PRAY & PROTECT HOW to plan and safeguard churches and ministries in the context of terrorism
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
On
Sunday 13 August 2015, an armed Muslim man in combat clothing walked into a church in Bullard, Texas, USA and threatened to kill the “infidels”. A potential tragedy was averted by the pastor, Rev John Johnson III, who is a former parole officer with training in handling confrontation, crises and dealing with disturbed persons. Rasheed Abdul Aziz, 40, entered the Corinth Missionary Baptist Church after the regular Sunday morning service and asked to see the pastor. Church members had stayed behind to plan an upcoming festival. Aziz was dressed in camouflage fatigue pants and boots, a black T-shirt and a tactical vest. He was sweating heavily. Aziz began yelling about being a “man of Islam” and how his god said he was authorized to take the lives of infidels. He specifically mentioned killing Jews and Christians because their doctrine was contradictory to Islam. Johnson noticed the outline of a gun in Aziz’s pocket. After asking Aziz to calm down, Johnson offered to get him a cold drink and pray for him. Johnson positioned himself in between Aziz and the door. “I never gave him the power of feeling that he was in control, that I was frightened,” Johnson said. “I just continued to engage, but I was very cautious not to raise my voice or make any quick moves.” Aziz was becoming more and more angry. Johnson appeased him by saying he would take care of him but told him that he first needed to attend to his children. At that point, Johnson left the conference room and whispered to his wife and another member there, “Get everybody out of the church.” Someone called the police. Johnson, his family and the rest of the congregation then sped away. Shortly afterwards, Aziz also fled. He was arrested later that evening, sporting the same clothes and with the gun in his pocket, and was initially charged with the felony crime of the illegal possession of a firearm. Before he was arrested, however, Aziz returned to the church and left a note: “My name is Rasheed You helped me at a time of need This house is blessed by God & all faiths Muslim Jews & the Christian shall all gather here in Peace & Justice for God.” Johnson said if he could share one thing with other pastors, it would be, “Please put security measures in place. Do not get caught thinking that this only happens in other places, in big places.” www.clarionproject.org/news/us-pastor-talks-down-islamist-gunmen-while-saving-parishers www.kltv.com/story/30029326/pastor-speaks-out-about-man-who-allegedly-threatened-hischurch [both viewed 13/1/2016]
PRAY & PROTECT HOW to plan and safeguard churches and ministries in the context of terrorism
Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
Pray & Protect How to plan and safeguard churches and ministries in the context of terrorism Copyright © 2016 Patrick Sookhdeo All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopy or recording without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in brief quotations in written reviews. BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked “NRSV” are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Library of Congress Control Number: 2016931038 ISBN: 978-0-9967245-5-5 Published in the United States by Isaac Publishing, 6729 Curran Street, McLean, VA 22101 Printed in the United Kingdom
CONTENTS 1
Introduction
1
2
The global environment
5
3
The local environment
15
4
Risk analysis
19
5
Working with others
27
6
Specific measures to take
31
7
Dealing with an incident
41
8
Pastoral care and material support
53
9
Rebuilding
55
Appendices 1
Defending your legal rights
62
2
Defamation law
69
3
The spectrum across Islam
72
4
Index of useful contacts
76
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction -1-
G
ood church leadership will normally already have thought about a number of risks and have in place policies and procedures to reduce dangers and deal with any problems that might arise. Your church will have insurance, fire extinguishers, child protection policies, trained first aiders and ushers / stewards. You may have a regular surveyor inspection to check the fabric of the building, some liaison with local police and fire brigade, and someone responsible for health and safety. These measures are wise and are taken for the care of the church members and public. This booklet aims to build on the good practice of your church or organisation, but focuses on one specific aspect of care and protection: guarding against a violent or terrorist attack from people who are hostile to Christianity. It should be emphasised that this issue should not be approached with fear or a spirit of hostility to any enemies, but firstly with prayer and then with a response of Christ-like love. Those of other faiths and none are not usually violent, even verbally, and the risk of physical attack is currently fairly minimal in the UK. However the risk is not zero, and prudence would suggest that a clear-headed analysis is needed to evaluate the level of risk and what reasonable precautions should be taken. The risk of the church building being hit by a bolt of lightning is low, but you may have a lightning conductor. The risk of a major fire is low, but it does happen somewhere each year and you pay for fire insurance in case it happens to you. Likewise it is almost certain that sooner or later a church [in the UK] will suffer some form of terrorist attack, although the probability that it is your particular church is currently low.
-2-
This booklet will help you become more aware of the issues and your own environment, will assist in assessing risk, and will provide some useful lines of thought and action. The goal is to implement sensible steps to reduce risk and the impact of any incident that might happen. And if you should suffer a tragic incident, these preparations will help you look after the victims and rebuild. We would welcome questions and feedback. Each church or ministry is different and will have a different approach to dealing with this issue. However some core requirements are likely to be: • Direction from the governing body of the church or ministry e.g. council, trustees, eldership. • Ongoing support from the governing body. • A small strategic core planning team. • Active involvement of the leadership and senior staff. • Clear allocation of responsibilities for various parts of your plan. • A time table for research and implementing your plan. • Regular review of your planning e.g. at least once per year. There may be five areas that you want to consider when planning for risk assessment and measures to protect a church or ministry. These are: Prevention for the purposes of this guide, means the measures taken and capabilities necessary to avoid or deter an imminent attack or incident. Prevention is the action you can take to prevent a potential incident from occurring. Protection means the capabilities to secure churches and ministries against acts of terrorism and other threats. Protection focuses on ongoing actions that protect people, networks and property from a threat or hazard.
-3-
Mitigation means the reduction of the impact of an incident and measures/capabilities necessary to achieve this; reducing loss of life, injury or property damage by lessening the impact of an incident. Response means the reaction to an incident once it has already happened and capabilities necessary to stabilise the situation; to deal with the incident, save lives and property, help the injured, support those impacted and facilitate the transition to recovery. Recovery means the process whereby churches or ministries affected by an incident restore their environment and normal operations. Some advice on writing your documents, and planning and communicating with your staff and members: • Use clear and simple writing in plain language. Summarise important information with checklists and visual aids, such as maps and flowcharts. • Avoid using jargon and minimise the use of abbreviations. • Use short sentences and the active voice. Avoid complex qualifiers and vague or technical wording. • Use a logical, consistent structure that makes it easy for readers to understand the rationale for the sequence of information and to find the information they need. • Keep your documents as short as you can, while carrying enough detail. • Organise the contents in a way that helps users quickly identify solutions and options. • Develop accessible tools and documents. Use appropriate auxiliary aids and services necessary for effective communication, such as accessible websites, digital text that can be converted to audio or Braille, the use of text equivalents for images, and captioning of any audio and audio description of any video content. • Security measures must be proportional and consistent with Christian values and the rule of law.
-4-
CHAPTER TWO
The global environment -5-
T
he possibility of a deliberate terrorist attack on a [UK] church might have seemed improbable a decade or two ago, but not impossible. We have experienced terrorism coming out of the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, and certainly some churches in Ulster would not have been totally surprised by a terrorist attack in the period 1969 to 1998. Europe has seen sporadic terrorist violence over recent decades; the Basque group ETA operating in Spain, the Provisional IRA and others in Northern Ireland, and a variety of left and right wing terror groups in Italy, Germany and elsewhere. This terrorism has been largely political, and churches were not particular targets. Churches and other places of worship were more at risk from individual criminality, or from people with particular grudges. Vandalism, graffiti, desecration, robbery or arson were the more likely expressions of anti-Christian vitriol. The rise in religiously motivated terror risk, with a higher likelihood of serious injury, death or major damage, is a recent phenomenon – even though it was not entirely absent in the past. This can mainly be attributed to events elsewhere in the world, and developments within Islam especially. The resurgence in Islamism or political Islam has seen Islamist terrorism increase massively over the last two or three decades, mainly in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, but also in Europe. While less likely in Europe than in Nigeria, Kenya, Syria, Iraq or Pakistan for example, it yet remains the greatest terror risk inside our own countries, as a survey of recent years will easily reveal (P7). There is a high level of religiously motivated violence in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. There are concerns that jihadi fighters may return to Western countries in order to commit terror attacks. There are significant numbers of people living in Europe originating from these backgrounds, and many have strong links with countries experiencing violence. There are explicit messages from some Islamist leaders advocating terror in Europe and other parts of the West. Most people will ignore the incitement to violence, but a few will be recruited and induced to act. Some others will act on their own initiative, perhaps copying what they view as appropriate jihadi -6-
operations. A significant percentage of these may be converts to radical Islam from the indigenous population, perhaps motivated to prove themselves, or like others seeking a direct entry to the Paradise they are promised. The UK operates an official assessment of terrorism risk, with five levels of risk based on the threat from international-related terrorism or Northern-Ireland-related terrorism. LOW
means an attack is unlikely.
MODERATE
means an attack is possible, but not likely.
SUBSTANTIAL
means an attack is a strong possibility.
SEVERE
means an attack is highly likely.
