No-go areas, exist in Britain according to the Bishop of Rochester,Dr Nazir-Ali as far as I'm concerned these do exist but not necessarily in the way suggest by the Bishop.
There are very real no go areas being put up which are more sinister than a bit of attitude from particular faith groups.
I'm fifty+ so I can remember a time when things were vastly different in this country, so to put things in context for those born during the Thatcher years here's my rose tinted view of Britain growing up in the sixties and seventies, first and foremost people were willing to accept and take pride in being part of Great Britian.
At the heart and soul of Britain was the Protestant church, represented by the Church of England, in the main, unlike the catholic competition, a fairly laid back, liberal organisation.
Multiculturalism was yet to be invented, and the popular expectation was that migrants would integrate and merge, why else would people travel thousands of miles from home if they didn'tembrace the life style of this country.
Whilst I encounter areas which are alien culturally to me, I've yet to feel I'm in a no go area (except Moss side, which has more to do with crime than bigotry). No go areas in our life are more about free speech, only a short while ago the Labour party attempted to make it illegal to discuss religion in a critical way.
The way I see this country developing is that gradually the extreme views held by religious cranks will end in disaster, at one extreme you have a church led by men, suffering from chronic sexual frustration, at the other another male dominated bunch who treat women as possessions and wish to change Britain into a barbaric nation ruled by Taliban type thugs.
Its probably too late for this country to do anything about the growing militant religious nutters. This countries welcoming liberal approach, has had the effect, of allowing the lunatics to restrict free speech in this once free nation.
Freedom to discuss this countries future has become a no-go area, uncontrolled migration and dilution of our cultural identity have become the "elephant in the room" (that is a problem, everyone is aware of but nobody will speak). Its easy enough to have a go at the Bishop of Rochester, but when are politicians going to confront the rapid change to this countries identity.
It would you might think, be the place of our politicians to face these issues but like Tony Blair but they seem to be more concerned with filling their pockets than the vacuum of national identity.
Its time that mainstream politicians opened an honest debate on this countries future rather than leave it to fester, do the British people want religious groups to dictate how to live. There was a time when a persons religion was their own private affair, I hope that time returns.
There was a saying once, I do not agree with your point of view but will defend it to the death. This was the foundation of free speech which is in real danger today.
ReplyDeleteI worry about the young now, What a pottage they may inherit if the politicians do not listen to the silent majority.
As you say disaster beckons because eventually the tide will turn.
The Romans drew up an education system for the British which was all part of the British servitude.
ReplyDeleteI fear that the prescribers of social change have done the same.
The certainty with which the young hang labels: "Racist" "Fascist" "Homophobic"
Their faith that multiculturalism is good and tolerant monoculturalism is bad.
Educated into such servitude the only revolution will be the self serving one when we have to cut the welfare state back.
Best thing would be for a complete separation of church from the state. All of the churches are just clubs pursuing a particular interest. They have no business being represented in places like the House of Lords. And yes, christian fundamentalists are as a big a bunch of nutters as muslim fundamentalists.
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