Sentamu on multiculturalism

In an interview in today's paper, the new Archbishop of York John Sentamu describes some of his concerns about multiculturalism. He praises Englishness and the English, a culture in which he says he was brought up by teachers in Uganda such as John Morris, now ordained himself and a chaplain at Twyford School in the Winchester diocese. Another strong, recent statement on the dangers of multiculturalism came from Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality. In September, he argued that this ideology was causing deep divisions in our midst and said Britain was 'sleepwalking' into racial segregation, with society ever more fragmented by ethnicity and religion.

These two warnings are timely and surprising, coming as they do from people who might have been expected to proclaim the mutlicultural creed even more uregntly than most. Yet if multiculturalism means respecting differences to the extent that people are defined only by their racial origins, and therefore treated differently according to the colour of their skin, their protests begin to make sense. In this light, it is obvious that it should be these very people in our society who are from ethnic minority backgrounds but who have made it to the very top echelons of society  - you don't get much higher on the social ladder than Archbishop of York - who will begin object to the racial ghetto in which the doctrine of multiculturalism forces them to live. 

When I was talking to the Archbishop, he told me how odd it felt to know that he had been 'naturalised', as though he had been somehow unnatural before. He described himself both as English and a foreigner and, appropriately, has dual citizenship of Uganda and the UK.

No-one wants total assimilation, absorption or syncretism of belief. But there surely is not much wrong with integration. Britain's 300,000-strong Jewish community has surely to be the model of the perfectly integrated community, where identity has not been sacrificed and faith has been sustained. Yet this balance was not achieved without centuries of persecution preceding it, with the Britain as guilty as many other European countries of the kind of institutional racism - in this case anti-Semitism - that still exists towards other ethnic minorities today. Sentamu himself helped expose it in the Metropolitan Police, in his role as adviser to the Stephen Lawrence enquiry.

Today, many in the Jewish community feel that while it is permissible to espouse Holocaust Denial, and possible even to buy Mein Kampf and the (utterly false) Protocols of Zion in bookshops in some areas of Britain, the doctrine of multi-culturalism means that other religions and cultures are protected even from legitimate criticism, such as regarding the treatment of women.

Tonight Tuesday 22, at the ICA in London, Gerry Adams will be delivering the latest lecture in a series of talks titled, 'The End of Multiculturalism'.  The Sinn Fein president will talk about the future of Irish Republicanism after the standing down of the IRA and will address the question of whether multiculturalism can still be celebrated in any form. (I can't help but be slightly amused at the thought of Gerry Adams, of all people, extolling the virtues of multiculturalism.) On Friday this week, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a member of thje Dutch Parliament for the Liberal Party for Freedom and Democracy, will talk about Islam and the dilemmas posed by multi-culturalism in Europe. It was Somalia-born Ayaan who, together with Theo Van Gogh, made the film 'Submission' about the oppression of women in Islamic cultures. The film led to Theo's assassination by an Islamist militant in November last year. Her talk will be preceded by the UK premiere of 'Submission'.

My own view is that diversity is to be welcomed and celebrated, as long as it is not used as an excuse to separate, becoming in the process a thing to denigrate. Post 7/7, Ireland, finally emerging from its decades of sectarian strife and horrible gun murders, surely has important lessons to teach the rest of us before we take the final steps towards dividing our society down the boundaries of religious difference, arming our police to man the divides and misguidely masking a covert institutional racism as 'respect'.

Comments

[Stephen Robinson]

A central problem is how to be mulit-cultrual without absorbtion or syncretism of belief? The answer is to start from confidence in one's own identity. A Roman Catholic sister said sharply to me that you are no good to us on this ecumenical project unles you are a good Methodist.

[Dr. Irene Lancaster]

You are quite right in pointing out that Britain has been a haven for thousands of Jewish refugees throughout the ages. These immigrants have indeed tried to integrate fully in society whilst retaining their own culture and - most importantly - not trying to force or foist it on others.

At the same time, we must not forget that England was also the home of the first blood libels against the Jews, as well as the first expulsion, in 1290.

One of the earliest Jewish victims of death at the hands of Christians was an immigrant, the great Spanish bible commentator, poet and general genius, Abraham ibn Ezra. He was murdered in 1164 by 'anarchic English hordes' on his travels north from London, as I point out in my book, entitled 'Deconstructing the Bible'

The irony is that ibn Ezra had travelled from Spain, via Italy, Provence and northern France to reach 'Angleterre', 'the ends of the earth' (Deuteronomy 28:64), in order to fulfil what he regarded as the messianic prophecy of implanting Sefardi culture (i.e. Jewish culture influenced by Islamic learning)in every corner of the known world.