CRITICAL
means an attack is expected imminently.Â
As one can see from the historic record, the risk has been quite high for many years (as of January 2016). DATE
THREAT FROM INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
THREAT FROM NORTHERN IRELAND-RELATED TERRORISM in Northern Ireland
IN GREAT BRITAIN
29 August 2014
Severe
Severe
Moderate
24 October 2012
Substantial
Severe
Moderate
11 July 2011
Substantial
Severe
Substantial
24 September 2010
Severe
Severe (first published)
Substantial (first published)
22 January 2010
Severe
20 July 2009
Substantial
4 July 2007
Severe
30 June 2007 13 August 2006
Critical Severe
10 August 2006
Critical
1 August 2006
Severe (first published)
The current threat level for international terrorism for the UK is assessed as SEVERE
-7-
The UK government’s framework for prevention and protection Prevent Discouraging people from becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism
Prepare Reducing the impact of attacks
Knowledge understanding strategy policy
Pursue Stopping terrorist attacks
Protect Strengthening protection against terrorist attack
The UK’s strategy against terrorism, Prevent, is focused on the three I’s: • Ideology • Institutions • Individuals “We will respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat from those who promote it. In doing so, we must be clear: the ideology of extremism and terrorism is the problem; legitimate religious belief emphatically is not.” UK Counterterrorism Strategy, 2011
-8-
“ISIS wants to create a conflict between Christians and Muslims... That means ISIS will try and attack Christian symbols in Europe – like the Vatican for example”
Fahad Al-Masri, president of the Centre for Strategy, Military and Security Studies¹
“ISIL and other terrorist groups are trying to direct attacks in the UK; encouraging British citizens to travel to Syria to fight and train; and are seeking, through propaganda, to provoke individuals in the UK to carry out violent attacks here.” AC Mark Rowley, National Lead, Counterterrorism MP
Counter Terrorism police analysis of the current threat from terrorism. In the period April 2014 - March 2015 there were 338 counterterrorism related arrests, a 33% increase on the 254 arrests last year. 157 [46% of the total arrested] were linked to Syria and, worryingly, 56 are under 20 years old, which is an emerging trend. Of the national arrests just over 50% are London-based.
On Thursday 14 May 2015, National Lead for Counter Terrorism, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, publicly announced the latest national counter terrorism (CT) arrest statistics, as he outlined how the police service is tackling the current threat from terrorism both at home and abroad. These arrests range from fundraising for extremist causes right through to facilitation, preparation and execution of terrorist attack plans. Anti-terrorism legislation is also frequently and effectively used to disrupt extremists, with a significant number being arrested for criminal offences such as fraud.
¹http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/19/london-teenager-brusthomziamani-guilty-of-plotting-to-behead-soldier [viewed 13/1/2016]
-9-
The rise in activity is reflected by the fact that there were then (May 2015) 114 people awaiting trial for terrorism related offences. This followed the successful prosecution of 89 people, who were convicted in the previous year, including Brusthom Ziamani who was convicted of engaging in preparation of terrorist acts and was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment. There are no significant/major attacks on churches or ministries known to be contained within these UK statistics. However attacks on church buildings and pastors are a very notable feature among extremist terror activities globally, and so the concern is that it will be duplicated in Western countries sooner or later. Barnabas Fund recently analysed a sample selection of 600 attacks on churches in the period 2013-2015.¹ This sample showed attacks occurring in 20 countries. Boko Haram attacked in around 40% of cases, in Nigeria and neighbouring countries 600 CHURCHES ATTACKED OR DESTROYED, 2013-15 Tanzania CAR Cameroon Algeria Turkey
Mali
Sudan Niger
Nigeria
Egypt
Iraq Syria Pakistan India Indonesia Vietnam Sri Lanka Philippines Burma
¹”Persecution in Practice”, Barnabas Aid, September/October 2015
- 10 -
China
like Cameroon. Islamic State and similar groups were involved in attacks in Iraq and Syria. The Niger attacks were triggered by events in Europe related to the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris and the subsequent publication of cartoons depicting Muhammad. Egyptian attacks were linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Attacks in Mali were part of Islamist violence in the north of the country. Elsewhere attacks came from the Terrorist attacks by group Libya Egypt Afghanistan Pakistan Bangladesh Somalia Kenya
Syria Iraq Cameroon
Tanzania
Nigeria
Islamic State and linked groups
Boko-Haram
al-Shabab
Taliban
authorities (China, Vietnam), Buddhist nationalists (Burma, Sri Lanka) or Hindu radicals (India). Some of these countries have strong links to the UK and Europe, or are of particular interest to home-grown militants. The same Barnabas study looked at deadly incidents and counted casualties, dead and injured, by terrorist group.¹
¹”Persecution in Practice”, Barnabas Aid, September/October 2015
- 11 -
Boko Haram, Islamic State and associates, Taliban and al-Shabaab, are the four terrorist groups who are currently the most dangerous for Christians. The chart also shows in which countries the main terrorist groups have killed Christians. See Appendix 3 for more details on the spectrum within Islam. While all four groups have influence right across the more violent Islamist tendencies, it should be noted that Boko Haram originated in Nigeria and has its main roots among Nigerians and others from West Africa, Islamic State originated in Syria-Iraq and has offshoots and supporters particularly in Arabic speaking regions, the Taliban is rooted in Afghanistan and has affiliations in Pakistan, and Al-Shabaab originated in Somalia and links most easily with Somalis and other East African Muslims. All these backgrounds have some connections with the UK, directly with Muslim
Other or no religion
Unknown religion
All arrested
% of arrests charged
41%
37%
32%
36%
Number arrested
1,066
149
1,082
2,297
Number charged
436
55
347
838
Sentence length
Muslim
Other or no religion
(including unknown religion)
All offenders convicted (including
unknown religion)
%
Number %
Number %
Number
Up to 2 yrs
18%
31
13%
6
19%
45
2-5 yrs inclusive
37%
64
42%
19
37%
90
> 5yrs up to 10yrs inclusive
20%
35
22%
10
19%
46
> 10yrs
26%
45
22%
10
25%
60
All convicted of terrorist offence(s)
1,100%
175
100%
45
100%
241
- 12 -
people from these countries or backgrounds, and also as highprofile examples for those who seek to emulate jihadi actions. It is perhaps worth looking at official statistics on terrorrelated offences in the UK. The Home Office publishes figures on persons arrested/charged, and also their self-expressed religious backgrounds. The figures above are for people arrested, charged and/or convicted following a terrorism-related arrest in Great Britain, over eleven years from September 2001 to August 2012. It should be noted that the figures are small compared to the overall UK population of 64 million and the self-defined Muslim population of a minimum of three million. The chance of an individual UK Muslim being arrested/charged/convicted in any year on a terror offence is less than 1 in 10,000. It is important to note that there have not been any major terror attacks on churches in Europe yet. However it is also important to remember that elsewhere churches are very common targets. There have certainly been plots and alarms in continental Europe, sometimes prevented by police action. In April 2015, German police mounted armed guards at the cathedral in Bremen, after receiving intelligence information that jihadists planned to attack the city’s cathedral and synagogue. In late April 2015, an Algerian national, Sid Ahmed Ghlam, was arrested in France for planning to carry out attacks on churches in Villejuif, a Paris suburb. It is believed that he had previously murdered a young woman. Police said they found documents in his flat which established “beyond doubt� that Ghlam planned to attack churches. Later several others were arrested as alleged accomplices in the plot.
- 13 -
One of the churches in Villejuif
Image source: Binche / CC BY-SA 3.0
A search of Ghlam’s home turned up three Kalashnikov assault rifles as well as phones and computers. There were indications that he had been in contact with someone, possibly located in Syria, who urged Ghlam to target a church, according to the prosecutor. In August 2015, churches in France were placed under police protection and urged to take extra security measures against possible Islamist attacks before the major Catholic festival, the feast of the Assumption, on the 15th of the month.
- 14 -
CHAPTER THREE
The local environment
O
ne of the first things to consider is your local environment. If your church is based in a quiet rural location in the shires of England, then the likelihood of terrorist attack is probably very small. If however you are based in an urban multicultural environment, the risk is higher (although still small).
It would make good sense to obtain some information about the status and make-up of the local population. What is the ethnic / religious demography? What is the make-up of the local council? Who is your MP? Are there any active groups of militantly antiChristian secularists? If there are communities of Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim or Jewish people, what particular affiliations do they have and are any local groups hostile to them? You may find that other places of worship have already carried out a risk assessment and have had plans in place for many years. If your church is not engaged with other local churches and other faiths in some way, is this something you should think about remedying?
- 16 -
Of more relevance to terrorist risk from Islamists and others, what affiliation do the local mosques, temples and other religious centres have and what is the attitude of local groups? There is, for example, a wide spectrum within Islam, with major differences in doctrine and practice, and major differences in association with terrorist violence. You may find that the local imam and other Muslim community leaders are actively engaged in combatting extremist ideology. See Appendix 3 for more details. Are there any local communities or groups impacted by events elsewhere? During the long civil war in Sri Lanka, Tamil communities in the UK were very concerned about events in that country and the conflict with the Sinhalese majority. During times of tension, even war, between Pakistan and India, relationships were often strained between communities in the UK with Pakistani/Muslim origins and Indian/Hindu backgrounds. We have seen in recent times that conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the Middle East can have an impact on relations within the UK1. Where the tensions stem from policies of the UK government, or there is conflict involving Christians of any denomination in another country, that may raise the temperature in the UK. For example, we have seen how cartoons of Muhammad in Denmark or France can lead to protests in this country. Likewise UK military intervention in other countries can lead to protests, violence or terrorist attacks in the UK, possibly targeting Christian targets. Are there any local groups who are particularly upset and who might seek to express their outrage by some action against Christians? You may want to consider the geographical profile of your district, the needs, tensions and facilities operating within the community. Is it for example a high-crime area, perhaps more unsafe at night, or is it fairly safe at all times. Where are the buildings you use located, and where do all your activities take place, and at what time of the day?
ยนhttp://www.yorkshirestandard.co.uk/news/vandals-target-shia-mosque-inbradford-12642/ and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31691120 (viewed 15/1/2016)
- 17 -
Where do your leaders and other staff live, and how do they travel and at what times of the day? Are your leaders well known in the community, and are they known for outspoken stances on issues to which some might be hostile? Is your group active in outreach to others, especially to other faiths that are hostile to converts from their own faith? Is your group active in community or social work that other groups may disapprove of, for example women’s support groups or legal aid to women/children abused. What types of activities do you operate or participate in? Where do these activities take place, and when. Do some activities involve higher risk than others, e.g. street pastors, community centres operating at night in more challenging districts? How open are your activities to the general public? Worship services and other events/activities will be open to the public, although you may have stewards and ushers on duty who provide a degree of basic security. But how open or indeed publicised are convert care groups, meetings of the outreach team, schedule of street pastors etc? For all the above local considerations, the key question is what reactions have they evoked among the local community, or groups within the local community. It is possible that all your leaders and activities are well publicised and open, because you want them known so that people can access them. It is possible that you cannot identify anyone who is likely to be hostile to them. This could be a fairly common situation. However you may consider that one or two activities could be unpopular with certain groups locally, and that a degree of care is needed to minimise risk. These considerations are covered in greater detail in the next chapter, looking at risk analysis.
