Blog:The End Of The Multicultural Experiment

From Bolton Interweb

Norah Bone, Political Correspondent, 5th February 2011

A year ago I wrote that the time had come to reverse the policy of multiculturalism in Britain, a policy that has segregated Britons, ghettoised significant chunks of our major towns and cities, and put the concepts of intolerance and fundamentalism on an equal footing with liberal democratic values on the dubious grounds that we should embrace and tolerate all cultures no matter how alien they may be to the majority.

In a major speech at a security conference in Munich, Prime Minister David Cameron has questioned state multiculturalism in the context of national security and the causes of terrorism. Cameron believes that organisations that benefit from public funding should be subject to much greater scrutiny over their beliefs and objectives:

Let's properly judge these organisations: Do they believe in universal human rights - including for women and people of other faiths? Do they believe in equality of all before the law? Do they believe in democracy and the right of people to elect their own government? Do they encourage integration or separatism?

Any that fail the test should receive no funding or other engagement. These are brave and radical words, or at least public thinking, on the part of a British Government for they draw a line under what being British actually stands for, British culture. Human rights, equality, tolerance, democracy, and integration. It positively rejects organisations that promote the opposite where previously Governments have tolerated them as simply being different but just as valid.

Criticism has come from some Labour representatives who question the timing of the speech, that coincides with a far-right EDL rally in Luton this weekend. However, those critics are failing to consider that the far-right, whether it is the BNP or EDL, exploit the failings of multiculturalism to advance their own causes, which have nothing to do with equality, tolerance and integration. Take that away from them and their extreme right wing underlying principles are exposed for all to see.

Another group of critics are those who see this kind of talk as an attack on moderate Islam and lumping them in with fundamentalist extremism. Nonsense, though the context of a conference on terrorism might open that particular avenue. In that sense the timing is wrong and the context should have been the positive promotion of One Britain, undivided. If moderate Islam means a total commitment to human rights, equality, tolerance, democracy, and integration, then there should be total agreement. It should be seen as an attack only on fundamental extremists, regardless of race or religion. A Conservative minister has since clarified that this is what he did mean so good, though it shouldn’t have needed a clarification.

Then there is criticism from those whose vested interests lie in promotion of difference and segregation. Let us not forget that there are many self-appointed representatives of various sections of society whose whole personal existence and influence depends entirely on division of people into cultural silos.

Ajmal Masroor of The Islamic Society of Britain said on BBC Radio of Cameron:

I think he's confusing a couple of issues: national identity and multiculturalism along with extremism are not connected. Extremism comes about as a result of several other factors,

Masroor is confusing a couple of issues himself. Multiculturalism, by advocating the separation of society into multiple equal cultures allows extremism to exist on a par with moderation and a liberal and democratic egalitarian culture. It says extremism is as valid in British society as moderation. Moderate Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Atheism all sit very comfortably into a monoculture of respect for human rights, equality, tolerance, democracy, and integration. By adopting a monoculture that advocates those five foundation stones of British culture and national identity we are, all of us, telling the extremists, whether they are Islamist terrorists or BNP or EDL, that they are outsiders who are not welcome and whose views are unacceptable and invalid.

Cameron must be resolute in not diluting his criticism of multiculturalism. He must resist the vested interests of those who rely on division for their influence on society. And he must follow up this speech with real and tangible action to ensure that a tolerant and liberal society is the only acceptable culture in Britain. And this means putting Mr Gove right when he threatens an end to schools teaching citizenship - it should be strengthened not weakened.

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© Evrose, 2011