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Review
"...an excellent academic analysis ... necessary and instructive reading for people charged with the many aspects of planning for the future..." -- Ann Cryer, MP
"This is a deeply important book that questions the concept of multiculturalism and concludes that it is an alienating principle." -- Baroness D'Souza,Convenor of Independent Crossbench Peers
"Dr Hasan advocates a policy of integration and cohesion based on 'conditional respect' and universal human values..."
-- Professor David Seddon
"This is a deeply important book that questions the concept of multiculturalism and concludes that it is an alienating principle." -- Baroness D'Souza,Convenor of Independent Crossbench Peers
"Dr Hasan advocates a policy of integration and cohesion based on 'conditional respect' and universal human values..."
-- Professor David Seddon
Product Description
Since the London bombings of July 2005, there has been growing concern at the deep-seated segregation and 'ghettoisation' that has become prevalent in several British towns and cities.
Hitherto, the approach taken by governments and local authorities parties in this regard can be summarised as benign non-intervention, justified under the rubric of 'multiculturalism'. Migrant communities have led their lives pretty much as in their 'home' countries. By so doing, large sections of these communities have in the process 'sleepwalked' into segregation. Mixing with those not from one's 'own' religious-ethnic community has become minimal - to the point where, for perhaps the majority living in religious-ethnic ghettos, it is virtually non-existent. This in turn leads to the ghettoised communities leading, in effect, parallel lives.
The overarching aim of Multiculturalism: Some Inconvenient Truths is to contribute towards a critical understanding of this troubling but profoundly important phenomenon, and provide an input into policy debates.
Multiculturalism: Some Inconvenient Truths argues that many of the beliefs and practices of religious-ethnic minorities are oppressive - especially concerning women and children - and that they are profoundly damaging the lives of many of those now trapped within 'mono-religious, mono-cultural' segregated communities. It aims to set a vision of society based on eroding the leading of 'parallel lives' and segregation, and hence rejecting oppressive and divisive cultural and religious practices.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A powerful, sustained and well informed attack on "multiculturalism" in its guise as separate provision and over-deference to group (especially Islamic) customs and values. Hasan shows how the policy pursued by the Government over the last decade or more leads to 'parallel lives' with different communities insulated from each other with the result that women and despised minorities are severely oppressed. He questions the whole existence on any significant scale of Islamophobia, defends universal human values and argues for integration and conditional respect. "Freedom of cultural and religious expression has too often transgressed into freedom of cultural and religious oppression and so has become, in reality, a carte blanche for all manner of abuses, obscurantist practices, and domination by predominantly male community and 'religious 'leaders', with only the most egregious beliefs, practices and traditions being deemed out of bounds." Autonomy for communities does not translate into autonomy for members of ghettoised religious-ethnic minority communities: rather, "from birth . . . their lives are dictated by incessant levels of intervention. . ." This is a splendidly readable and long overdue critique of a bankrupt government policy about which we now know that some government ministers were worried years ago - see Chris Mullin's diaries.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The left in this country has had the reputation of championing the cause of anti- racism, gay rights and civil liberties, but now it is seen to be blind to the obvious problems with its own doctrine of multiculturalism, and even paralysed by the hypnotic term "Islamophobia", which it has been persuaded equates with "racism". It is therefore not only reluctant to criticise illiberal and oppressive practices of some minorities, but even manufactures apologetics on the grounds of respect for multicultural differences. Dr Hasan's book drives a bulldozer through this edifice of hypocrisy, misinterpretation and wilful ignorance.
In his book he distinguishes between multiculturalism on the superficial level, such as cuisine, music, films, and fundamentals such as attitudes to personal freedom in matters of religion, marriage and career, the first being welcome, and the second, insofar as they conflict with hard-won enlightenment values, utterly repugnant. When the concept of culture becomes confused - often as a deliberate ploy - with the practice of religion, which is given certain rights in law, then the danger to society is even greater.
In certain parts of the country, monocultural ghettoes are being created, many of whose inhabitants lead parallel lives, unwilling or compelled to share the way of life of the host population. They live in a state of psychic detachment. One symbol of which is the hijab, which the author investigates in more detail in a later chapter.
Multiculturalism as an apparently benign or even laudable concept is being used as a cover for endless demands for religious privilege, while the accusation of "Islamphobia" is used to silence legitimate criticism of certain cultural practices. Dr Hasan takes up a whole chapter on "Islamophobia" as an offspring of multiculturalism.