- 18 -
CHAPTER FOUR
Risk analysis - 19 -
T
errorist targets are usually selected for their symbolic value. Church buildings are visible symbols of Christianity, which is linked to the supposedly Christian West and therefore seen by terrorists as an enemy of Islam. Targeting religious symbols in Europe, North America and Australasia could also be seen as a way of striking back against Western policies and actions. It symbolises the struggle of Islam against Christianity and the hoped-for eventual dominance of Islam. Terrorists seek to generate public shock, and an attack on a church building would have high shock value for Christians and the general public. The fact that churches are used by innocent civilians would not be a deterrent for a hardened jihadist, and indeed would increase the shock value of the attack. Churches could be targeted to create social tensions and widen divisions. Jihadi doctrine includes the strategy of encouraging divisions, security measures and public hostility, that will be felt by Muslims and in turn lead to further radicalisation and recruitment into their ranks. Salafists are strongly opposed to any liberal or moderate trends within Islam, and want to radicalise the Muslim community. Potential church attackers may not come from a coherent group, and could be a lone individual, perhaps someone psychologically troubled. They could be a recent convert to Islam, imbued with an indiscriminate enthusiasm for the more radical expressions of their new faith. Nevertheless ‘lone-wolf’ attackers are likely to have been influenced by jihadi ideology, and so in some ways the background thinking to any terror plot would be similar. Risk is likely to be higher when there are high profile events somewhere in the world that raise the level of anger or resentment within some Muslim communities. Typical examples would be:• Burning of Qurans • Portrayal of Muhammad e.g. in cartoons • Military attacks on Muslim-majority countries and Islamist militants – categorised by some as modern Crusades • Christian mission work especially if celebrating large numbers of conversions from Islam to Christianity - 20 -
• Fatwas (Islamic legal opinions) calling for attacks on pastors, missionaries and churches • Media reports or public discussion of human rights issues in Muslim countries; criticism of high profile apostasy cases, blasphemy cases, inhumane punishments or similar • Criticism of Islam generally or any revered Muslim figures (Muhammad particularly) • During the Islamic month of Ramadan. Jihadi leaders often call for heightened terror activities during this period.
Making a Risk Assessment:
A risk assessment looks at three things; the type of risk, the likelihood of the event happening, and the impact if it does happen. Some possibilities are very unlikely, but they could have a large impact so need to be considered. Other possibilities are highly likely, but have a small impact, so the measures you take are fairly straightforward and minimal. The most important risks are those that are moderately likely and/or could have a big impact. Relative impact High
Terrorist attack
Faulty wiring causes fire
Church vandalised Church website crashes Snake bite in grounds
Low Low
Relative likelihood
Child falls & grazes knee High
Plotting the risks, the likelihood and the potential impact is a useful exercise. The next step is to produce a comprehensive Risk Chart that catalogues the issues, the level of assessed risk, what the possible impacts could be, and measures initiated to reduce the risk of something happening or reduce the impact if it does happen. This is possibly the most useful exercise for your church fellowship, and should be given serious attention by the leadership as a whole. You may find that it produces a document that also helps focus on other risks, and defensive actions. - 21 -
Example of one page from a hypothetical risk assessment document ISSUE
RISK LEVEL
IMPACT
COUNTER-ACTIONS
Arson
Medium
Loss of building or parts of it Loss of meeting place Loss of equipment and material Cost of rebuild or repairs Decline in congregation
Appropriate buildings/contents insurance Good physical security Alarms and links to fire brigade Possible counter-measures e.g. sprinklers Plan B for alternative place to meet
Theft of data
High
Breach of Data Protection Act Loss of sensitive data Risk to individuals
Secure storage of data Well protected systems Care over publication of information
Lone wolf attack on church service
Low
Death or injury
General security measures CCTV Training of ushers/stewards First aiders always available
Attack on a convert
Medium
Death or injury Fear Person leaves the church
Protective measures Group support
Attack on pastor
Low
Death or injury Loss of pastor for a period
General security measures CCTV, intercom on door Working in a team
Suicide bomber
Low
Death or injury Fear Loss of building or parts of it Loss of meeting place Loss of equipment and material Cost of rebuild or repairs Decline in congregation
Security measures including CCTV Good physical security Trained stewards, parking controls Appropriate buildings insurance cover Appropriate contents insurance cover Plan B for alternative place to meet
- 22 -
Risk of terror attack
People Ministry Buildings
Impact
You may want to think in terms of (a) people, (b) ministries/ activities and (c) buildings or locations. You need to think about different types of risks that should be assessed under the general heading of ‘terrorist attack’, who or what are the possible targets, and what could be the impact of an attack. • • • •
The aim is not to change what the Church does Curtailing the witness of the Church would be a defeat The aim is to do things better and more safely, as necessary The goal is to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16 [NRSV]) • There is no such thing as zero risk, nor is zero risk a Biblical approach to ministry and service • Plans and precautions need to be devised, known and owned by all leadership/staff/volunteers
- 23 -
Buildings:
Church buildings, church schools, kindergartens, church halls, meeting rooms, manses or vicarages are visible buildings/ activities that often symbolise Christianity. They can be vulnerable targets because they are: • • • • • •
Easy to access Often open to the public Routinely visited by strangers Largely unprotected Static i.e. easily located for attack Can be targeted at virtually any time of choice
The structure of a building can have significant impact on the level of risk; does it have glass walls or large windows that could send shards flying if there was an explosion of any type. What type of glass is involved, is it safety glass or is it shatterproof, or can it be made safer?
People:
Who are the visible leaders and staff in your church?
- 24 -
In October 2007 members of the clergy were advised by National ChurchWatch¹ to take off their dog collars when they are on their own, to reduce the risk of being attacked. National Churchwatch², sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance, says ministers are attacked more often than professions such as GPs and probation officers. The group also produces security advice for churches and church workers. In the ten years prior to 2007, five vicars were murdered. A 2001 academic study by the University of London also found that 12% of clergy had suffered some form of violence. In a survey of 90 London clergy carried out in 2006, nearly half said they had been attacked in the previous twelve months. One vicar, from Willesden, North West London, said his vicarage had been machine-gunned, but still did not believe he had experienced violence. In March 2009, a Christian minister was brutally attacked in London by three men who ripped off his cross, stole his Bible and threatened to break his legs. Metropolitan Police treated the case as a ‘faith hate’ assault. The Reverend Noble Samuel, who presents a Christian television show, said he had been challenged by Muslims phoning in during the weeks leading up to the attack. Revd Samuel was driving to the TV studio when a car pulled up in front of him and a man approached him to ask directions in Urdu. The man and two accomplices then attacked him. Revd Samuel, who was educated by Christian missionaries in Pakistan and moved to the UK some 15 years ago, said he, his wife Louisa, and his son Naveed, 19, now fear for their safety. The police have given the family panic alarms and Revd Samuel described himself as “frightened and depressed”.
¹http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7032314.stm ²http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/
[both viewed 29/9/2015]
- 25 -
Things to take into account in the risk assessment: • • • • • •
Where do your leaders live/work? Who are your higher-profile staff? How well known or identifiable are individuals in the area? When and where do they interact with the public? How do they interact with the public? Do they have any specific ministries e.g. evangelism, convert care? • How visible are these ministries and what reaction have they evoked? • How accessible are they to an attacker?
Ministries and activities: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
What different ministries and activities does your church run? Church services, prayer and other meetings? House or cell groups? Outreach and discipleship? Social or community activities? Church schools or school activities? Ministries to people of other faiths, especially Muslims? Ministries for converts from Islam? Community programmes Community/social activities involving members of other faiths? Where do they meet? When do they meet? Who runs them? Are they open to the public? How well known or publicised are they in the area? Are any of these activities more likely to be unpopular with any group? • Community projects (low risk?) Outreach programmes (higher risk?)
- 26 -
CHAPTER FIVE
Working with others - 27 -
It
is absolutely essential that your church leadership engages with other organisations and individuals that can help you. You may have members of the church who have skills or experience in the field, such as police officers, security workers, or military. A number of services are there to provide assistance in case of need, such as the police, fire brigade and medical services. Other organisations and individuals will be able to give you advice and other assistance, such as police advisors, your insurance company and specialists within your fellowship. You may want to include a security element in your review of the fabric of the building, with an eye to making it more resistant to attack e.g. minimising risk of glass shards in the event of an explosion.
Local services
• In any disaster type event, you need to know who and where your local services are, especially emergency services. • Contact details must be up-to-date, readily available and appropriately distributed. • Meet with professionals and discuss; get advice. • Implement any recommendations they make to you. • Meet them on a regular basis e.g. annually.
- 28 -
Liaison with police and specialist officers
• Make personal contact with your local police force. • All police forces in the UK have ‘counter-terrorism security advisors’ (CTSAs), who provide help, advice and guidance on all aspects of counter-terrorism and protective security • Obtain CTSA advice, guidance and help with risk assessments or training. • Emergency services, dial 999 • The National Counter Terrorism Security Office can be reached via PO Box 849, London SW1P 1XD Tel: 0207 931 7142 with website at www.nactso.gov.uk and contact email nactso@cpni.gsi.gov.uk. • Local police station, contact telephone number? Dedicated officer with whom you liaise? • Maintain good contacts, don’t let them lapse.
Liaison with fire brigade and community liaison officers • Make personal contact with your local fire brigade. • Obtain fire brigade advice, guidance and help with risk assessments, measures to take or training.
