Hughes Mansions Disaster 60th Anniversary Commemoration Event - Sunday 10th April, 2005

You may have read in the National press of attacks on Oona King MP and others at this event by local youths.  It is reassuring to note that the leaders of the Faith Communities in the area have united to condemn the actions of these extremists.  Below is a letter written by them to the Guardian Newspaper of 14 April 2005.

East End tolerance

Thursday April 14, 2005
The Guardian

Representatives of the faith communities of Tower Hamlets condemn the actions of a small group of people who attacked mourners commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Hughes Mansions disaster, in which 134 people, mostly Jewish, were killed by the last V2 bomb to strike London at the end of the second world war (Jewish MP pelted with eggs, April 11) Hitler's V2s did not distinguish between age, religion and race. The disaster was one that impacted on the lives of all the people of the East End and, as such, leaders from all faith communities supported the commemoration through the Tower Hamlets InterFaith Network. The acts of a few mindless thugs must not be allowed to overshadow the work to promote mutual understanding, tolerance and respect in this vibrant and diverse borough. We remain committed to continue working together and will do all that we can to ensure that religious and cultural events of this kind are treated with tolerance by others, so that an incident like this never happens again.
Fr Alan Green
Chair, Tower Hamlets InterFaith Forum
Rt Rev Stephen Oliver
Bishop of Stepney
Dilowar Hussain Khan
East London Mosque
David Russell
Jewish East End Celebration Society