SCVO and Everyone Home condemned the “distressing” scenes.
Representative bodies and collectives of community and voluntary organisations in Scotland have spoken out in response to the recent outbreaks of far-right violence.
The recent outbreaks of riots and other violence in parts of the UK has prompted strong words and offers of support from the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) and the Everyone Home collective.
The latter is made up of nearly 40 third and academic sector organisations and includes service providers who support people with no recourse to public funds, initially set up in response to the Covid-19 crisis.
They expressed solidarity with communities targeted by racist and Islamophobic thugs on the streets and online, acknowledging the heightened concern among colleagues in the collective from minoritised communities, and people from refugee and migrant communities and the services that support them.
But the collective insists that “ignorance and hatred cannot defeat solidarity, compassion and aspiration.”
They wrote: “Reflecting on the Islamophobic, racist and fascist violence we have seen in parts of the UK in recent weeks, the Everyone Home collective has one simple message for our friends, colleagues, partners and allies who are part of, or work with, minoritised communities:
“We stand with you in solidarity and resistance. As a collective we are committed to doing our bit to create a fair and equal society where everyone can live peacefully and be treated with dignity and respect. Having access to a decent home is a crucial part of that aspiration, one that extends to everyone in Scotland, whether they were born here or arrived seeking to build a new life.
“Among our collective and across our broader networks and families are people from minoritised communities and from refugee and migrant communities and the services that support them. We especially acknowledge their heightened concern, and we say:
“We will always be your allies. There is no place in our society for anyone who spreads or acts on prejudice to create fear or harm, whether on the streets or online. Ignorance and hatred cannot defeat solidarity, compassion and aspiration - the values which will always underpin everything we do as a collective.”
Offers of support were also made by SCVO, the national membership body for Scotland’s charities.
Writing on the SCVO website, chief executive Anna Fowlie said: “It has been incredibly distressing to see the terrible spectre of Islamophobia and racism rear its head as rioting blights some UK communities. Many of us have been thinking hard about what we can do or say. SCVO’s origin over 80 years ago was as an organisation that fought for fairness, inclusion and social justice. That remains at the heart of what we are today.
“Despite rumours last week, there have not been any riots in Scotland, but our communities are shaken and there is real fear of what might be.
“We know there are community groups and voluntary organisations directly affected. Staff, volunteers and those using services are fearful for their own safety and that of others. Many of our members and others across the sector campaign against injustice every day. The last week has been a stark reminder of how quickly disinformation and hateful messages can spread, and how much we need to stand together in solidarity against violence and hate speech.
“And there are many voluntary organisations who are living examples of the massive contribution people of all cultures, all countries, all religions make to our society.
“As well as voicing our unwavering support, we at SCVO want to provide whatever practical support we can.”
