| |
| Join Our Newsletter |
 Please Select sub-criteria |  |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Minorities - Challenging Existing ConventionsJust three approaches have traditionally dominated U.K. |
04 |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
Multiculturalism in crisis
Theodore Dalrymple's comments in October 2001 were typical of the post-9/11 mood (note a play on the U.S. Declaration of Independence of 1776-a liberal charter if one ever existed-in addition to a nod to the Bible):
"Multiculturalists hold these truths to be self-evident: that all cultures are created equal and are endowed by their creators with equal and compatible virtues. Thus there can be no fundamental conflict between cultures. The lion can lie down with the lamb, not at some unspecified time in the future, but here and now, in the gardens of the West" (2001). He described this attitude as mental flabbiness adding: "The shallowness of this view should require no exposition" (ibid). iberals began to mount a determined offensive against multicultural theory in the media. The two policies were mutually exclusive so one had to go and the pressure became so acute that on November 1, 2001, The Guardian's Editorial proclaimed 'Multicultural values must be defended' ('Britain's loyalty test', The Guardian (Leader), 1 November, 2001).
New Labour Government embraces New Liberal policy
Most attributed the shift from multicultural to New Liberal race-relations to David Blunkett after his comments in the wake of 9/11. In a now infamous interview with 'The Independent on Sunday' in December 2001 he commented on serious race riots in cities such as Oldham, Burnley and Bradford involving Muslim youth that summer (Bagguley & Hussain, 2003). Blunkett, then Home Secretary, became the first leading Labour politician in over 30 years to explicitly reconnect the two issues of race-relations and immigration while undermining multicultural policy.
With U.K. race-relations in the midst of an unquestioned crisis, he announced the Government was considering liberal proposals such as citizenship studies in schools and English language tests, citizenship ceremonies and oaths of allegiance for immigrants. While doing so he blamed the continuation of practises such as female genital mutilation and forced marriages on 'cultural difference' and 'moral relativism'. In a throwback to liberal hour discourse, he also stated this situation must be changed with an adoption of an overarching framework of 'British' values stating:
"We have norms of acceptability and those who come into our home - for that is what it is - should accept those norms just as we would have to do if we went elsewhere"(Brown, 2001).
Despite Blunkett's best efforts and even Rod Liddle's claim that Islam killed multiculturalism (2004), two other leading public figures were principally responsible for dealing the (figurative) deathblow; Trevor Phillips, Chair of the 'Commission for Racial Equality' and David Goodhart, Editor of 'Prospect' magazine. Goodhart explained:
"In any case, the laissez faire approach of the post-war period in which ethnic minority citizens were not encouraged to join the common culture (although many did) should be buried. Citizenship ceremonies, language lessons and the mentoring of new citizens should help to create a British version of the old U.S. melting pot. This third way on identity can be distinguished from the coercive assimilationism of the nationalist right, which rejects any element of foreign culture, and from multiculturalism, which rejects a common culture" (Goodhart, 2004).
Trevor Phillips sparked a storm of controversy in a series of speeches, articles and interviews where he suggested that the mere celebration of diversity did nothing to address inequality. In fact he went further to say 'multiculturalism', and 80's style 'multiculturalist' policies, were divisive and led to separatism in society. He spoke about integration at the 'Multicultural Futures Conference' in Tuscany, Italy in September 2004 saying:
"We need to achieve an integrated society based on 'shared values' and 'shared loyalties' which allows for diversity and difference... People need to be encouraged to feel British and to be properly welcomed as British. I believe that all our citizens should be encouraged to take 'citizen' classes and 'win' their passport at 18 years old whether they are born in the U.K. or not" ('Deal with difference through integration, says Trevor Phillips', 2004). The collapse was extraordinary as multiculturalism's long tenure as the bedrock of U.K. race-relations strategy was openly terminated in near indecent haste as the Government vocally turned the clock back to liberal policy and on April 10, 2004 Howard Jacobson declared the end of multiculturalism as we knew it (2004).
The events of 9/11 had a profound effect across Europe too and policy makers were soon pushing the New Liberalism across the continent. The liberal advance was particularly prominent in the Netherlands, long considered the most tolerant of European nations. With the Muslim minority populations, mostly Moroccan and Turkish men, of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and the Hague rising to the point where it is predicted they will soon become absolute majorities, anti-Islamic feeling is now a matter of grave concern (Moynahan, 2005). Sensing a clash between secular, liberal values and the unreformed values of the Muslim minority the Dutch reassessed their laissez-faire, multicultural immigration policy. New arrivals, including Imams, must now learn how to speak Dutch and take classes on the values of Dutch society. In February 2005, The Sunday Times reported the results of Dutch poll where 80% were in favour of stronger measures to get immigrants to integrate and 40% hoped Muslims would "no longer feel at home here" (ibid).
The 'International Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (IHF)' undertook a study on eleven E.U. member states called 'Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims in the E.U.- Developments since 9/11'. The report, released in March 2005, asked whether 'Muslims were the enemy within'. Amongst the findings of violence and abuse of Muslims associated with fears of terrorism was the astonishing statistic that 80% of Germans surveyed in 2004 associated the word 'Islam' with 'terrorism' and the 'oppression of women'. Most significant, however, was the report's identification of the trend towards New Liberal thinking:
"The November 2004 murder of Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands gave rise to renewed discussions about the merits of the idea of a multicultural society in several countries. A leading theme of these discussions was the importance of ensuring that immigrants, in particular those of Muslim faith, integrate in accordance with the norms and values of the E.U. countries. For example in Germany, some politicians and media warned of the danger of 'Muslim parallel societies' and the major opposition party re-introduced the concept of a 'lead culture,' to which immigrants should be expected to conform" (Nyman, 2005).
| |
| |
| |
| |
« First < 2 3 4 5 6 >
Page 4 of 6 pages
| |
|
|