• Provide fire brigade with plans of your buildings and give them a tour. This is good general practice. • Maintain good contacts, don’t let them lapse. - 29 -
Liaison with medical services
You may want to investigate local medical services, and the types of assistance available in different places. For example, where is the best local A&E (Accident and Emergency) department, or where is the nearest specialist Burns Unit? Also, what capabilities do you have within the fellowship, in terms of first-aiders, paramedics, nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners? You will probably want to: • Know what and where are your local emergency services. • Have details up-to-date, readily available and distributed. • Have designated trained first-aiders (generally good practice anyway) • Have basic first aid kits available on site and easy to find.
Community relations
• Work at establishing and maintaining a good relationship with the local community and individual communities. • A church which has strong links to the local community may gain some security benefits – the local public may “keep an eye” on the church and be more favourable to its activities. • Work to promote community cohesion. • Establish a visibly good working relationship with the local imam and other religious leaders (including other Christian leaders). Work together on useful community initiatives. This may pay many dividends in harmonious community relations, and good public relations, not to mention opportunities for Christian witness. • However do be very cautious about inter-faith initiatives, if they could compromise the Christian faith. - 30 -
CHAPTER SIX
Specific measures to take - 31 -
A. Insurance
Check your church’s insurance policies to make sure that cover is adequate for your risk assessment. Check you have buildings, contents, vehicles, equipment and people covered. Check that insurance covers all the standard elements, and add any additional cover you may want. Note that insurance only helps repair the damage after an event, but this will help you recover rapidly and with minimum cost. • Discuss your requirements with your insurance company or broker. • They may be able to provide you with guidance or other advice. • Check standard elements and level of insurance cover provided. • Check additional elements required; arson attack, terrorist attack, physical injury, medical costs, public liability. • Check people covered by the policies; pastor, deacons, elders, assistant staff, volunteers, church members, the general public.
B. Data protection
How well protected is your data; church website, emails, electronic documents, membership rolls, names and addresses, telephone numbers, information about converts (especially from Islam)? There are two major risks with data: theft and loss. Sensitive data that is stolen could be used to attack the church or attack people e.g. the pastor or a convert, cause public embarrassment or cause any other nuisance. A takeover and corruption of your website, by a hacker for example, will be a public embarrassment. Data that is stolen might also raise Data Protection Act issues. Data that is lost e.g. by virus attack, destruction of systems or corruption of your website, will cause a variety of internal problems for your ministries and administration. So check that data is regularly backed-up and secured safely.
- 32 -
C. Site security
How well protected and physically secure are the physical sites you operate? This is a question to consider not only from a health & safety viewpoint, but also in terms of protecting against theft, vandalism and attack. • Do you own your sites or are they borrowed/rented e.g. a school? • Physical aspects of the site; construction material of the building, large amounts of glass in walls/doors/windows (and danger of flying shards), measures you can take to improve resistance to attack. • Security of the various sites; walls and fences, secure doors and locks, CCTV and door intercom systems? • When are buildings open/locked? • Are internal offices/rooms locked when unused? • How do you control access? • How well are keys monitored and who has access to them? • Who is on-site when buildings are open, are they working alone? • Do you have alarm systems for intruders/fire? - 33 -
• Do you have adequate escape routes, as in case of fire? • How easily can the alarm be raised? How? With whom? When considering security it is best to examine security measures from the outside and work inwards, i.e. from the external public areas, looking at perimeter security and then working progressively inwards. The aim is to provide several layers of barriers to intruders, making it progressively more difficult for them to gain entry to the main building and increasing the risk of detection from surveillance or intruder alarm protection. Whilst surrounding a site with substantial fencing/walling can significantly improve security and act as a psychological barrier by demarcating the site so intruders know they are trespassing, it should not be at the expense of additional measures such as external surveillance of the property. Perimeter fencing should be at least 2.4 metres or 8 feet in height to have any real security value. Be especially careful where a fence joins any other barrier or a different type of fence; it is often at these points that they are easiest to scale. Where perimeter fencing is erected, matching gates should be installed to maintain security levels. Gates should be kept locked outside business hours. How do you control vehicle access to your site? How close to the building can a vehicle approach? If you are considering the perimeter security, in terms of current strength or because you are thinking about upgrading, the following are likely alternatives: • PVC/powder coated weldmesh or expanded metal fencing is difficult to overcome and maintains visibility of an intruder once inside - but can be vulnerable to attack at fixing points to fencing posts. • Timber panels, whilst economical to install, do provide a screen for an intruder once scaled and will not present much resistance to physical attack. • Quickthorn hedging can be used in conjunction with other perimeter protections, has very low maintenance costs and
- 34 -
once established acts as an effective deterrent where free from gaps. • Chain link fencing, readily available, relatively cheap and easy to install, but quite unattractive in appearance, easily distorts and is subject to localised collapse following cutting. • Steel palisading is substantial and very effective. • Brick walls are solid barriers and require minimal maintenance. However they do act as a screen for intruders once scaled.
D. Information about your site
Street View imagery and similar can allow a person with hostile intent to obtain significant information that may assist in preparing an attack, whether that is terrorist or criminal in intent. The accessibility of publicly available internal imagery could add to attack planning capability if reasonable mitigation measures are not considered or implemented. Be aware of what imagery exists online e.g. Google Street
Google Street View
Image source: © 2016 Google
View, and what plans or photographs are in the public domain. Have you sought planning permission recently, and were plans distributed locally? Prior to any attendance at your site by an imagery company to conduct photography, you should conduct due diligence checks on the company. You should then consider having some or all of the following measures agreed within any contract:
- 35 -
1. Agreement that all static and un-domed CCTV cameras be pixilated out of the images. (This withdraws the ability to determine CCTV type or direction) 2. Agreement that all public/back of building access control measures be pixilated. This should include any electrical or mechanical measure and must include any external access control measure to car parks or delivery entrances. 3. Agreement that the time of the photography is determined by the site owner. The site owner should consider that the best time to have their site photographed would be during quieter periods of the site operation. This would deny a potential attacker the option of determining potential casualty impact that any attack could achieve. 4. Agreement that photography be restricted to public areas only. Following on from any contract agreements a site can also consider some of the following advice to enhance its digital ‘look and feel’ to discourage attack planning. Stage manage images: 1. Consider the placement of your overt security teams at key points. Areas to consider would be at entrances (to enhance the impression of the security regime) and front of house/ back of house access areas. 2. Moving your security teams around the site so it appears that there are more staff employed than are actually in place. 3. Placement of positive customer care and security posters and messages. Engagement: 1. Have security staff and customer service agents being photographed in positive engagement scenes with customers. To a potential attacker this will indicate that approaches and interaction is made with customers and is again discouraging to them. 2. If the site has an onsite security team, then photographs of joint security/police patrolling should be encouraged. This advice is not intended to be prescriptive but to guide to reasonable mitigation to reduce any security implications. Ultimately, the decision to allow the imagery activity to take place is a matter for the church or site owner. - 36 -
E. Evacuation plans
You should have clearly signed evacuation plans and routes, usually designed for evacuation in case of fire. You may want to evaluate these in terms of adequacy in case of another type of incident. • • • •
Do you have multiple alternative exit routes? Are exit routes kept clear and adequately signposted? Do you have suitable safe meeting points? Do you have nominated persons in charge of escape procedures? • Do you have procedures to quickly call public authorities? • Do you have trained first aiders available?
F. Individual security plans
You may need to consider some thinking about personal security. This should in any case be a consideration for church council oversight when taking care of the pastor, assistants, other staff and volunteers. You may be able to draw upon security skills/experience within the membership of the church. • Working alone is always higher risk. • Individuals should always have a mobile phone. • People may need to think about variable travel routes if they are at risk. • It may be advantageous to be or to travel in public spaces with other people around – although this would also make it easier for someone to approach you. • Get police advice if you are concerned. • Should people have some awareness training?
G. Training for people, staff, teams and volunteers
You will probably already have some training for staff and volunteers, especially children’s workers, youth ministry, music group etc. The church council may want to have some awareness training themselves as they are ultimately responsible for oversight of the church and these issues of security, health & safety, care, training and activities.
- 37 -
• Church elders or council must be involved – overall responsibility lies here. • Ensure appropriate levels of training and preparation. • Gold, silver, bronze tiers of responsibility; dividing strategic, operational and day-to-day areas of responsibility between strategic leaders, operational staff and others. • Church ushers/stewards and those responsible for visitor access. • First aiders, trained and certified to various levels. • The person(s) responsible for security and data protection. • People involved in various ministries. • People involved in community activities.
H. Training ushers and stewards
Church ushers and stewards normally have little background in security or protection. However you may have a police officer, a member of the military, a security worker, or a retiree from one of these fields, within your fellowship. Could they help in planning and training? The role of steward is often thought of as being a friendly greeter, someone to hand out hymn books or notice leaflets, and guide people to their seat. Stewards may be expected to pass the collection plate, and have a role during the service. Fortunately these are likely to continue to be the routine tasks. However ushers and stewards are partly responsible for security and safety of the fellowship, along with elders, pastors, deacons and others. Certainly stewards are in the front line in that they are likely to be the first people to have to deal with a visitor, an intruder or a problem outside the building. Stewards may be moderately experienced in dealing with difficult people, perhaps a drunken person who attends a festival or a hostile neighbour who shouts at church attenders. Stewards and ushers are not expected to act as police officers, and should protect their own safety. However they should be observant and aware, able to assess situations and respond appropriately. There is a dual role here, of servant to the fellowship and guardian. Police may be able to give you further guidance on the role of stewards.