The last part of the book discusses obstacles to closer social cohesion (which the last government heavily promoted without in the least understanding that its own policies were the greatest impediment to it). There is a section on the pernicious effects of segregating children in schools by parents' religion, white liberal post-colonial guilt, and one on the weakness of secularism as it exists in this country (secular people for the most part, distinctly un-secular establishment).
Finally, Dr Hasan suggests some solutions, including the emphasis on a common identity based on common values, instead of stressing - "celebrating" - differences, and the need to break down segregation.
This book articulates very clearly the dangers and fallacies inherent in the current concept of multiculturalism, illustrated with example after example. It should be compulsory reading for every MP and every government department.
In his book he distinguishes between multiculturalism on the superficial level, such as cuisine, music, films, and fundamentals such as attitudes to personal freedom in matters of religion, marriage and career, the first being welcome, and the second, insofar as they conflict with hard-won enlightenment values, utterly repugnant. When the concept of culture becomes confused - often as a deliberate ploy - with the practice of religion, which is given certain rights in law, then the danger to society is even greater.
In certain parts of the country, monocultural ghettoes are being created, many of whose inhabitants lead parallel lives, unwilling or compelled to share the way of life of the host population. They live in a state of psychic detachment. One symbol of which is the hijab, which the author investigates in more detail in a later chapter.
Multiculturalism as an apparently benign or even laudable concept is being used as a cover for endless demands for religious privilege, while the accusation of "Islamphobia" is used to silence legitimate criticism of certain cultural practices. Dr Hasan takes up a whole chapter on "Islamophobia" as an offspring of multiculturalism.
The last part of the book discusses obstacles to closer social cohesion (which the last government heavily promoted without in the least understanding that its own policies were the greatest impediment to it). There is a section on the pernicious effects of segregating children in schools by parents' religion, white liberal post-colonial guilt, and one on the weakness of secularism as it exists in this country (secular people for the most part, distinctly un-secular establishment).
Finally, Dr Hasan suggests some solutions, including the emphasis on a common identity based on common values, instead of stressing - "celebrating" - differences, and the need to break down segregation.
This book articulates very clearly the dangers and fallacies inherent in the current concept of multiculturalism, illustrated with example after example. It should be compulsory reading for every MP and every government department.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Rumy Hasan brilliantly deals in a no holds barred way of critiquing Multiculturalism that most other authors shy away from doing. In this he stands head and shoulders above all others. The fact that he particularly tackles the Muslim problem of loathing the West but at the same time hypocritically most Muslims wanting to stay here and take advantage of all its liberties and yet expressing a loathing for it by denigrating its laws of equality and tolerance shows the problems that Britain is now facing with different ethnicities living side by side but never really mixing except marginally, and I say this with some conviction as a Muslim and Pakistani who has first hand experienced this phenomenon. I too was content to live the status quo as something to be proud off as mixing could contaminate our Muslim identity but now have come full circle realising that creating our ghetto mentality only serves to alienate us as Muslims and bodes ill for the next generation of Muslims. I have seen the rise of more people embracing Islam from an ethnic identity point and express a general alienation and dislike of the mainstream society in itself not appreciating and accepting the tolerance and pluralism it extends - and this is not from the first generation Pakistani or Bangledeshi Muslims but 2nd and 3rd generation Muslims expressing their disconnection and disenfranchisement from the majority society. It is my earnest belief now that the policies in the past on Multiculturalism have created this sense of identity and culture which is totally in conflict with modern day Britain and its values and unless addressed will bode very badly for future generations creating fault lines and divisions amongst people fracturing Britain along social lines. Rumy Hasan deals with these points in his book brilliantly and commands depth and structure to his argument. As a final point when I was a boy in the 90's there were not many girls wearing the Burkah (veil) or the Hijab and now in contrast in the year 2010 they seem to be everywhere. The evidence of marginalisation is all to evident because if communities were truly integrated this expression of a Muslim identity would not reinforce itself in such a way.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Secular fundamentalism!
Hasan, for me, fails in many different ways. He recognises that some might think that he is a secular fundamentalist and that is exactly how he comes across. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rev. Philip T. Sumner
Racist, Shallow and Ridiculous
If any book ever justified the EDL, this would be it. A classic case of blaming the victim, Hasan takes an 'inconvenient' look at race politics in Britain and blames it on those... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Miss N. Doshi
A principled critique
There were many times when reading this book that I wanted to hug the author for stating what should be obvious to anyone who genuinely believes in universal rights and free... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Clare
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