The latest comments by the Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality
at the Conservative Party conference caused anger and dismay amongst anti-racist
campaigners. His comments come at a time where racism and racist attacks are
on the rise: since the bombings in London in July, there has been a recorded
600% rise in racist attacks, including murders and more recently, an opinion
survey carried out by MORI for the Greater London Authority showed attitudes
towards black communities and migrants shifting in a more rightwing direction
of intolerance, although there is still a majority opinion in favour of outlawing
religious discrimination for example (56% as opposed to 32% who said they
would oppose such a ban). Source
Milena Buyum, Vice-Chair of the National Assembly Against
Racism said: 'These comments send us back to a time when the idea of having
a Commission for Racial Equality had to be fought for. It predates the Race
Relations Act 1976, and harks of the pre American civil rights movement, when
black people had to die to achieve equality and respect under the law. Trevor
Phillips is simply wrong. Far from opening up a healthy debate, his comments
offer comfort to those on the right who already want to undermine gains made
against racism, such as the anti-discrimination legislation and the Lawrence
Report. By sparking a debate on integration he negates the fact that places
like London are succesful because of multiculturalism - where difference is
respected and celebrated - and has been affirmed by successive polls of Londoners.'
Dr Richard Stone, advisor to the Lawrence Inquiry and President
of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality said: 'During the investigation
of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, there were six 'areas' of police activity
which together led the Inquiry to the conclusion that institutional racism
had been a significant contributing factor to the 'collective failure' of
the officers to try hard enough to find the killers.
One of key areas uncovered by the barristers acting for the CRE was the absence
of awareness by many officers that 'coloured' was a word considered by many
Black people at the time to be offensive in describing themselves.
Acceptable words to describe difference change over the years. It is not for
me, as a white man, to tell Black people what is acceptable now and what is
not, 12 years on from the time of death of Stephen Lawrence. If Trevor Phillips
tells me we have moved on from 'coloured', I have to acknowledge what he says.
Other friends and colleagues tell me they disagree with him. I look for guidance
in this sensitive field.
I can respond to his remark that we do not have to cancel an important committee
meeting to be held on Yom Kippur, just because one member of the committee
is Jewish. To start on what is acceptable/ unacceptable to do on Yom Kippur
cannot be dealt with by one short sentence from the Chair of the Commission
for racial Equality. If the topic is salmon fishing in Scotland, then probably
the Jewish committee member might fell s/he has little to contribute to the
discussion. Then again, it could well be that the Jew lives in Scotland because
he loves salmon fishing.
If the committee is split 50:50 on a major matter of policy, then it is unacceptable
to exclude the Jewish member by holding the meeting on Yom Kippur.
I fear that Trevor's example of Yom Kippur will suggest to many Jews a scant
concern or interest for their role in society. I have never suspected that
of Trevor, and I hope that this superficially offensive example will be explained
away in more depth by him very soon.'
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