
refugee or asylum seeker.
People are abusing the texts
of the scriptures of the Jewish and Christian faith to justify their hatred of
the LGBTQI+ communities. In this they are insulting the people of two faith
traditions, to justify the victimisation of the gay, lesbian and trans
communities. And every Refugee and
Asylum Seeker has become fair game for everyone to pick on.
Apparently, hatred is
acceptable because we are a democracy. Apparently, to challenge the voice of
hatred is a denial of the right to free speech. When did “free speech” become a
reason to justify hatred?
“Free speech” has been weaponised to justify abuse, division, fear, and hatred. For some Candidates in this election, it is acceptable to abuse, and misinterpret, the texts of the Scriptures of the Jewish and Christian faiths to justify bullying the LGBTQI+ communities. Apparently, for some Candidates it is acceptable to weaponize scapegoating Refugees and Asylum Seekers. “I am exercising my right to free speech: if I want to show the world that I am a nasty thug and bully, I am free to do so”. Pure “Doublethink”[iii]. “Doublethink”is alive and angry in England.
We are two England’s.
One is callous, cold, cruel:
stirring discording division, fanning flames of fear, hurling hostile hatred, at
anyone who is different.
“There’s another country”[iv]: a better England. Where hospitality and welcome matter.
Where diversity is a source of strength, and not a show of weakness. Where
Refugees and Asylum Seekers are welcome. Let us be “another country.” A better
England. One where everyone is free to grow, allowed to live, and able to work:
together.
There is a better England.
Copyright Lottie E. Allen
26 June 2024
Footnotes
[i] “And there’s another
country, I’ve heard of long ago”. Hymn: “I vow to thee my country”, Cecil
Spring Rice. Tune: “Thaxted” (Gustav Holst from “Jupiter” The Planets).
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