HERE, a top academic and expert on multiculturalism, formerly of the Sussex Centre for Migration Research, writes for us in the wake of David Cameron’s moves to boost integration.
FOR too long, saying “no” to British Muslims has been seen as racist or Islamophobic. But the truth is that many of their separatist demands are privileges, not rights — and we need to learn to say no more often.
David Cameron is right to take a stand against laissez-faire multiculturalism.
He says he will back public institutions that want to ban the veil, oppose gender segregation in migrant communities and insist migrants learn English.
I agree with him. Multiculturalism is a nice idea. In a free society we want to treat newly settled ethnic minorities with respect.
But this tolerance has been allowed to run unchecked.
For many years now, it has become clear that policies designed to promote multiculturalism have failed. Politicians have turned a blind eye and allowed people to lead parallel lives.
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It is not surprising that gender segregation and the veiling of women became common in Muslim communities and tens of thousands of immigrants felt little need to speak the country’s language.
Widespread translation services were provided if they wanted to use public services, and they could easily watch satellite TV programmes in their own language — so why bother learning English?
Religious and ethnic minorities often chose to live among “their own”, so they preferred to speak their own languages in public, too.
Lack of a common language is a major barrier to integration, as is the face veil, which physically distances a Muslim woman from wider society.
But that is the tip of the iceberg.
Right now, some British Muslims are calling for the introduction of Sharia law. They want to swap a legal system that ensures equality before the law for one that systematically discriminates against women, children, non-believers and homosexuals.
We simply cannot risk setting up a system where we have different laws for different people.
Britain, like other Western European countries, has generally accommodated Muslim demands, the latest example being the change to exam schedules during Ramadan.
But this means there has been little need for Muslims to integrate into an increasingly irreligious, mainstream society.
Unsurprisingly, the result is that we are living in a country with high levels of segregation of Muslims.
At its worst, the “do-what-you-want” attitude to some communities has led them to live as if they were still in countries such as Saudi Arabia or Pakistan.
On occasion this has terrible consequences, such as when gangs of mostly Pakistani Muslim-background men raped young girls in UK towns.
The authorities in these towns and cities — Rochdale, Rotherham, Oxford, Oldham, Birmingham — kept quiet because they were embarrassed and feared being labelled racist.
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But embarrassment and fear of causing offence is leading some Muslims to become so detached from the rest of society they might as well be living in another land.
Although they live among us, their mode of thinking and way of life is rooted elsewhere. Completely alienated from their neighbours, they can go through life without mixing with non-Muslims.
Indeed, radicalised Muslims reject their host society so totally that they are prepared to wreak violence against it.
Making a concerted effort to desegregate communities and force integration is not racist, but vital.
There is mounting evidence that in Britain and in other Western European countries, the population at large is very much concerned by what has come to pass.
Two opinion polls last year (by Survation and YouGov) found that only 22 per cent of the population think the values of Islam are compatible with those of British society.
It is vital we integrate Muslims better and build a more cohesive society. Therefore the Government must stop bowing to Muslim pleas for special treatment.
Back in 2011 David Cameron said “state multiculturalism had failed”. Now is his chance to start correcting the mistakes of the past.