London’s crime-fighting Jews praised for protecting Muslims
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· AFP
· OCTOBER 12, 2014 2:03PM
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Members of the Jewish "Shomrim" security patrol team are pictured in north London. Source: AFP
A
GROUP of crime-fighting Orthodox Jews in north London has won
international praise after adapting their tactics to protect local
Muslims from attack.
The
work of the 25-strong “Shomrim” even caught the eye of US Secretary of
State John Kerry, who praised the neighbourhood patrol group’s
“remarkable courage”.
Members
of the Haredi Jewish community in Stamford Hill formed the group, named
after the Yiddish word for guards, in 2008 in response to high crime
levels.
Police
initially feared vigilantism but now cooperate closely with the
volunteers, who helped in 197 arrests last year and even apprehended the
area’s “most wanted burglar”.
It
is Shomrim’s role in helping protect the area’s large Muslim
population, however, that has secured its place in the community and
garnered international praise.
The
group was called upon by local councillors in Hackney, north London,
following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby by Islamic extremists in the
British capital in 2013.
“There
was a spike in anti-Muslim hate crime. All over England, mosques were
being firebombed,” explained Shulem Stern, a young man sporting the
“payot” haircurls and “kippah” skullcap associated with the Haredi
faith.
“The
councillors thought: ‘We’ve got Shomrim in the local area, why don’t we
use them’?” They continue to protect local mosques as Muslim
communities across Britain are back in the spotlight following the rise
of the Islamic State organisation in Syria and Iraq.
“In
many ways they’re a really well organised neighbourhood watch,”
explained police Superintendent Andy Walker. “They are very much the
eyes and ears of the police.”
From
his car parked outside a warehouse owned by one of the group, Shomrim
volunteer Chaim Hochhauser shows off the stab vests provided by police,
highlighting the everyday danger faced by these unlikely crime fighters.
Shomrim
also receives regular advice sessions from local officers, and use
their new knowledge to help to defend the main local mosque.
“Their
doors are open all the time, so anyone who wants can walk and do what
they want, chuck in a firebomb,” explained Hochhauser.
The arrangement was lauded by Mr Kerry when he launched the annual US report on International Religious Freedom in July.
“Their
courage goes unremarked, but that makes it all the more remarkable.
Believe me, that’s the definition of courage,” Mr Kerry said of the
group.
However,
Stern insisted there was nothing remarkable about their work. “The
local Muslims and local Jewish people do so much business together. In
religious aspects as well there are loads of similarities,” he said.
“Also, because we’re visible and suffered a long history of hate crime, we’re very alert to anything unusual.”
“The
(Haredi) community is not known for being too inclusive, but where
necessary they will help the wider community,” said Michael Desmond, the
leader of the local council who recently hosted an event honouring the
group.
“We are both sons of Abraham after all,” added Ian Sharer, an Orthodox Jewish councillor.
Local
Muslim councillor Dawood Akhoon, who worked with Sharer to bring the
two communities together, said the Muslim response had been “really good
and positive”.
“It’s part and parcel of each of our faiths, we have to take care of our environment and out neighbours,” he said.
Ties
between the two communities came under renewed scrutiny in July, when
anger at Israel’s operation in Gaza led to a spike in anti-Semitic
incidents across Britain.
But
Shomrim insist that any problems, such as the recent appearance of
swastikas graffitied on local walls, originate from outside the area.
“I want to make this clear, none of the suspects that we’ve dealt with have been local Muslims,” said Stern.
Councillor
Sharer added: “To the incredible credit of the Muslim community, there
has not been one incident in this area. That’s down to one word:
respect. ”jwp
AFP
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