Security fund unveiled at Scottish synagogue
V SCOTTISH FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon used her HMD message to highlight a government fund towards security at places of worship, announced on the day at Glasgow’s Garnethill Synagogue.
The £500,000 scheme will be established later this year as part of efforts against hate crime, with consultations with religious groups taking place over the coming months. Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf and Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell spoke at the synagogue event.
“We recently committed to exploring what we could do to ensure safety and security for our faith communities at their places of worship,” Mr
Yousaf said. “I hope this scheme will provide reassurance to all faith communities.”
Ms Campbell declared that “no one should fear being attacked because of their faith, and particularly
Nicola Sturgeon in their place of worship. We are determined that all places of worship should be places of peace and sanctuary and that our faith communities feel safe and secure when they visit them.”
Ephraim Borowski, director of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, said the initiative was welcome as “we are tragically all too aware of the importance of security at places of worship and other communal locations. Sadly, places of worship are easily identifiable targets for hate crime, particularly against minority communities, when they should be places of shelter, sanctuary and peaceful reflection.”
In her HMD message, Ms Sturgeon also said the day served as “an important reminder of the millions of people who were murdered, or whose lives were changed forever, during the Holocaust and other genocides. “We pay tribute to the survivors, who were forced to flee their homes and livelihoods in the face of unthinkable persecution. We also honour the legacy of those who demonstrated immense bravery and courage fighting for liberty.”