Multiculturalism fails

According to a survey from Policy Exchange, young Muslims are becoming more devoted to religious teachings and laws than democratic British law.

Since multiculturalism appears to have failed, perhaps it is now time to go back to what I understand was the philosophy of integration which when I was growing up in Seventies was the prevalent policy concerning ethnic relations.

I'm middle-aged perhaps my mind is becoming a little addled, it seems that society's goals in the Seventies were to accept people's ethnic backgrounds, enforce equal opportunities and accept common values and fundamental human rights, now contrast this with multiculturalism where everyone has their rights but they are different for each ethnic group.

All multiculturalism seems to have bought us, is to the edge of apartheid, we now have sections of society who prefer Sharia law, to democratic British law.

It's ironic how multiculturalism fostered by smart arse liberals is creating areas of separate development just like the contemptible whites only regime in South Africa.

Simple-minded and blinkered intellectuals confuse hostility towards various extreme faith groups as being racially motivated which frankly isn't the case again going back to the Seventies religious groups which refused life-saving medicine on theological grounds such as the Mormons were rightly criticised as no doubt will Islamic Medical Association whose head Dr Abdul Majid Katme is urging fellow Muslims to shun unholy vaccines.

Because we are a diverse people in Britain, we have to compromise and conform to basic human justice, since even the most commited multiculturalist, is not ready to see public beheading or women stoned to death because their husbands say they been unfaithful, to appease extreme faith groups.

Perhaps our schools should teach our kids about responsible attitudes, tolerance, civil-rights, democracy and explain why the majority British people are uncomfortable with the concept of religious law, and most importantly how wrong the belief that if you don't follow the teachings of a particular religious divinity you are less than human.

Reassuringly 84 per cent of Muslims believe that they had been treated fairly in British society and 28 per cent believed that UK authorities had gone over the top in trying not to offend Muslims.

This government has is much to blame for the failure of multiculturalism on the one hand, domestically it's shown the greatest respect to the Muslim community, though internationally the country's Foreign Office and policy seems to unquestionably back a hostile anti-Islamic American pro Israeli agenda, doing and saying nothing about Israel's over-the-top attack on Lebanese civilians last year, is it any wonder that young Muslims react against such bias.

Link to BBC story

Policy Exchange Website

The report actually worth a read Living apart together

THANET COUNCIL PARKING SCANDAL

Time and again we have in the past few weeks heard from our local political leaders how above-inflation increases are outside of their control and furthermore there is nothing that they can do. Today there is even a report in the Isle Thanet Gazette concerning Labour's betrayal of the needy, according to council leader Sandy Ezekiel there is said to be a shortfall of £122,000 from the government towards facilities grants for the disabled.

Now I am quite prepared to believe that new Labour have most likely short changed Tory councils, as did the Conservatives with Labour councils when they were last in power but that said, just exactly how careful are our local authorities.

If you have received this week's KM Extra for Thanet their front-page story relates to Thanet councils profligate policy of providing free car-parking in the Mill Lane multi-storey car-park for up to 576 staff and other worthies.

Assume the worst case scenario and staff are at work 46 weeks in the year this would be an annual cost per employee of £552 multiply this by 576 and the total cost works out at £317,952.

Now that figure maybe an exaggeration but according to the report it is difficult to find a parking space in this particular area, so inevitably there are additional costs, these are made up of businesses being unable to trade up to their full potential because council ''officers'' have taken all the parking spaces for potential customers, then there is the knock-on effect of lost revenue from empty business premises and of course no paying customers to purchase parking tickets.

Council employees are paid probably above the local average wage, and most could easily commute by bus or afford to pay their own parking costs as would anyone else working in town, maybe they could donate money saved from parking to the needy.

The councils ability to waste money fortunately is limited by their imagination, but just where does their madness finish, we've had chocolate fountains, your cash for their honours (see 21/1/07), and now this revelation a benefit in kind of £552 per employee (let's hope the Inland Revenue doesn't take an interest) god forbid the chief executive and other top nobs pay for their own parking.

