Multiculturalism was designed to bring different communities together, but its critics argue it has only served to keep them apart.
July 14, 2005
Is "British-style multi-culturalism ... failing"?
The BBC Islamic Affairs analyst writes about this question, which is being asked around Britain these days:
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6 comments:
I always thought Multiculturalism was designed to force other communities together, whether they like it or not - intolerance won't be tolerated, etc. and by that interventionist approach provide jobs for Professional Multiculturalists who then moderate all the disputes which arise - welfare for Sociology-school graduates.
The two 'cultures' in question here could coincide much better if the one prohibited the sale of alcohol and made women wear veils. The terrorists, or as many are wont to call them, insurgents, made that rather evident I should think.
But really what is the difference over there in the UK and here in the US? After all, in the name of MC, etc., we no longer can have creches at any sort of public building at Christmas, though we can have stuff from other religions and pretend religions (whatever that holiday is that the African-American community invented awhile back).
As far as I can see, the difference is assimilation - we are better at assimilating peoples who come here. Or, rather, we ultimately coopt them into the American way.
In any case, the theory seems to be very similar on each side of the pond. So why and where is the difference?
Oh, now I remember, Quansa or something like that. Invented a couple of decades ago out of whole cloth, and ignoring that the vast majority of African Americans are Christain, many extremely devout.
I agree that this BBC article is unclear on exactly how "multiculturalism" is keeping British communities apart. So I'll be overly presumptuous and assume they mean Britain's laissez-faire attitude towards immigrants' non-Western ways amd mores ... as opposed to America's subtle insistence on assimilation (which I don't think is such a bad thing). If anyone has some more informed insights into UK vs. US multiculturalism, I'd be glad to hear it.
A bit more apocalyptic than I was looking for, but thanks anyway. And I think Steven Pagones was the name you were looking for re Sharpton (unless it was the policeman who killed himself - Harry Crist).
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