MCB Briefing Paper 1 1

Briefing Paper Our stand on Multiculturalism, Citizenship, Extremism, & Expectations from the Commission on Integration and Cohesion Prepared by MCB’s Research & Documentation Committee January 2007 MCB Briefing Paper 1 1. Multiculturalism multiculturalism was never just a gift conferred by the powers that be Some countries in Europe, like or civic traditions. It was the hard- France, have a policy of earned outcome of a struggle assimilation in which minority against racism and inequality: cultures are absorbed into the “Multicultural Britain did not come majority culture. Hence sorry out of the much-vaunted British events such as the headscarf affair traditions of fair play, equality and that began in 1989 when three social justice. Rather, it was Muslim girls were forbidden from created out of decades of struggles donning what the authorities against racism by black deemed an ‘ostentatious religious communities - struggles for equal symbol’ in a state school. pay and against discrimination on the shop floor, struggles to make Britain adopted a course of the police protect communities from integration, that was described by racial attack, struggles for children the reforming Home Secretary Roy not to be streamed or bussed out of Jenkins in 1966 as ‘equal schools, struggles to include other 2 opportunity, accompanied by histories in educational curricula” . cultural diversity, in an atmosphere of mutual tolerance'. Anti-racism legislations such as the Race Relations Act (first enacted The MCB’s vision is of a multi- 1976 with subsequent faith, pluralist society with a amendments) were significant conscious policy of recognizing steps in removing the worst that people’s cultural and faith injustices in employment and the identities are not merely a housing sector. private matter, but ones that have public implications. This However by the 1980s one section vision does not imply cultural of society remained marginalised. separatism – the MCB is They were invisible in official committed to engagement and statistics. This was the multi-ethnic working for the common good. Muslim community, who possessed a distinct religio-cultural identity. We support Professor Parekh’s vision of a multicultural society as The Muslim community’s struggle one that respects all cultures and since the 1980s has been one for which values cultural diversity ‘as a parity with the other longer- part of its own self-understanding’1. established faith communities such as Catholics and Jews. It has not Multiculturalism in Britain today is been a campaign for special the outcome of two historical privileges. trends. On the one hand it is the logical development of a liberal For example the campaign to society’s respect for individual obtain voluntary aided status for rights, captured in Roy Jenkins’s statement. However 2 A. Sivanandan, ‘ It's anti-racism that was failed, not multiculturalism that failed’, http://www.irr.org.uk/2005/october/ak000021. 1 B. Parekh, Rethinking Multiculturalism: html cultural diversity and political theory, 2006 MCB Briefing Paper 2 the first Islamic school began in religion was among the top three 1989 and would only end in 19983. bases of their self-description4. The public recognition of this identity The truth seems to be that supports, rather than detracts, from ministers have hidden behind a community cohesion. technicality to avoid the precedent of supporting an Islamic school. As a second generation becomes The long period of agonising before more distant from its roots in the Lady Blatch's [Secretary of State rural Sylheti region of Bangladesh, for Education] announcement the religious identity rather than the suggests that excess capacity was cultural identity is easier to not the chief concern. Rather, the accommodate with being Government was unwilling to take British…In other words, the Muslim the right and fair decision. Some religious identity has been a people will applaud this mechanism for integration - disingenuous behaviour... They cite providing a young educated second fears that girls in Muslim schools generation the way to a dual would face a poorer education, identity as British Muslim. inconsistent with the sexual Tufayl Choudhury, 20065 equality that is meant to underpin the state system. These are dangerous myths, founded in It is a model and a practice that has ignorance...there is no good made Britain unique in the world – educational reason for refusing the bid for the Olympics 2012 government finance to Islamia. The succeeded because Lord Coe decision can only confirm Muslims' could draw on the London’s feeling that they are a persecuted diversity and harmonious minority suffering discrimination. community relations. He could say Ironically, a decision that reflects this because of the efforts of the fears that Muslims will not city’s mayor to engage with diverse assimilate may exacerbate their communities and draw them in as sense of isolation. stake holders. About 45% of The Independent, 20th August 1993 Britain’s 2 million Muslims6 live in London and – in the opinion