Working at Furtherfield last I spent quite a bit of time in Finsbury Park. My
impression was of a lively, ethnically and religiously diverse place where
people and communities rubbed up against each other pretty well. Kind of rough
around the edges, but that comes with the territory, very much like my own
'hood in Deptford, South London.
It's not clear whether the perpetrators were from the area, I suspect not, but
we'll probably find out sooner or later.
The police are treating it as a terrorist incident, and it's clearly a direct
attack on a group of Muslims. It's shocking but unfortunately not altogether
surprising that something like this might happen, given the constant drip of
Islamophobia in the media, in The Sun, the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, by
individuals such as Nigel Farage and Katie Hopkins, political parties such as
UKIP and EDL, a pernicious racism pervades. There is also currently a
dysfunctional systemic failure at state level to be able to cope with even the
most basis of governmental functions. It's difficult to shake the impression
that this country, and London in particular, is in some form of terminal
meltdown right now.
But communities persist, ties strengthen, and solidarity is forged in such
emergencies. Furtherfield isn't parachuted in like so many so-called socially
engaged art projects often are, it is an established and integral part of its
local community, so I can understand the shock waves that this attack must be
causing. More strength to you!
Steven x
On Mon, Jun 19, 2017 at 09:21, ruth catlow <[email protected]> wrote:
Thanks for asking Alan.
This attack happened last night at Finsbury Park Mosque which is about 100
yards from Furtherfield Commons.
Some people drove a van into a group of late night worshippers as they left the
mosque. One of the attackers was apprehended and held by the group until the
police arrived.
Last year Park Theatre (local partners of ours) commissioned a playwrite to
worked directly with the mosque to produce the [Hurling
Rubble](https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/hurling-rubble-at-the-moon-hurling-rubble-at-the-sun)
plays about how extremist violence grows. We hosted our [Superdiversity
exhibition](http://furtherfield.org/programmes/superdiversity-picturing-finsbury-park)
this spring in which Katherine Stansfeld an artist and cultural geographer
brought together more than 50 different perspectives of lives lived in the
area. This area is bold in its expression of difference - its value and its
difficulties - we love it.
We have yet to hear from our local friends. I'm heading up there now - full of
sorrow.
~
Ruth
On 19/06/17 03:44, Alan Sondheim wrote:
Please please share any information anyone might have about this, apparently on
Seven Sisters Road. This is terrible...
Thank you,
Alan
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