Author:
Publication: The Sunday Times,
UK
Date: May 12, 2002
Peter Hain is right to warn of the
dangers that some British Muslims pose to their own community as well as
to the national interest. His impeccable anti-racist credentials make his
comments about the cultural isolationism of Muslim separatists in our midst
all the more telling. As minister fore Europe he is doubly well placed
to sound the alarm about Islamic asylum seekers who expect Britain's way
of life, sometimes even refusing to learn English. We ask our politicians
to be more honest: Mr Hain's measured comments met that obligation.
Cultural ghetto building undoubtedly
poses a greater danger to race relations than ever before. Mr Hain will
be accused of stirring up prejudice and inciting yob attacks on our ethnic
minorities, but in fact he is doing the reverse. He is warning those misguided
enough to stay aloof from the mainstream of British life, often to disparage
it, to change their way. By setting themselves apart in a manner that no
previous wave of immigrants has done - and which most of their more sensible
co-religionists also think is crass- they incite a backlash from the majority
population as has already happened in France and Holland.
The only people who will welcome
such a development are the bigots of the far right. Britain can benefit
enormously from immigration, but stricter rules and asylum tests are Icon
way to ensure that it admits newcomers who are willing to contribute to
the general good and play a full part in society. The numbers seeking entry
are a source of growing concern, which Mr Hain is right to underline. We
cannot endlessly sustain a homogeneous society under pressure from regressive
isolationists within and a rising influx of asylum seekers outside.
Britain has absorbed many cultural
influences and has been enriched by them. The intolerance of Muslim extremists
is the problem and the remedy is clear. They must accept our political
culture, not our religion. That is the best way for them to succeed in
Britain and the best way to live happily alongside us.
