ninme

Telegraph - Multiculturalism is to blame for perverting young Muslims. By Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester

The Bishop is an ex-Muslim. Which is interesting. But of course, rather than lending him increased insight into the relationship between both groups, completely discredits any opinion he may have. Or at least according to one or two of the commenters.

Anyway, it’s about the evils of multiculturalism, and how all it does is isolate people and make people miserable, and how the alternative will in no way deprive ethnic communities of their pride in their traditions, language, or faith, so I was all geared up to link to it and start quoting, except it’s the same thing they’ve been saying over and over again. Last year after 7/7, there was like a gazillion articles just like this one about the need to abandon the multicultural society, and then at Christmas another bazillion about the benefits of reaffirming Britain’s appreciation in its Christian traditions, even if not its Christian faith. And yet the Bishop of Rochester just wrote the exact same thing as a bunch of those and there’s really nothing new to quote, and yet I still reflexively hit the New Entry button because I feel like there’s something novel here because nothing’s actually changed.

Bah.

Update:

The Sunday Telegraph (I’m takin’ my time) - The worry is how little our rulers understand the threat By Iain Martin

The elephant in the room is multiculturalism, which has become almost a religious tenet for much of our governing class. …

If any MP were to raise all this too loudly, there would be complaints that an entire “community” (that word again) is being demonised. The truth is that the Government, the police and even, now, the red-top press are extremely sensitive on this subject. …

What is needed is a cultural change in which our parties are prepared to defend robustly the social compact, which most Britons of all races and colours have long accepted, that changes of Government policy are brought about through the ballot box and Parliament.

The minority who, increasingly, do not accept that compact, must be told that there can be no compromise. Weakness in the face of special pleading, from publicly-funded bodies such as the Muslim Council of Great Britain, should be replaced by reiterating that we are all British and should accept the premise on which we reside here: that common services are provided from our taxes, that we respect and obey the laws of the land.

Away from the world of Westminster such thoughts - on terrorism, the limits of multiculturalism and the need for integration - will be expressed quite clearly and often in colourful language. The problem is that as the political class wrings its hands over the radicalisation of a minority of British Muslims, it ignores how radicalised middle Britain could become on this subject.