Ibn Ezra was not the only Jewish foreigner who regarded Britain as a messianic haven for himself and his co-religionists: Menasseh ben Israel, whose family had fled the Spanish Inquisition, settled in Holland and 350 years ago this year came to beg Oliver Cromwell to allow the Jews back to England, a request that was granted only against huge opposition.

One of the arguments used by Menasseh was the same one taken from Deuteronomy, that England had a special role as 'the ends of the earth' and that if it safeguarded the lives of its Jewish citizens, it would be rewarded both in this world and the next.

To me, as a first generation citizen, whose parents had to learn English on arrival, England's strengths lie in its language, natural beauty, stirring state occasions, fortitude at time of crisis and wonderful sense of humour.

It could be a lot worse, and we should celebrate it.

[Alistair McBay]

I think we can just about cope with the occasional bout of racial hatred that, sadly, manifests itself. The vast majority of British citizens rub along happily enough together most of the time, regardless of their colour.

The trouble increasingly comes less with multiculturalism's race dimension than with its frequently complementary religious one. I am in broad agreement with Ruth's view that diversity is to be welcomed and celebrated, as long as it is not used as an excuse to separate. Should we sit back then and watch the Government set up the first Hindu school, when Hindus seem to have integrated well enough so far in the UK without the provision of exclusive education? Is the first Hindu school a case of separation on the grounds of race, or on the grounds of religion? Is it a celebration of our diverse culture, or an example of diversity being used as an excuse to separate?

How far can the celebration of diversity in a religious context safely go? The Orange Order celebrates its history as "primarily a religious organisation that also expresses the culture of a people", as it says on its web site, yet this alone is more than enough to provoke many Catholics into furious objection to its annual "cultural celebrations." Would granting Muslims the right to practise Sharia law in Britain be a welcome celebration of diversity, or would it be another case of diversity being used as an excuse to separate, as Ruth puts it? We Brits should indeed protect a Muslim woman's exercise of her religious right to choose to wear the veil, but we must also protect her right as a British citizen to freedom of expression and her choice not to wear it, with impunity. If we are to promote equality of treatment free of discrimination on the grounds of religious belief, how can we simultaneously grant certain religions exemption from it, as we have with employment legislation? This simply legislates in favour of the very thing we are simultaneously trying to eradicate, but why? Is it necessary to recognise and provde for diversity of belief by granting prejudice and discrimination a legal loophole?

The old adage of "live and let live" is often quoted to encourage us towards tolerance of others, but if it was that simple, the Government presumably wouldn't be trying to legislate against forced marriages or female circumcision.

[Keith Downer]

Multiculturalism is sadly, a fallacy. It suggests that people with widely differing cultures and beliefs can live harmoniously together in the same community without affecting those aspects of behaviour and belief which are fundamental to each individual cultural identity.

Whether you believe in a Christian God or not, there is no denying that the English way of life has been primarily influenced and shaped by Christian teaching and beliefs. Given the characteristics of teaching right from wrong, providing for the sick and the poor, encouraging equality among all men and women and all the other basic elements of Christianity, it is correct to suggest that today it remains essential in underpinning the basic structure of our English society.

Sensitive to the growth in the number of children from other cultures and religions, many English schools have – to all intents and purposes – abandoned the teaching of Christianity. It is no longer practical or realistic to effectively teach Christianity to a class of children where a sizeable proportion of those children come from cultures committed to a different religion.

If Christian values and teachings are a fundamental component of the basic, on-going structural stability of our English way of life but are no longer reinforced in our educational system, as believers or non-believers in God, we should all be concerned, seriously concerned. Multiculturalism has failed to ensure that our individual cultural identity remains intact.

It has to be said that with the fear of being labelled as a racist and with the shadow of political correctness looming unforgiving, many tolerant, English people with long and deep roots in English soil, have remained quiet while the strongly vocal, overwhelming active representatives of minority cultures have taken every opportunity to highlight and eliminate anything they perceive as unrepresentative or deeming to their culture.

It has become important that English culture - to which, by far, the overwhelming majority or people in this country belong and by it's very nature is the indigenous culture of this land - reasserts itself by restoring our awareness and control over those aspects of our life which contribute to the stability of the basic framework, the fundamental structure upon which the English way of life is grounded.

[Brian Gilbert]

Its not so much the Englishness that is being lost as the level of civilisation being lowered. England's own standard of civilisation was pretty poor until a couple of hundred years ago but like all people we evolved. With limited immigration the immigrants were absorbed to the advantage of both. Now with uncontrolled immigration our level is drifting towards the average for the world.