So at the end of the day if Sandy Ezekiel and his merry band of Tory councillors were to pull their finger out, perhaps they could keep council tax increases in line with inflation.

Roger Gale supports churches in

homosexual adoption row

Judging from his website, the lack of comment and press releases from Roger Gale North Thanet MP, on important topics, is frequently more interesting, than what he actually has to say particularly on matters like, dangerous dogs, given that he is a Vice President of the Pet Advisory Committee.

Some of his statements can be quite infuriating such as his intervention on Train Horns apparently they can be quite intrusive (they're meant to be!), he and other MPs "continue to look for lower maximum noise volumes and minimum safety levels" what? As a track worker and sometimes COSS (controller of site safety) I prefer maximum safety myself, perhaps Mr Gale could acquire a PTS card (personal track safety) and work a few shifts preferably red zone.

Moving on Roger Gale backs churches over issue of conscience here is a quotation "While every person in this country is subject to the law as enacted by parliament it must, surely, also be right for those wishing to do so to be able to adhere to articles of faith that are important to them." well not really since some religions believe in polygamy others would be quite happy too stone adulterers to death etc.

Parliament by and large generally legislates on the basis of shared human values rather than any religious or sectarian standards and to be honest I'm not sure that homosexual couples are the ideal parents but if Parliament thinks they are, then they are.

I might have some sympathy with Roger Gale were it not for the Catholic Church's somewhat chequered history where child welfare is concerned, firstly Catholic agencies (along with others) had considerable involvement in the appalling abuse of young children sent as migrants from Britain to Australia and Canada during post-war period up until the early Sixties and the infamous Magdalene homes where young girls were imprisoned in Ireland.

I do not think any religious organisations should be in a position of responsibility for children if they are incapable of accepting the law. Britain we are told on a daily basis is a multi-cultural Society therefore unless religious groups are prepared to accept democratic parliamentary governance surely they have no place bringing up children.

As an individual I am not allowed to pick and choose what laws I live by and therefore I don't think that religious groups can choose the Bible, Koran or Talmud over parliamentary government.

I'm not saying that Roger Gale is necessarily a bad MP but to argue that some organisations should somehow be exempt from the law of the land suggest that maybe he ought to take some more spiritual job.


Interesting starting point for information on child migration scandal

Roger Gales Statement

Roger Gales Web Site

Spotted on the Thanet way

A strange blue object appeared on the Thanet way last week just near the M 2, it looks a bit like a portable toilet but maybe it is something more significant.

Surely if this was just a work site toilet then it would not have been necessary to close off 2 lanes of the road during the preceding week before its arrival and since up until last Friday there was no sign of any workers just what is the mysterious blue box.

Please note that I took the photograph from a passenger seat, I only mention this as readers have in the past criticised my driving abilities. Also I haven't been along the Thanet way this week so maybe this object has been joined by contractors actually working in the closed off lanes.

The roads authorities would not add ten minutes to the journey home just through incompetence would they?

Whatever happened to M&S? Thanet Districts Councils Forgotten Asset

It seems like only yesterday, that Sandy Ezekiel announced acquisition of the Marks and Spencer's building in Margate, which I believe was actually March last year.

Sometime in June there were suggestions from the Council of modern retail, office and workshop space as well as residential units at the site, also the creation of a passageway to access the old town, plus the standard old tosh about cafe society.

Well maybe it is time for the council, which is so obsessed with the cafe society, to pour itself a big mug of coffee (preferably not decaf) and come up with a plan.

Right now the old Marks and Spencer building is decaying unused and forgotten, given that local elections will be taking place I believe in May, you would imagine the smart thing particularly for the Tory administration, would be to show some leadership and publish firm and sensible proposals for this deteriorating asset.

Still since news is being promised concerning Dreamland and Turner Contemporary in the next few weeks, hopefully I am being unfair to the council and news will emerge from the councils secret regeneration bunker with plans to save Margate!