- 38 -
The role requires a degree of balance; projecting a welcome for visitors yet an awareness of potentially difficult or even dangerous situations. Some stewards are overly relaxed, and engage in a lot of conversation with friends. They may then not be aware of things happening nearby. Others may be extremely anxious, and so tense and on edge a lot of the time and perhaps overly officious. Signs to look out for in an unknown visitor are various, and there is no easy way to identify a potential aggressor or terrorist. The following signs should cause concern, but be aware that there could also be innocent reasons for any of these behaviours. The first few might be more typical of someone disturbed, or angry with the church/ministry, while the later signs might be more typical of a premeditated attacker/terrorist. Some tell-tale signs: • High energy, emotional state • The smell of alcohol • Loud and boisterous behaviour • Erratic behaviour • Aggressive behaviour; this might include chest puffing, raised voice and posturing • Invading the victim’s space and using aggressive but not directly harmful physical contact (poking, shoving, etc.) usually begins a confrontation • The attacker might pick the biggest, strongest steward to confront • Terrorist attackers often stalk their target until the best opportunity to attack presents itself. Look out for people observing your building for a period before approaching. • If the attackers intend to flee the scene, they may have an accomplice loitering in a vehicle nearby with the engine running. • If you notice an individual who is paying a little too much covert attention to you or makes you uncomfortable for reasons you can’t totally explain, it is often best to share your concerns with others. • Terrorists may make use of available cover to take their victims by surprise. If you see someone moving in a suspicious way, avoiding places where they can be seen,
- 39 -
• • • •
trying locked entrance doors, attempting to slip round the back of a building, raise your concerns and take action. Be aware of people carrying bags or other items that could conceal weapons. Be aware of unattended bags or other containers. Use caution over unattended bags/containers that could contain a bomb; never try to move or disarm a bomb. Is the person dressed inappropriately e.g. bulky clothing on a hot summer day?
Stewards must be realistic about a church or ministry environment. People arrive early and late for meetings. People move singly and in groups. People forget things and change their minds. People may roam around the building. The entrance may be packed with people at times. People may be leaving one service/event while others come in for another event. People do strange things, which are perfectly logical to them! Stewards must be knowledgeable about elements that ought to concern them; the location of emergency exits, evacuation routes and procedures, meeting places, alarms, fire extinguishers and similar. They should be aware of policies and procedures. There should be a senior steward for each event, who will take responsibility, perhaps with a back-up deputy. Stewards and people with similar roles should be included in any planning about how to deal with an attack on the church or ministry, the elements contained within chapter 7. Stewards should view themselves as part of a team and ideally should never deal with a dangerous situation alone - always in a two or three person group. Always get assistance before tackling someone you are concerned about. You need back-up, and a witness, if anything violent occurs. However make sure that your group does not project an environment of intimidation or threat – as this could provoke a reaction. A smile and gentle words will often disarm someone hostile. Read again the introductory story on page 5 of how Pastor Johnson dealt with the armed intruder at his Texas church. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1, NIV - 40 -
CHAPTER SEVEN
Dealing with an incident - 41 -
If,
despite all your measures to prevent an incident, there is an attack on your church or one of its ministries, then the initial response will be critical. How you respond in the first few minutes or hours will make a big difference to its impact; to the survivors; to the robustness of your church and to its reputation. The first priority should be people: to evacuate the site, tend to the injured and ensure that no further injuries are sustained. Meanwhile you must ensure that the emergency services are alerted, and you are ready to render as much assistance to them as they need. How you respond to an incident will depend on the type of incident, and you should have some standard scenarios within your thinking and planning. Typical possibilities to consider might be an arson attack, a bomb attack, an armed attack by one or more persons, a hostage situation, and a credible threat e.g. a telephone warning of a bomb. You may be able to think of others. It may be useful to distinguish between an immediate incident and an ongoing incident. A bomb attack may be over in a few seconds, and you are therefore faced with the need to deal with the immediate and longer-term consequences. However, bear in mind that there may be a secondary device timed to detonate at a later stage e.g. when police are on the scene. An ongoing incident would be an arson attack with a fire continuing while people are still inside the building or as yet unaccounted for, or else an armed attack or hostage-taking by one or more people that continues over a period.
On-going incidents:
Planning might include consideration of courses of action where staff can respond most effectively to an armed attack, so as to minimise loss of life/injury. Thinking through possible scenarios and considering response options in advance has been shown to assist individuals and groups to quickly select their best course of action in an emergency.
- 42 -
This is a very sensitive topic. You may well decide that only leaders, staff and stewards should be sensitised to these issues, and the fellowship in general should not be alarmed at this point. If later you feel that the level of threat has risen from ‘very unlikely’ to ‘possible’, especially if it is a topic of open concern among your members, you may then decide to have a conversation with the whole fellowship. Though some people may find the conversation uncomfortable, they may also find it reassuring to know that as a whole their church is thinking ahead about how best to deal with any situation. During an active terrorist attack, the natural human reaction is to be startled, to feel fear and anxiety and even to experience initial disbelief and denial. Noise from alarms, gunfire, explosions, and people shouting and screaming should be expected. Advance planning and perhaps training provides key personnel with the means to regain composure, recall at least some of what has been learned, and take action.
Respond Immediately:
It is common for people confronted with a threat to first deny the possible danger rather than respond. Some people might insist they are hearing firecrackers, when in fact they hear gunfire. Train key personnel to skip denial and to respond immediately. For example, train people to recognise the sounds of danger, act, and forcefully communicate the danger and necessary action (e.g., “Gun! Get out!”). In addition, those closest to a communications system should communicate the danger and necessary action. Repetition in training and preparedness shortens the time it takes to orient, observe, and act. Upon recognising the danger, as soon as it is safe to do so, staff or others should alert responders by contacting 999 with as clear and accurate information as possible. There are three basic response options: run, hide, or fight. Individuals can run away from the gunman; seek a secure place where they can hide and/or deny the terrorist access; or incapacitate the attacker(s) in order to survive and protect others from harm.
- 43 -
As the situation develops, it is possible that staff and others will need to use more than one option. During an active situation, these individuals will rarely have all of the information they need to make a fully informed decision about which option is best. While they should follow the plan and any instructions given during an incident, they will often have to rely on their own judgment to decide which option will best protect lives, their own and others.
Run:
If it is safe to do so, the first course of action that should be taken is to evacuate the building and move far away until in a safe location. People should be trained, as for a fire evacuation, to: • Leave personal belongings behind. • Visualise possible escape routes, including physically accessible routes for individuals with disabilities. • Avoid escalators and lifts. • Go to a safe meeting point where people can be counted and checked. • Take others with them. • Call 999 when safe to do so. • If there are children, to let a responsible adult know where they are.
- 44 -
Hide:
If running is not a safe option, hide in as safe a place as possible. Key people should be trained to assist others to hide in a location where the walls might be thicker and have fewer windows. In addition: • • • • • • •
• • • • •
Lock the doors. Barricade the doors with heavy furniture. Close and lock windows and close blinds or cover windows. Turn off lights. Silence all electronic devices. Remain silent. If possible, use strategies to silently communicate with first responders; for example, in rooms with exterior windows, make signs to silently signal police and emergency responders to indicate the status of the room’s occupants. Hide along the wall closest to the exit but out of the view from the hallway (allowing for an ambush of a gunman and for possible escape if an attacker enters the room). Remain in place until given an all-clear by identifiable law enforcement. If items are falling from above – get under a sturdy table. If you’re trapped in debris, stay close to a wall and tap on pipes so that rescuers can hear you. Don’t use matches or lighters in case of gas leaks.
Fight:
If neither running nor hiding is a safe option, as a last resort, when confronted by a terrorist, adults in immediate danger should consider trying to disrupt or incapacitate him/her by using aggressive force and items in their environment, such as fire extinguishers or chairs. In an American study of 41 active ‘shooter events’ that ended before law enforcement arrived, the potential victims themselves stopped the attacker in 16 instances. In 13 of those cases, they physically subdued the attacker.1
¹ Blair, J Peter and M Hunter Martaindale, United States Active Shooter Events from 2000 to 2010: Training and Equipment Implications, Texas State University, [n.d.], http://tinyurl.com/zgurg6k (viewed 13 January 2016)
- 45 -
While talking to the staff and possibly the congregation about confronting an armed attacker may be daunting and upsetting for some, they should know that they might be able to successfully take action to save lives. How each individual chooses to respond if directly confronted is up to him or her.
Interacting with emergency services:
If a shooting or armed attack occurs, staff and key personnel should be trained to understand and expect that law enforcement’s first priority must be to locate and stop the person or persons believed to be the attackers; all other actions are secondary. Staff should be trained to cooperate and not to interfere with first responders. They should understand that police are operating with little information, and do not know who are staff and church members - everyone is a potential terrorist/ accomplice until proven otherwise. So display empty hands with open palms, obey instructions, and anticipate that police may tell everyone to place their hands on their heads or lie on the ground. In an on-going terrorist situation, police may find it useful to receive information about the building, perhaps a site plan, access to CCTV systems, or anything else that may help them swiftly master the situation with minimum loss of life. These items should be easily accessible and staff should know where they are located.
Immediately after an incident:
Once the initial attack incident is over, emergency services will work with church staff and victims on a variety of matters. This will include securing the site, tending the injured, interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence and initiating an investigation. Police and others may require plans of the site, information about alarm systems, CCTV, gas mains, identification of witnesses, names and addresses.
- 46 -
The church should identify trained personnel who will provide assistance to victims and their families. This should include assisting those physically injured, comforting those traumatised, supporting families and assisting the leadership in dealing with the aftermath. This team will need to liaise with local services. One important area would be having good information about everyone hurt in an incident, and where they have been taken for treatment. Parents of children, for example, will be desperate to know if their son or daughter is safe, and which hospital they have gone to if injured. Where the immediate reunification of loved ones is not possible, providing family members with timely, accurate, and relevant information is paramount. Having family members wait for long periods for information about their loved ones not only adds to their stress and frustration, but can also escalate the emotions of the entire group. How you handle this area may be crucial for the fellowship, its public reputation and its private duty of love and care. When families are reunited, it is critical that there are good child release processes in place where minors might be involved (e.g., Sunday school, Youth group, childcare, religious education classes) to assure that no child is released to an unauthorised person, even if that person is well meaning. This would normally be part of your child protection policy. Essential steps to help establish trust and provide family members with a sense of control can be accomplished by: • Identifying a safe location in which to wait, separate from distractions and/or media and the general public, but close enough to allow family members to feel connected in proximity to their children/loved ones. • Scheduling periodic updates even if no significant additional information is available. • Providing some basic refreshments. • Being prepared to speak with family members about what to expect when reunited with their child/loved ones.