[Steve Ward]

The new Archbishop of York John Sentamu casts doubt upon multiculturalism; he should concern himself more with the defacement of Christianity, which the Church of England assiduously assists.

[Rajendra Joshi]

Sir Trevor Phillips sounded off a serious warning sign that parts of the country were sleepwalking into ghettoism. But people simply are scared to talk about segregation or multiculturalism as issues that are here today in modern Britain.

As people we can only live together if everyone shares the same views so to speak about life. In essence are our faiths different routes to the same place. Some faith leaders still argue that they are not. We all must accept that no faith is superior to the other; but today we are simply not at this position.

Differences seem to cause racism and the fanaticism that we see in the extreme right wing is the same as the fanaticism of terrorism, but then racism in a milder form is no different to terrorism. There are also fine lines between integration and human rights and practising one's own beliefs.

Breaking down racial and religious barriers will require integration from us all and perhaps there will be a new level of multiculturalism. But all faiths must be ready to reform for what it is to be British, for in this we have a common identity.

Whilst the CRE can lead councils, the police, afaiths to water, it is unable to make councillors, police and faith leaders drink that water. Some still feel the CRE has an agenda, and perhaps it has; I thought the agenda of Trevor Phillips was anti-racism.

I hope now that the new Archbishop can add his weight to the debate of identity, race and religion. I am a Hindu Lay Preacher and Police Sergeant. These are my personal views.

[Rajendra Joshi]

This is absolutely wonderful what I read here in the Times. As a serving police officer that has dedicated most of my service to tackling racism's, institutional and personal, and against some Black and some White leaders, I am over joyed at the appointment of Dr Sentamu.

From his days which resulted in the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry Report and his involvement in the Damilola Taylor murder, I know and feel that the only way things will change is when we are forced to change and that is not only in the police service, but in mainstream society.

Whilst on the surface in the police service their appears a "will" to change, below that surface some of the service's most aspirational leaders are deliberately not coming to terms with what is actually required to fruition the reccomendations made by Macpherson and Cantle. This will not be good enough now for Dr Sentamu.

A policy here, a policy there means little if there is no will. Quite recently the Home Office prematurely ended the Stephen Lawrence steering group and just last week we were reminded that Anthony Walker was murdered because of the colour of his skin.

If I talk a little about my faith, Hinduism, I am convinced that some Hindus remain oblivious to what is happening. It is almost as if people do not want to own things. As peoples we have to let go of our cultures to a certain extent and now unite and reform faiths.

The reality of terrorism, the reality of race hate crime and the demise of multiculturalism will lead us to a new level of integration and I pray that it is Dr Sentamu that leads us through this change.

What makes me smile most is that Dr Sentamu has scared the daylights of those that do not wish to change, and he has the leaders of the police service, and the Home office at his feet. This is good. We have to move away from forums and beaurocracy and tokenism and a yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir, approach that currently exists and results in a tick in the box or targets.

The change and values I feel he wants to instill in modern day Britain are things only he can achieve with love and compassion, but if organisations and people refuse to listen, I tell you what, Dr Sentamu will continue to beat those drums and I will be able to hear them from York, not Africa, but from York!

And this strength will allow me to continue in what I need to do too.

I am now left pondering is Dr Sentamu a Hindu or am I a Christian. This is truly God's work. By the way, as a firm England supporter, I note that David Beckham, the England captain, has a cross tattoed on the back of his neck. This only means that we are taking God with us to the World Cup in 2006! Britain and England has so much to offer that we are now in very exciting times. And what is best of all, is that whilst some Black colleagues inside the service view me as a bit of an outspoken "loose cannon" and stifle what I am trying to say, Dr Sentamu has made me feel free!

[Matthew Taylor]

England

She was britania
she was the seas
And the hale to atlantia
In the morning breeze

She was small but strong
She led in machines
She owned the cong
grasping her dreams

She was glorious
And she was victorious

...But no longer

Too many times have we stood for the underdog
Too many times have we taken the american dream

Good by our empire
Good by my job
Carts by shire
are petrols sob

Great became UK by night and day
...to be politically correct???

UK is scotish
UK is small
there is no garnish
or glory at all

UK rebates dont grow
and people dont know
that france economically wins us over

Let is not look at canada and USA
For they are large and far away
lets give up tradition
and our own self growth
lets all drop taxes and raise foriegn slowth

Economic globalisation, glory be
no more beef to the tongue or machinary

So long old great old mum
may you hold some land with a last standing gun