00:00So Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire. There was a fantastic gathering just now.
00:05Do you want to talk a little bit about it and what the reason for it was?
00:08Yeah, look, I think we've all seen, haven't we, over the last few weeks and months,
00:12the increasing kind of divisions and tensions right across South Yorkshire.
00:16And all I wanted to do was try and bring people together and say,
00:19regardless of people's faith or background, what the colour of their skin might be,
00:25we all share much more in common. Our future, our hopes, our fears, our frustrations actually are all the same.
00:31And actually I just wanted to bring people together at this moment in time and say,
00:34look, we're one South Yorkshire, we are together as a region, we are together as a place,
00:38and actually we share much more in common than anything else that might make us different.
00:42And I just think that's really important to reinforce now more than ever.
00:45So what other practical steps might you be taking?
00:48Because obviously the rise of the far right recently has been quite scary for a lot of people,
00:54and they spoke about it today. As the mayor, what do you think you can do about that?
00:58Well, look, as I said today, this can never just be about me as a politician or any other politician saying,
01:03look, this is what I'm going to do about it. It has to be about us as a community saying,
01:08actually, we're going to reach out our hands to people who we don't know, people who aren't like us,
01:14people in different parts of South Yorkshire, different communities in South Yorkshire,
01:17and actually try and understand what are their fears, their frustrations,
01:21what do they want to know about us, about what can we do together to make this place even better.
01:27And I think that's the important part of today. It's not about me. It's about us as a region.
01:32So Rabbi Gollum, could you tell me a little bit about the event today and a bit about what you said to it?
01:37Today was a coming together of various religious leaders in an act of solidarity to demonstrate to the community at large
01:49that we can co-exist, although we may have differences in creed and culture and faith,
01:55but we still make up this wonderful city called Sheffield, South Yorkshire,
01:59and the possibility of co-existence is very important, particularly in times when there are those who would like to prise us apart
02:07and perhaps create a sectarianism, create discord, division.
02:13And it's about the leaders standing up and saying, this is not the way forward.
02:18We can co-exist. We have done, and we should strive to do so in the future.
02:24So this is Imam Mohammed Ismail. You spoke today at the event.
02:30Yes, I did.
02:31What were you saying today?
02:33Well, actually, we are saying that we must all come together and unite against any violence
02:41or anyone who is abusive towards others, whether it is towards the Jews or Muslims or anybody else,
02:50how we should all come together. And I think this wonderful city of Sheffield,
02:55in the wonderful region of South Yorkshire, have proven today that they all came together.
03:00And as you see yourself, you saw yourself, that there are people, you know, from different walk of life,
03:05different background, different faith, different colours, different heritage.
03:09And this is the history of Sheffield. And we are proud of Sheffield.
03:16We are proud of South Yorkshire. And it always stands together.
03:20And we stand together, united with everybody.
03:23And assure each other that we are going to remain united.
03:26And we will look after each other. We will help and support each other.
03:30and support each other.
Comments