Together we will beat the racists
HUMZA Yousaf, Anas Sarwar and Aamer Anwar have dedicated their lives to fighting for the most vulnerable in Scotland’s society.
They have spoken out against all extremism and prejudice on the grounds of race, religion, sexuality and gender.
In return, they have been racially abused, had death threats and told they are terrorists who should be deported.
Yousaf and Sarwar were born in Glasgow and Anwar, a Liverpudlian, has made the city his home for 33 years.
Scotland can be proud to call them her sons and owes them a debt of gratitude.
Yet a minority of hateful racists and bigots, hiding behind keyboards, have subjected them to abhorrent, racist abuse.
And racism is suffered by many more of our citizens daily.
The rise of populism and the rightwing across the globe, has seen social media platforms become tools of bigoted propaganda.
And it is frightening how quickly words can manifest in violent action, with Scotland seeing a rise in racist attacks and right-wing thuggery on our streets.
If the Black Lives Matter movement has taught us anything, it is that only in solidarity will change come.
It is for all of us to fight hate in our country, to rail against racism wherever we see it, whether that is on the street or on social media.
PEOPLE should not be bullied into “taking the knee” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Boris Johnson has said.
The Prime Minister indicated that he is not prepared to follow the example of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who was photographed in the symbolic act of support.
Speaking on LBC radio,
BY GAVIN CORDON
Johnson said: “I don’t want people to be bullied into doing things they don’t necessarily want to do.
“If you think of what happened with those police officers standing at the Cenotaph, where they were being insulted in quite aggressive terms by some members of the crowd and told to take the knee. Some of them did and it was very difficult then for the others who didn’t. That’s my position.
“I think it is very, very important that you don’t do things that make life difficult or embarrassing.”
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was criticised last month for saying he would only take the knee for “the Queen and the missus when I asked her to marry me”.