- 47 -
• Ensuring effective communication with those that have language barriers or need other accommodations, such as sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired.
Media:
Within its planning, the church/ministry should explicitly address how it will engage with media attention, and how affected families will be supported if they prefer not to engage with the media. This includes strategies for keeping the media separate from families if the emergency is ongoing (e.g. a hostage situation) and support for families who may experience unwanted media attention at their homes. The church may be able to access professional media relations experts via its denomination, and this could be part of the advance planning research. A strong Christian statement after a major incident can have wide coverage and be a huge witness for the Gospel. You may well know of remarkable testimonies after outrages.
It is difficult to plan too much in advance, but at least thinking through possibilities and knowing who will be the media spokesperson will prepare you significantly.
- 48 -
It is important to take charge of the narrative in a news story. You want your story told, not a story from anyone hostile or a story made up by the media to provide sensational news. Without being overtly critical of media and journalists, it must be said that many inexperienced people have bad experiences with the media and come away afterwards bruised and saddened that the story is unrecognisable and they have been portrayed in a totally erroneous manner. The media have their own agenda, urgent deadlines and can be ruthless getting a spicy angle that sounds good. You may want to say nothing. This is frustrating, but it is sometimes wiser than saying something that you regret later. However in most cases the media will be anxious to talk to you and you will be asked for the church’s or ministry’s reaction to the incident. It might be wise to think about this in advance, even if it is just five minutes reflection, rather than a hasty sound-bite when you are under pressure. Think about two or three points you want to make and stick to them. You have probably seen politicians ignoring journalists’ questions and just making the statements they want to make – do the same. • Emphasise the community of the church, its local character, community activities, links with local schools, charity work. • Emphasise the impact of the incident, casualties and damage. • Be critical of what people have done e.g. a terrorist attack, but do not leap to conclusions as to why they have done it or make unfounded allegations against any group or individuals. See Appendices 1 and 2 for legal issues. Use the personal angle of someone in the middle of the incident; it was your church or fellowship attacked, you know the people impacted, give the human dimension and portray the everyday community of your fellowship.
- 49 -
Clearly and calmly refute any false arguments or accusations e.g. that you have provoked the attack by your activities or statements, of being anti-Muslim, that you are a cult or Christian extremists/fundamentalists. These are unlikely in the heat of an incident but might come up later, depending on circumstances. You may need to defend your rights to freedom of religion and worship, see Appendix 1 for more on this.
Explain any controversial issues clearly, but without being either defensive or aggressive. A smile and a gentle answer will go a long way towards disarming critical viewers of a difficult interview. An aggressive interviewer and a calm response by you will win many supporters. If pushed into a corner, you could consider saying that this is a tricky issue and you need to think about it further – not an answer a politician would give, but it may come over as very honest and refreshing! Viewers, listeners or readers will not expect a polished performance from you (a member of the public rather than a professional), but they will expect a church leader or spokesperson to be frank and honest. As stated earlier, your denomination or network may provide some professional media support. You may want to liaise closely with any spokesperson, so that they do not say anything you find
- 50 -
unhelpful – after all they don’t know the local context even if they are a great media handler. Finally, don’t be too afraid of the media. If you can tell your story in a clear way you may be able to draw on a lot of support from the area and some good may also come out of a bad situation. This may be an opportunity to reach a wide audience and project a simple Christian message of compassion, forgiveness and salvation to people who never otherwise listen to a Christian minister. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ” Romans 8:28, NIV (emphasis added)
The following is a summary of advice
The nature of any attack will influence the best options for safety; a bomb blast at an occupied building is different from an arson attack on a largely unoccupied building, which is different from intruders with guns, which is different from a drive-by shooting. Also it is extremely unlikely you will be caught up in a terrorist attack anywhere. However if you are, try to do the following:
Run
• Escape if you can. Put distance between yourself and the danger. • Consider the safest options. • Is there a safe route? RUN if possible. • Can you get there without exposing yourself to greater danger? • Insist others leave with you. • Leave belongings behind.
Hide
• If you can’t run, then HIDE. • Find cover from gunfire e.g. substantial brickwork / heavy reinforced walls. • If you can see the attacker, they may be able to see you. • Cover from view does not mean you are safe, bullets go through glass, brick, wood and metal.
- 51 -
• • • • •
Be aware of your exits. Try not to get trapped. Be quiet, silence your phone. Lock / barricade yourself in. Move away from the door.
Tell • • • •
Call 999 - the police need to know: Location - where are the suspects? Direction - where did you last see the suspects? Descriptions – Describe the attacker, numbers, features, clothing and weapons. • Further information – Casualties, type of injury, building information, entrances, exits, any hostages. • Stop other people entering the building if it is safe to do so. • Protecting yourself, your staff, your organisation and your community.
When armed response officers arrive on the scene, the government advice is the following: • • • • •
Follow officers’ instructions. Remain calm. Can you move to a safer area? Avoid sudden movements that may be considered a threat. Keep your hands in view (i.e. put them in the air or on your head).
Be aware that officers may: • • • • •
Point guns at you. Treat you firmly. Question you. Be unable to distinguish you from the attacker. Officers will evacuate you when it is safe to do so.
- 52 -
CHAPTER EIGHT
Pastoral care and material support - 53 -
P
olice typically take the lead on dealing with families regarding death and injury notifications, but all parties should understand their roles and responsibilities.
A church will have a major role in counselling people about death and injury of loved ones, or missing persons. You probably have trained pastoral carers or counsellors, and these should be available to assist family members. After an incident, it is critical to confirm that each family is getting the support it needs, from both professionals and the church family, including long-term support. Failure of support in times of difficulty is one of the strongest causes of criticism of some churches. This is a responsibility for the leadership and also the membership. After a major incident, the church might consider printed resources, including some age-appropriate ones, to help families recognise and seek help in regard to a variety of reactions that they or their loved ones can experience during and after an emergency. It is critical that families and loved ones are supported as they both grieve any loss and support their surviving family members. As well as pastoral/spiritual support, affected families may need psychological assistance from trained professionals. Usually a church cannot provide this, but it should ask victims and assist towards this provision. People may need some material support. This could be financial, if for example someone is out of work because they are injured or traumatised. It could be help because of injuries, with equipment for example. The assistance could be time and energy. It could be help with shopping or household chores. It could be childcare. It could be gardening. Some churches have men’s groups that are active in the community with practical work, like DIY or fixing a gate or painting. Are these areas where a family could use assistance while recovering? A good fellowship will think about these things and be proactive in providing help, and maintain this help for as long as it is needed. - 54 -
CHAPTER NINE
Rebuilding
- 55 -
Y
our church or ministry could face the task of rebuilding after a major incident, whether this is because of loss of a site, building, equipment, data or personnel.
The risk analysis, thinking and the planning that you have done previously should have mitigated the effects of the incident and should have put you in a better place for rebuilding or re-establishing your work.
You should have good insurance in place that will cover the material costs of rebuilding or acquiring equipment and materials. You should have safeguarded data and other master documents/materials so that you can quickly reproduce, reprint and restart. You should have a recovery team in place with set tasks for rebuilding. You should have staff, volunteers and church members ready and briefed to help with the task ahead. You should have a fellowship that is confident in a leadership that has planned ahead and is ready to lead the rebuilding.
¹ “Expecting the unexpected, business continuity in an uncertain world” published by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, London First and the Business Continuity Institute, January 2006.
- 56 -
In previous studies1 up to 50% of businesses impacted by terrorist bombing went out of business, never to return. It is clear that how quickly – and painlessly – you manage to get back to ‘business as usual’ in the event of a terrorist attack, fire, flood or natural disaster, or any other major interruption, depends on how effectively you can devise, and put into action, your own organisation continuity plan. It is important that your church council, board or senior management is closely involved with the planning, and remains involved in the execution of the recovery plan. People, perhaps a small effective group, from the governing body and senior management need to have ownership of the continuity plan and need to champion it. However, it will be necessary to have everyone on board and to consult with the fellowship regularly to maintain communication and their confidence in progress. You will also want to draw in new skills, help and support as the plan rolls out. • You need the fullest possible picture of the complex interactions inside your organisation and between activities, leadership, your staff, your members and other people. • You will want to continually help your colleagues and members understand why and how you are dealing with issues and challenges. • You want the fellowship involved and knowing that their contribution is part of the implementation process. • You can include expert knowledge about every part of the organisation within your continuity plan. • You can find out if anyone in the organisation already has experience of plans or procedures to deal with a major incident or terrorist attack.
Different departments:
During recovery you may need to prioritise certain ministries and ‘departments.’ How immediately essential is this work to the church or ministry or the people you are serving? You will need to be objective on this; it is about practicalities not profile. What equipment, IT and other systems does the department need to be able to function? Who else inside or outside the church does the department need to be able to carry out their work? Who else in the church depends on this function? - 57 -
Sites and facilities:
During recovery, if your site is lost or damaged, from where are you going to operate? If your organisation has more than one site, you will need to juggle the possibility of moving some activities to the undamaged site. If you only have one site, you will need to start operating from your back-up site as soon as possible. Your original planning may have contained some suggestions, or you may already have a ‘what-if’ agreement with another church, a hall, a school or similar, to use their site if you lose yours. And are you ready to help another local church or ministry if they have a problem?
Rebuilding plan:
You may like to create a chart that shows the various things to do, who is responsible and the time frame for each element. Some things are higher priority, some things will take longer, some things are dependent on others being done first, and some things have important deadlines. One possibility would be to use a Gantt chart (hypothetical sample on P60. These are commonly used in project management, and are useful ways of showing activities, tasks or events - displayed against time.
- 58 -
On the left of the chart is a list of the activities and along the top is a suitable time scale. The activities are clearly shown, with a start date and a projected end date, and the person(s) responsible or in charge are shown within the coloured boxes. Budgeting is also important, whether this is in liaison with your insurance company or to be paid for out of church funds. Budgets should be established for the various tasks and groups, and these should be regularly reviewed by the church treasurer and the leadership.