of Multiculturalism in Britain is thus an many - would not exchange it for ongoing, unfolding movement. It is life in any other city in the world. a process that has evolved through the efforts of the grass roots and clear demonstrations of need. 4 Home Office Research Study 274, ‘Religion The MCB believes that a multi- in England and Wales: findings from the 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey, Table 3.2. faith, pluralist society is a stronger The other top items were family and society; it makes us all ethnicity/culture. stakeholders. A Home Office 5 Comments made during a debate with survey has found that amongst its Professor Armatya Sen, reported by th ‘Black’ and ‘Asian’ respondents, Madeleine Bunting, 7 December 2006 http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/madeleine _bunting/2006/12/a_challenge_to_amartya_se 3 Islamia Primary School’s campaign, see n.html http://www.salaam.co.uk/education/index.php? 6 Extrapolation based on the 2001 Census file=./ips.php figure of 1.6 million and data on foreign migrant inflow MCB Briefing Paper 3 The East London Mosque in the public sphere; and Whitechapel gives the call to prayer toleration of ‘difference’ in on a public address system – the private sphere something unthinkable in France or - the right to have one’s Germany. Other examples of ‘difference’(minority ethnicity multiculturalism in practice include: etc) recognised and - inclusion of a question on supported in the public and religious affiliation in the Census private spheres - Voluntary-aided status to seven …Multiculturalism requires support Muslim faith schools for both conceptions”.7 - Metropolitan Police’s new uniform dress code We believe most reasonable - Department of Health’s support people in Britain would accept for minority faiths hospital that people should be able to be chaplaincy different, yet treated equally. - Ministry of Defence’s relaxed rules to allow Muslim servicemen to The MCB is aware of the need for wear trimmed beards, catering for accomodation and compromises: dietary needs and the appointment of an imam for chaplaincy work In its dialogue with immigrants, the - Prison Service’s appointment of a liberal society needs to show why it full-time Muslims Advisor deserves their moral - FCO’s support of the British Hajj allegiance….The latter [immigrants] Delegation could legitimately argue that when they are able to offer good reasons Survey after survey have shown for their cultural beliefs and that Muslims see themselves both practices, these should be as British and Muslim, keen to respected and suitably become active citizens and accomodated. .. Such an appeal to comfortable with the multicultural mutual cultural respect has several model. The BBC Multiculturalism advantages. It reassures Poll (August 2005) established that immigrants that their culture is 82% of Muslims believe valued by the wider society and multiculturalism makes Britain a that they need not panic and turn better place to live (62% of the inwards or become intransigent. It national population also hold this reassures the wider society that it view). remains in charge of its cultural affairs, that immigrants can be The MCB is not unaware of the trusted not to undermine it with wider implications of irresponsible demands, and that multiculturalism. An important the relations between the two are aspect has been clarified by based on a rational dialogue Professor Modood: “There seems conducted in a spirit of mutual [then] to be two distinct commitment to a common life. conceptions of equal citizenship, Professor Bhikhu Parekh, 20068 with each based on a different view of what is ‘public’ and what is 7 ‘Clash of Civilisations’? Muslims and the private’… Politics of Multiculturalism in Britain’ , 2001 8 ‘Europe, Liberalism and the ‘Muslim - the right to assimilate to the question’’, in ‘Multiculturalism, Muslims and majority/dominant culture in Citizenship – A European Approach’, Routledge 2006 MCB Briefing Paper 4 Multiculturalism is thus not passive years we’ve focused far too much co-existence or grudging on the ‘multi’ and not enough on tolerance, but interaction offering the common culture. We’ve opportunities for exploration and emphasized what divides us over creativity. Man does not live by what unites us. We have allowed bread alone and there are deeper tolerance of diversity to harden into human needs. From a faith the effective isolation of community’s perspective, the communities, in which some people opportunity to place moral and think special separate values ought spiritual concerns in the public to apply”. 10 In July 2006 he also space – on the public agenda – is explained that “We are becoming also important. more segregated residentially… to the formation of communities that In a multicultural society, are shut off from the outside world; community relations are not that simply makes the situation worse. But that is what we are fostered by the suppression of 11 difference but by the celebration of seeing emerging”.

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