Community leader says messages of unity are a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’

Muhammad Atif, a trustee of the Belfast Multi Cultural Association, described an encouraging day as MLAs were recalled to the Assembly.

Belfast Multi Cultural Association’s Muhammad Atif speaks to members of the media in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Belfast. Political Party leaders and officials met to discuss the key issues regarding recent unrest in Northern Ireland during a special sitting of the Stormont executive (Mark Marlow/PA) (PA Wire)

A community leader has described a day of messages of political unity against recent disorder in Northern Ireland as like “light at the end of the tunnel”.

Representatives from the Belfast Multi Cultural Association as well as a number of other groups and organisations watched on from the public gallery as the Northern Ireland Assembly was recalled to discuss the violence and spate of race hate attacks in the capital.

MLAs went on to back a motion condemning the recent disorder and rejecting “all forms of racism” in Northern Ireland.

Earlier, following a meeting of the Stormont Executive, First Minister Michelle O’Neill earlier said ministers were “unequivocally collective in our determination to say no to racism and stand firmly united in terms of what we see unfolding in front of us”.

Meanwhile, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned that those engaging in violence will be “pursued with the full force of the law”.Muhammad Atif, a trustee of the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association, described the messaging across the day as “encouraging”.

“We’re looking for the politicians to work on it and start building those bridges we never had – we can’t even say bridges were burned because we never really had those bridges,” he told PA.

“The third largest community, the immigrants and Muslim community, in Northern Ireland, we never had these types of dialogues before.

“Now we see the light at the end of the tunnel and I hope that things will change, and I hope people behind the riots will listen to the politicians and they will act on my appeals as well.”

In terms of the police response, Mr Atif welcomed dialogue with Mr Boutcher before and since the recent disorder.

“We felt it is needed to reassure our community that the PSNI is doing their job. Yes, there are lessons to be learned, mistakes have happened but I am hopeful that the PSNI have learnt those lessons and they will do better now,” he said.

Mr Atif described an ongoing sense of fear.

“We’re worried about what may happen tonight. Families are staying in their houses, no one is leaving their houses these days,” he said.

“The kids are asking questions, ‘why are my swimming lessons cancelled, why is my summer camp cancelled, why can’t we go anywhere for shopping’. We’re just taking all the precautions, we don’t want to put kids in danger.

“We’re also trying to avoid as much as we can talking in front of the kids because we don’t want to scare them because in a few weeks’ time, they’ll be going back to school and we don’t want them to take anything from home which they shouldn’t.

“It’s been heartwarming that people are coming out, checking on our houses and asking if we’re ok, asking if we need anything. That is the big majority in Northern Ireland.

“But the problem is the tiny minority that is behind all this.”