Last night I had a great time at the Shah Jalal Mosque in Granby at an event arranged by Cllr Hasan. It drove home to me just how many people from different backgrounds make up the wonderful city of Liverpool.
It is some time since I ventured forth to put some ideas and that is because I have been travelling the world enjoying different music, languages, food, and drinks. The best bit of all this was I have been able to do so without once leaving the great City of Liverpool which is a melting pot for some many cultures, faiths, and nationalities. Ove the past three weeks I have met the Ukrainian, Polish, Irish, and Romanian communities topped off last night with an event at the Shah Jalal Mosque with many representatives of communities from throughout the Muslim world but especially from Bangladesh and Yemen.
I have also taken part in an Italian food evening. Food does seem to be a key way in which immigrant communities integrate into a host community. My wife Erica’s grandparent walked from Italy in the 1920s and set up a shop making ice cream. Many of the people present in the Mosque last night owned ‘Indian’ takeaways or restaurants. If the food I was given last is representative of that which is served generally I intend to undertake a tour of them all in the city after I have been Lord Mayor.
One of the reasons that I love Liverpool is this wonderful mixture of people from all over the world. There are significant numbers in the wider Liverpool City Region from 110 different nations. We can truly claim to be, “the world in one city.”
I was particularly heartened last night by the comment that was made to me repeatedly that the people of Liverpool are overwhelmingly friendly and accepting of people from different faiths and cultures. This was not only a theme from last night but one that was repeated to me in all the national gatherings that I have attended recently. I am not surprised at this because, after all, Liverpool is a city that is founded on immigration.
The first large group of immigrants was from the Irish community. Many of them came because of the Potato famines more than 200 years ago but there was already a sizeable community here. Even today more than 50,000 people who live in the city alone can trace back through time their Irish ancestry. I am trying to get the Irish Consulate, based regrettably in Manchester, to hold their annual St Patrick’s day event here in Liverpool as testament to that fact.
As with many of the immigrant communities many of them hoped to move on or move back but they were unable to do so. The reason that the East Coast of the USA has so many big American/Irish communities is because they arrived there from Liverpool. More wanted to go but died from weakness before they could. I often pause at the Plaque which commemorates this sad fact which you may have seen in the bombed-out church in Hardman Street.
When I hear complaints about immigrants it is because they come to our country to take advantage of our generous benefits and are therefore scroungers. There was absolutely no sign of that in any of the communities that I have met with. Last night I talked to business owners, lecturers, council employees, charity workers, engineers, and architects. All of them in work and contributing their skills and enthusiasm to make our city work and thrive. It was particularly nice to be able to talk about the wonderful game of cricket with them!
The communities all understand what hardship is and therefore give generously in many ways to those in most need. The Al Rahma Mosque, for example, gives 300 free meals every day to people who do not have money. A lot of these are not Muslim. There is an Indian Restaurant in Liverpool that gives a free Christmas on 25th December to those that are of the Christian or no faith that cannot afford a little something at that time of year when want is most felt.
Many people who intended to move on or home actually stay here. Already within the Ukraine community, which has built up because of the Russian invasion of their country, there are those who are wondering whether their future is here or back home. I suspect most will go home but for others they may have no home or city to go back to such is the foul behaviour of Putin in targeting civilian communities. Perhaps their children will have made good friends here. Perhaps they will have started courses that are not available to them back home. Perhaps, best of all, they just feel very comfortable in our city.
But whatever they do I hope that they will always keep their country of origin in their hearts and minds. I want them to be Ukrainian Scousers or Bangladeshi Scousers or Romanian Scousers. I want them to bring their music and cultures, their initiative, and skills here so that we can build a truly 21st century city. By staying here but remembering where they came from, they can help us build up links with the business, educational and cultural worlds of their former country which will enable us here in Liverpool to create jobs and wealth.
In my year as Lord Mayor, I hope to go out and visit many more of the communities from other parts of the world who are helping to build the rich mosaic of cultures in our City. I love seeing the different cultures and sampling the different food (If anyone offers you Ukraine honey cake accept it – it is marvellous).
If we are to thrive as a city in an increasingly connected world, we have to use all our connections as fully as is possible. Having people here from 100 countries is a great start to putting Liverpool back into the heart of international trade and commerce which it once enjoyed.
But what does Richard Kemp think? 