We hope and pray that under the Lord’s protection you will never experience a terrorist attack or need to rebuild your church/ ministry activities. However if the worst should happen, we also hope that this set of guidance notes will have proved useful in planning for the unexpected and in helping a rapid recovery. May the Lord bless your work in His service. Dr Patrick Sookhdeo
- 59 -
Person designated by leadership
Administrator
Men’s group
Media handling
Set up temporary church office
Move equipment and material
Own site fully operational
Start moving back to own site
Review progress and activities, replan
Other activities restart
Youth groups operational
Children’s groups operational
Wk8 L
Wk9
Leadership
Leadership and activity leaders
P
L
W10 W11
Leadership and Youth leaders
Leadership and Children’s leaders
Administrator and Church Secretary
P
P
New church office operational
Pastoral care reviews
L
Wk7
Leadership and Ministry team
Church Secretary
Publicise new meeting arrangements
Wk6
Church services in new premises
IT team
IT systems re-established
L
L
L
Wk5
L
Wk4
Make arrangements for use of another site
Wk3
Budget control and review
Wk2
Wk1
L
TASK OR ACTIVITY
Set up task groups
W12 L
W13
P
L
W15
Leadership
W14
W16
A sample Gantt chart showing elements in a hypothetical loss of premises for 3-4 months after a terrorist incident.
L = Church leadership P = Pastor(s)
APPENDICES
- 61 -
APPENDIX 1 DEFENDING your legal rights Important note: this is our best attempt to advise but the publishers of this booklet decline all liability for anything contained in this section, especially as the legal ground can change and you should take specialist professional advice if in any doubt. The following is a non-exhaustive overview of considerations to take into account when protecting your legal rights in the UK, especially rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression. There is a concern that Christian views on a large variety of social and moral issues are being pushed out of the public arena and side-lined to private belief. In terms of this booklet, the guidance is relevant to any churches, training or operational ministries, or private or public statements about other religions, especially Islam, that might result in attempts to stop your ministries, gag you or punish you for your views. Freedom of religion and freedom of expression are highly protected by numerous laws and conventions. A starting place is often seen as the UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, which has been signed by most countries. But note that this is a declaration not a binding treaty. Articles 18 and 19 are most significant here.
Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
- 62 -
Article 19.
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The Declaration was explicitly adopted for the purpose of defining the meaning of the words “fundamental freedoms” and “human rights” that appeared in the United Nations Charter, which is itself binding on all member states. Many international lawyers believe that the Declaration forms part of customary international law, but this is not solidly established. The Declaration is a powerful tool in applying diplomatic and moral pressure on governments that violate human rights, and it is often cited by Barnabas Fund in its advocacy. The Declaration has served as the foundation document for two binding UN human rights covenants; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The principles of the Declaration are often elaborated in international treaties. In Articles 18 and 19 of the ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966, the UN resolved that:
Article 18
1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. 2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice. 3. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. 4. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions. - 63 -
Article 19
1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. 2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. 3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary: (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; (b) For the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals. The ICCPR will normally carry great weight in the courts of any country that respects the rule of law and has signed/ratified the covenant. In the UK the legal position is governed by three legal instruments; the European Convention on Human Rights, The Human Rights Act 1998, and the ICCPR. 1. European Convention on Human Rights The ECHR European Convention on Human Rights, Article 9, guarantees that people will have: The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance[‌] The freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
- 64 -
2. Human Rights Act The ECHR was given binding force in the United Kingdom by s. 1 ss. (1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA), within which Article 9 of the ECHR is adopted as a “right and fundamental freedom.� The HRA gives further effect in UK law to the rights for religious freedom afforded by the ECHR, and makes available in UK courts a remedy for breach of those Convention rights without the need to go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. 3. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The UK signed the covenant in 1968 and ratified it in 1976. See above (P63) for the implications of this covenant. For clarification, the United Nations Human Rights Committee, a sub-body of the General Assembly, also resolved in General comment 22 on 30 July 1993 that the right to freedom of religion applies to unconventional or extra-institutional religions, as well as atheist or anti-clerical beliefs. So Article 18 protects theistic, non-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well as the right not to profess any religion or belief. The terms belief and religion are to be broadly construed. Article 18 is not limited in its application to traditional religions or to religions and beliefs with institutional characteristics or practices analogous to those of traditional religions. The right to personal freedom of belief is absolute. There are no grounds for a state to limit the beliefs of a person or limit the rights to change religion. Thus there are no grounds for apostasy laws, and any classical Islamic sharia restrictions on the right of a Muslim to leave Islam and choose another religion or none is a denial of a basic human right. It is however possible to limit the freedom of practice or expression of belief, but these possibilities are narrowly constrained in international law and human rights theory. In general, courts in liberal democracies will take a broad line in protecting freedom of belief and expression, and the press and rights groups watch this closely.
- 65 -
Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may only be limited by rules “as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.” ICCPR 18/3. Freedom of expression may only be limited by rules “such as are provided by law and are necessary: (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; (b) For the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals.” ICCPR 19/3. Unfortunately these clauses are sometimes used by tyrannical regimes to massively and unjustly restrict these freedoms, but abuses in other countries should have no impact on the rule of law in liberal democracies, or within the UK on local council or police pressure on churches, street pastors/evangelists or others. The general rule is that you cannot incite people to violence or racial/religious hatred, you cannot verbally attack individuals, but you can state what you believe, and criticise another belief system/ideology/religion, and you can criticise the practices of groups especially when these go against human rights norms. However it might be wise to frame statements, arguments, sermons, debates, training materials in a careful manner, to remain solidly within the arena of legitimate comment and freedom of speech. In Appendix 2 there are some specific guidelines on defamation which are also useful when considering good practice on general public statements or publications elsewhere.
- 66 -
Note that there are specific rules about publications, especially media publications (radio or TV broadcasts/interviews, websites, online publications or broadcasts, etc.). For an example of how this can impact the work of a pastor or a church, see the case of Pastor James McConnell who faced charges over remarks made in an internet-broadcast sermon he delivered at his Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in North Belfast on 18 May 2014. He was found not guilty at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday 5 January 2016¹ The Communications Act 2003 is the key legal document. Section 127 covers elements that others might complain as being “grossly offensive.” http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/pdfs/ ukpga_20030021_en.pdf
127 Improper use of public electronic communications network 1. A person is guilty of an offence if he: (a) sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or (b) causes any such message or matter to be so sent. 2. A person is guilty of an offence if, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, he (a) sends by means of a public electronic communications network, a message that he knows to be false, (b) causes such a message to be sent; or (c) persistently makes use of a public electronic communications network. ¹http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-35241555 [viewed 7/1/2016]
- 67 -
3. A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both. 4. Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to anything done in the course of providing a programme service (within the meaning of the Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42)). There is no definition of “grossly offensive” within the Act so it might depend on the general legal definition (which seems to be solely established by historic court judgements – jurisprudence - rather than a specific definition). Possibly a good source for official guidelines about what might be the prosecution threshold for “grossly offensive” can be found at: http://www.cps.gov.uk/consultations/social_media_consultation.html
where the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) provides guidance about when it might be appropriate to proceed to court action. See section 24 onwards. There is clearly a very high threshold, supported by a variety of cases cited (Chambers v DPP [2012] EWHC 2157 (Admin), DPP v Collins [2006] UKHL 40, Smith v ADVFN [2008] 1797 (QB), Dehal v CPS [2005] EWHC 2154 (Admin)) that suggest that it is difficult to find a sound prosecution prospect except in egregious circumstances. Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights covers free speech principles which provide that: “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers...” The ECHR European Court of Human Rights has made abundantly clear that Article 10 protects not only speech which is well-received and popular, but also speech which is offensive, shocking or disturbing (e.g. Sunday Times v UK (No 2) [1992] 14 EHRR 123): “Freedom of expression constitutes one of
- 68 -
the essential foundations of a democratic society ...it is applicable not only to “information” or “ideas” that are favourably received or regarded as inoffensive or as a matter of indifference, but also as to those that offend, shock or disturb...” However it might be wise to develop some church or group rules on publication or speech. There is no definitive guide to what is safe and what is unsafe. Publications or verbal statements are somewhere on a continuum, from very safe through contentious to very risky. Much, but not all, can be judged using common sense.
APPENDIX 2 Defamation law Important note: this is our best attempt to advise but the publishers of this booklet decline all liability for anything contained in this section, especially as the legal ground can change and you should take specialist professional advice if in any doubt. Defamation covers both libel1 (written, graphic, or a combination) and slander2 (verbal), and simply means something that a court might find has damaged an individual’s reputation, created hatred, ridicule or contempt. You can defame a group, but the larger the group the more likely it is to be viewed as legitimate comment and freedom of expression. Thus an action for defamation from an organisation’s committee is more likely to succeed than an action because you have defamed a public political group e.g. “the Liberal Democrats.”
Incitement
Similarly, it is an offence for any person or organisation to display, publish, or distribute written material or possess
- 69 -
solicited material that is threatening, abusive, or insulting if you intend thereby to incite racial or religious hatred or if, having regard to all the circumstances, racial or religious hatred is likely to be stirred up thereby. Libel is a continuous or on-going defamation, traditionally the written word but nowadays also including electronic or other formats. 1
Slander is a non-continuous defamation, traditionally the spoken word, but nowadays the spoken word if it is not also recorded or available in video, DVD or other continuously available formats. 2
Safeguards and defences
You should have best practice guidelines which are an attempt to reduce the likelihood of such situations arising in the first place or, failing that, to give a legal defence every chance of being successful in court. • Simply put, a statement of fact that is true cannot be defamatory. Of course you must be able to prove its truth. Having at least two reliable sources is of crucial importance and double-checking the context is appropriate. Note, a basically true statement can still be problematic if stated in a misleading fashion or unreasonable context. • A statement of fact could be a report of what local reports or media say, statements made, or what has been claimed by local leaders. ‘Christian leaders claim’, ‘local newspapers report’ and ‘an official stated’ will normally be pretty safe. As long as what is cited does not massively overstretch the bounds of what actually happened, this should be reasonably safe. Again, multiple sources are helpful. • In cases of a comment, as opposed to a statement of fact, the main imperatives are to avoid imputing improper motives and be confident in your ability to show that your phrasing is that of an honestly held opinion, expressed without malice. Such comments need to be reasonably arguable as being in the public interest.
