Jack Straw (my hometown MP) has form for making controversial statements about integration in 21st Century Britain. I disagreed with Jack on the issue of the niqab; working full-time in a service industry in East Lancashire I found women dressed in accordance with their faith no harder to interact with than any other member of my local community. Then as now he faced accusations of pandering to racist attitudes amongst the white working class. This time however I think the charge harder to make.
It is a fact that some Asian youths will try and woo young white women, and often will treat them with drink and drugs as part of this effort. Evidence of this behaviour was provided by the recent conviction of Abid Saddique and Mohammed Liaqat. The problem, it strikes me, is when it is claimed that race is the motivating factor.
Indeed, “race” is too simplistic a term when often what is really meant encompasses religion and culture as well as ethnic descent. The crime of religiously-motivated hatred was (rightly) brought in by the then Labour government to deal with the subtle reworking of the racist agenda to dodge a legal definition whilst retaining the same bigoted agenda. This issue could fill several dozen articles (and indeed has) so let us set it aside for now.
Was Jack Straw making a bigoted statement, using a simplistic racial (/religious/cultural/etc, see above!) stereotype in the style of the BNP? Judging by the reaction on my Twitter feed (as well as the rather more mainstream national media) it would be easy to think so. The reaction I saw from many sources, both amongst our Liberal opponents here in Cambridge and the far-left, was similar to the reaction Mark Collett’s “Racism Cuts Both Ways” school poster campaign inspired. Whilst we cannot deny that some members of ethnic minorities harbour racist views about longer-established communities, the great lie the BNP peddled was that this was somehow endemic, or even close to being as pervasive as racism directed at minority groups.
As an aside, Collett seems to fit neatly into this argument, accused as he was of grooming white, under-age girls during BNP conferences in Blackpool. Whilst again tangendental, there is always time to remember the breath-taking hypocrisy of neo-fascist groups!
To get back to the point (once again) Jack was accused of stoking racial hatred with his comments. It seems that most critics were not claiming that these acts didn’t take place, merely that Jack was conferring legitimacy on more extreme claims of cause and effect made by the BNP and their ilk. We have a duty to talk with care and responsibility when addressing sensitive issues, especially when those issues can cause tensions between different parts of our community. I’m sure none of us would disagree with this, not even Jack himself. But I fear we may then fall into the trap of refusing to address issues at all.
There are some young members of the Asian community in Blackburn who, in an attempt to attract girlfriends will make use of whatever they feel works to impress the targets of their affection. This may well be showing off their modded cars, it may be offering drink or recreational drugs, all of which are part of everyday life for young people of all backgrounds in many towns. Furthermore, at times these lads may be chasing younger girls. There can be no excuse for drugging children and sexually abusing them, and I do not seek to excuse the behaviour. An Asian former colleague of mine from Blackburn makes the point though that some of his contemporaries will specifically persue white girls as many young Asian girls feel it is culturally unacceptable to have casual relationships.
The argument then surely is not that this activity does not happen, and claiming it does is in itself racist. There is a much more valid argument, as with the BNP’s school poster campaign, that the level of attention and moral indignation we give to such activity is disproportionate, and this is where racism occurs. I for one though disagree.
The fact is that we often debate the breakdown of moral leadership generally in modern Britain. We discuss how to imbue more self-worth, self-confidence and self-respect amongst young women to assist them in making responsible sexual decisions. I would like to believe that Jack was arguing for a similar discussion to take place within Asian communities in relation to what is acceptable behaviour for young men.
It is always going to be difficult to strike a balance on these issues. Jack said he found it hard to communicate with Muslim women wearing a veil. I disagreed with him completely, and felt that he was disrespectful in asking people to act against an expression of their religious belief. He has now said that members of minority communities should be confronting an uncomfortable truth about the actions of a minority of young people they may have more influence over than we do. This time I’m forced to agree with him.
Too many members of all parts of our society act in reprehensible and sometimes illegal ways toward each other. As politicians and community members and leaders we should never shy from condemning this behaviour and addressing the causes of it. Though we must be careful not to fall back on stereotyping and scapegoating (tools the BNP use to rally support for their cause) we have a responsibility to deal head on with issues such as these. If we are truly to become an integrated society we all have to be open about issues that can affect us all. Otherwise we remain separate, isolated communities and (as well as individuals suffering the often horrific consequences of these actions) the far-right claim another victory in their crusade to divide us from our neighbours.
