EU Could Learn from UK on Race

[Guest Lottie]

EU CAN LEARN FROM UK'

Britain has lessons on race relations for the rest of the EU, former Europe minister Keith Vaz has said. 

Mr Vaz said there were many similarities between the UK and Holland, where film maker Theo van Gogh was murdered, apparently over his controversial film about Islam.

However, the attitude towards race was not one of them, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.    

"It is so tragic to see a breakdown in the fabric of their society because of a question of the role of ethnic minorities," he said.    

"I think there are, though, lots of differences in the United Kingdom. The community here is very settled. It is very mainstream. It has made the transition.    

"For example, everyone on Wednesday celebrated Diwali in Westminster."    

Race has been put above party politics in Britain and become a "consensus issue", according to Mr Vaz.    

"That doesn't happen in places like Holland and I think there is a lot that we can teach the rest of Europe about what we have achieved."    

Although Holland is a very liberal country there was a large influx of people from ethnic minorities who were moving from there to Britain, the Leicester East MP said.    

"I want to know why. When I ask them at my surgery they actually say they feel safer in the United Kingdom than they feel in mainland Europe," he said.    

"The problem for us always on the race issue is you have to be vigilant.    

"Multi-culturalism needs to be defended and that is why, for example, I am so much against the proposals to abolish the CRE (Campaign for Racial Equality).    

"Because we have developed these essential institutions that protect and speak for the ethnic minorities." Source

[Talon]

"Multi-culturalism needs to be defended and that is why, for example, I am so much against the proposals to abolish the CRE (Campaign for Racial Equality).   

The problem isn't defending multi-culturalism, its it’s use. Multi-culturalism has gone insane, I read in the paper the other day that a town somewhere is banning the word Christmas this year because its economy relies on tourism, and 'It'll often ethnic minorities'. They've gotten so obsessed with telling us to respect everyone else’s culture they've forgotten we've got our own and a right to it! Its their pressure on multi-culturalism which has caused the current problems to begin with, making people who 10 years ago didn't care about Islam etc suddenly against it because we're told Christmas songs wont be played in hospitals, Santa wont be at the School Party and so forth because 'It'll often ethnic minorities' would probably make up only 2 of the 200 patients or school children!

Multi-culturalism is a process of separation. But it is integration (on they’re part), not separation is the key to tackling the current tension.

[Michelle]

I truly don't understand how a person can move to another country and say that the country is trying to suppress their culture. If they like their country and culture so much why didn't they stay there?

[Talon]

.... I don't know Its an answer beyond the sane and rational mind