- 70 -
• Where possible/appropriate, it helps to avoid explicitly identifying individuals with facts unless you have extremely solid proof of what is alleged. For instance, saying ‘Person A attacked person B’ is best avoided, unless you are quoting from court reports following a conviction, or adding a significant caveat. However saying ‘this group has a security force which is menacing for people in this area’ is less explicit or direct on the link between individuals and the group and the feeling of menace, and hence involves slightly less risk if you have some decent evidence to back up the links. • If identifying an organisation, be slightly more cautious if that organisation is closely identified with one or more individuals. Statements or comment about an organisation where that could easily be taken as criticism of an individual, e.g. the founder and figurehead, carry more risk. • Where possible, show appropriate consideration of any counter argument. Where the story involves an individual, maybe seek to obtain comment from the individual or organisation involved. Obviously this will not always be possible, but being able to produce evidence that such a process/policy exists and is recommended will be of considerable value in any UK court case. • If quoting someone, be scrupulously careful to be word perfect and show clearly where quotes begin and end. If not quoting but paraphrasing, be very careful not to distort the writer/speaker’s meaning. • Take care to ensure that the context of any image or piece of text does not lend a suggestive air to an otherwise innocuous fact or comment. • Erring on the side of caution using caveats like ‘apparently’, ‘seemingly’, ‘might’, ‘could’, ‘sometimes’ in place of ‘must’, ‘will’, ‘always’ should allow scenarios to be commented upon with a much higher chance of successful defence should such assertions be challenged.
- 71 -
• Materials should be stored appropriately and safely. Some might be questionable under the law in some contexts, e.g. if researching Islamist violence, material from Islamist or jihadi sources, graphic images of violence, pamphlets or videos inciting terrorism etc. Clearly you are not favourable to these materials, so there is no intent to stir up religious or racial hatred, for example against non-Muslims, by holding these materials securely. However they would also need secure storage so that they cannot be easily viewed by other people, who might be incited to racial or religious hatred, either in favour of the ideas or against the producers of the material held. Take professional legal advice on any issue of concern.
APPENDIX 3 The spectrum across Islam
The following are some groups you may come across: The Ismailis are a small sect of Shia Islam, led by the Agha Khan. They are often regarded as heretical by mainstream Sunnis and are routinely persecuted in places like Pakistan. There is little tendency to violence. The Ahmadis are another sect within Islam, again regarded as heretical by the mainstream. They are violently persecuted by Sunnis in Pakistan and elsewhere. They are unlikely to promote violence against Christians, but are quite active, even aggressive, in missionary outreach and theological confrontation with Christianity. As a persecuted minority, Ahmadis generally espouse freedom of expression, human rights and peaceful co-existence. Barelvi is a tendency within Sunni Islam that comes from the Indian sub-continent. It is strongly represented within British Islam. It originated from the north Indian town of Bareilly, and has over 200 million followers in South Asia. It comes out of the Hanafi school of law and is much influenced by Sufism (the - 72 -
mystical/spiritual strand within Islam). It also involves many traditional Islamic practices of South Asia. Barelvi thinking has a major influence within British Islamic thinking, among Muslims with origins in the Sub-Continent. Barelvi will be vocally critical of things they disapprove of, for example cartoons depicting Muhammad, but will normally be non-violent. Shia are the second major branch of Islam that stands in contrast to the majority or Sunni tendency. The rivalry between Sunni and Shia can be violent. Shia are the majority in Iran and Iraq, and can be found in other parts of the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The split occurred in the seventh century during disputes over the succession of Muhammad and rival caliphs to rule the Muslim community. Shia from Iran in Europe and North America are often extremely courteous and kind, but some Shia can also be quite violent in promoting their cause. The Barelvi movement was largely a reaction to the reformist programme of the Deobandi movement, which itself was influenced by the puritanical Wahhabi movement in Arabia. The Deobandi are found primarily in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, where many British Muslims have their historic origins. The movement is expanding within the UK. The name derives from Deoband, India, where the school Darul Uloom Deoband is situated. The movement was founded in 1867 in the wake of a failed revolt against British rule and the perceived corrupting influence on Islam from the colonial rulers. It thus has a background history of opposition to Britain and perceived Christianity. Deobandi do not necessarily refute violence, and some Deobandi groups (Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Taliban) have been designated terrorist organisations by various governments. Jamaat-e-Islami are followers of Sayyid Abul Ala Maudoodi (1903-1979) who was an Indian-Pakistani imam who was also a scholar, philosopher and jurist. He aimed to revive Islam and believed that political action was essential. He founded Jamaate-Islami, the largest Islamic organisation in Asia, and pioneered the politicising of Islam. This probably influenced the current Islamisation of the state in Pakistan. He also called his followers to implement sharia (Islamic law) and preserve Islamic culture - 73 -
from what he saw as the evils of promotion of secularism, nationalism and female emancipation. Salafists are often also described as Wahhabis, the puritanical sect dominant in Saudi Arabia. However the two are not completely synonymous; Wahhabis are Salafists, but not all Salafists are Wahhabis. Salafism takes a strict, literalist and puritanical approach to Islam. Salafis believe in reforming society closely in line with the example of Muhammad, his companions and the early caliphs. Much of this is an internal effort, or an effort to reform the Muslim community, but some of it is outward looking and impacts society in general and non-Muslims. Salafists would often be among those who call the loudest for the application of sharia, strict Islamic controls on society and a second class place for Christians and other non-Muslims. All this would be based on the example of Muhammad and the ‘righteously guided’ caliphs. Many Islamic scholars are critical of Salafism. Salafism is not a monolithic bloc, it has many internal disagreements, and some strands that are non-violent. However Salafism has become associated with violent action against those they deem to be enemies of Islam. This may be against Muslim rulers, or against other non-Salafist Muslims whether Shia, Ahmadi, Ismaili or liberal Muslims. ‘Takfiri Muslims’ are those who practice takfir, the process of calling other Muslims heretic or unauthentic, and therefore enemies of Islam. One trend within Salafi Islam is violent jihad. Jihad is a duty of all Muslims capable of undertaking it, but there are many types of jihad ranging from internal struggle with one’s own sins to outright military conquest. Salafists often prioritise jihad against ‘apostate’ Muslim rulers (Syria or Algeria), Christians (Sudan or Iraq), other religions (Hinduism or Buddhism), and against the West in general. Most of the world’s major Islamist terrorist groups - Boko Haram, Islamic State, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, al-Shabaab – are broadly Salafist in ideology. Salafists can also be highly provocative, as they seek media publicity and a reaction from others, in an attempt to push boundaries and attract other Muslims to their cause. - 74 -
The spectrum across Islam
Nominal
Cultural Liberals, Progressives
Secularists, Agnostics, Atheists
Traditional Devotional, Barelwis, Sufis Theologically Educated Renewed interest in religion: Knowledge of Qu’an, Hadith and Islamic history Shari’a Compliant Puritanical Reform Deobandis, Ahl-i-Hadith, Wahhabis, Salafis, Tabligh-Jamat Islamists Muslim Brotherhood, Jamaat-i-Islami Radical Islamists Hizb ut-Tahrir, Islamist liberation movements: Hizbullah, Hamas Radical Islamic Terrorists Al-Qaeda, Islamic State
- 75 -
• Resentment
Political wing Military wing
APPENDIX 4 Further resources and reading
a. Risk; terror threats against Western targets www.nzherald.co.nz/islam/news/article.cfm?c_ id=500817&objectid=11406240 www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3159004/ISIS-send-membersfeared-female-police-Europe-disguised-tourists-attack-holysites-spark-religious-war-against-Christians.html www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32409253 www.hurriyetdailynews.com/german-city-of-bremen-onheightened-terror-alert-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=79014&News CatID=351 www.gov.uk/government/publications/terrorism-arrestsanalysis-of-charging-and-sentencing-outcomes-by-religion/ terrorism-arrests-analysis-of-charging-and-sentencingoutcomes-by-religion www.vox.com/2014/8/26/6067123/isis-poll b. Helpful advice and guidance National Churchwatch: http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/ Official fire safety guidance: www.firesafetyguides.communities.gov.uk Business Continuity Institute: www.thebci.org Government useful links: www.mi5.gov.uk/home/what-you-can-do/useful-links.html Ecclesiastical Insurance has some useful risk advice: http://www.ecclesiastical.com
- 76 -
Government publications e.g. on fire risk: https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications c. Police and security www.gov.uk/report-terrorism www.nactso.gov.uk http://content.met.police.uk/Site/crimepreventionbumblebee
- 77 -
“Please put security measures in place. Do not get caught thinking that this only happens in other places, in big places.�
Pastor John Johnson III, Corinth Missionary Baptist Church, Bullard, Texas, USA
Good Christian leadership will already have thought about a number of risks and have in place policies and procedures to reduce dangers and deal with any problems that might arise. You may have insurance, fire extinguishers, child protection policies, trained first aiders and ushers / stewards. You may have a regular surveyor inspection to check the fabric of the building, some liaison with local police and fire brigade, and someone responsible for health and safety. These measures are wise and are taken for the care of the church members and public. Pray & Protect aims to build on the good practice of your church or ministry, but focuses on one specific aspect of care and protection; guarding against violent attack or terrorism. It should be emphasised that this issue should not be approached with fear or a spirit of hostility to any enemies, but firstly with prayer and then with a response of Christ-like love. Pray & Protect offers a guide to measures you can take for risk analysis, working with others, taking protective measures, dealing with any incident that might arise, and assisting those impacted by violence. The appendices include a look at threats to your legal rights, defamation law, and have an index of useful contacts.
6729 Curran Street McLean, VA 22101 www.isaac-publishing.us