Mike Hedges AM welcomes statement
of support for Welsh Muslims after statement from Minister for Equalities Julie
James.
Mike
Hedges AM backed Welsh Government Minister Julie James who has issued a
statement following recent media reports of a campaign aimed at British and
Welsh Muslims.
Mike
Hedges said…. ‘I greatly welcome this statement; we have many Muslims living in
Swansea East and we enjoy very good, harmonious relationships with our
neighbours from all different cultures and backgrounds. I too condemn people
who seek to divide communities and apportion blame for society ills to
individuals from different backgrounds. I would urge anyone who is subject to
abuse of whatever kind to report it so that the police have a picture of what
is happening in the area.’
Following
recent media reports about a malicious letter campaign aimed at British
Muslims, Julie James, who is responsible for equalities in the Welsh
Government, reassured the Muslim community in Wales that they are valued and
welcome.
She
wrote,
“I hope that I can provide you with some measure of reassurance
by stating categorically that the Welsh Government, and the vast majority of
the population in Wales utterly condemns the vile hatred expressed by a tiny
minority, and the cowardly attempt to instil fear in our communities.
“The Welsh Government stands firmly alongside all those who are
the victims of threats or abuse at any time, and in constant opposition to all
those who seek to spread division.”
Working
alongside the four police forces and the Hate Crime Criminal Justice Board
Cymru, we have robust systems and legislation in place to investigate hate
crimes, support victims and punish perpetrators.
The
Welsh Government and the police take all reports of hate crime extremely
seriously. Even when the report does not lead to an arrest, this information is
still vital to help the police forces to plan and target their prevention
activities.
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