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'Political correctness' banned: Listen to the debate
EXCLUSIVE: A Yorkshire council is to wage war on political correctness as it attempts to place the improvement of community cohesion at its heart. Hear the issues debated in a Yorkshire Post radio programme.
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Kirklees Council will launch a major new strategy in March, aiming to lead by example in the fight against division and hatred in its midst.
It aims to desegregate schools, encourage residents to mix more and persuade more people to report any extremists in their communities.
The strategy is the culmination of six years of community cohesion work, introduced after the Bradford riots in 2001, and reverses years of what current leaders describe as an ethos of political correctness that merely served to increase tensions.
Tory councillor Khazir Iqbal, Kirklees Cabinet member for stronger and safer communities, said: "Political correctness has been the biggest barrier in community relations. It creates segregations.
"It was so embedded in the culture of the council and other institutions in the area that it was almost like a powerbase that no one dared challenge.
"But political correctness is not something we can accept or tolerate or support. We're now moving to a new vision based on fairness, addressing inequalities by treating everyone the same."
Coun Iqbal pointed to West Yorkshire Police's decision 18 months ago to abolish a community-wide forum in Dewsbury but keep a black and Asian forum as an example of a divisive policy that only succeeded in alienating people. The force is now in the process of reversing the decision.
The rapid Asian migration in the 1960s to the area's failing textile industry has left parts of the district highly segregated and with a mutual fear and loathing that, the council acknowledges, could on a number of occasions in the last few years have spilled into mass violence.
In Dewsbury, a town blighted by the stigma of terrorism, the fast growing Asian community has kept itself segregated in Savile Town and the surrounding areas while the mostly white districts have fallen prey to the allure of the BNP.
A recent review by the Institute of Community Cohesion said it was an area where people lived parallel lives, under-achieved in education and were segregated by the standard and location of housing.
It said there were also serious concerns about extremism within the area and Asian inter-generational tensions.
Dewsbury resident Coun Iqbal said that it was important to be realistic about the problems facing the town, but not to condemn its residents unfairly.
He said: "We have communities here living parallel lives and there is very little social interaction between them. There are segregations, not only where people live but also in schools and other areas of community life.
"Since 7/7 there have been several occasions where many people thought that there's going to be some kind of community conflict here but I think the people have come through very positively, they've shown their resilience in coping."
The new strategy is designed to make residents feel more involved in the development and distribution of services, feel safer living in the area and more tolerant of others.
One of the key areas where things will change will be in the schools system, which Coun Iqbal said were up to 90 or 99 per cent segregated.
Over time admissions procedures will make the schools more mixed, new facilities will be built at the boundaries of white and Asian areas to encourage integration, there will be more emphasis on games and citizenship education will be improved.
Other measures include an expansion of inter-faith networks, increasing the opportunities for women, and improved community confidence so that more people report tensions and hate incidents.
Coun Iqbal said there would also be less reliance on "so-called self-appointed leaders" generally elder members of the Asian community who claim they have influence within the community but often cause tension with younger members.
He added: "Historically we interacted with very selective people in the community and I strongly object to that. Maybe 30 or 40 years ago only certain people had a role to play but in this day and age we cannot follow those practices to achieve successful community cohesion.
"We have to engage wider communities and young people in particular. Likewise we have to embed the community cohesion concept in the whole council structure, not just create a document that gathers dust.
"It's only when we get schools, faith communities, young people, police, health and other agencies involved that cohesion will become a shared future vision and strategy for everybody, not just some council-led small initiative."
Direct Flights to Pakistan offered
Direct flights will be offered from Leeds Bradford International Airport (LBIA) to the Pakistani capital Islamabad, it was announced
yesterday.
The services will be operated by Shaheen Air International with a twice weekly service starting on February 7. Seats are now on sale at fares
from 460 return, including taxes.
John Parkin, chief executive at LBIA said: "For the first time in LBIA's history the people of Yorkshire will be able to fly direct to Pakistan from their local airport.
"Whether it's for business or pleasure we are sure that this service will be extremely popular and we also look forward to welcoming passengers from Pakistan to Yorkshire."
RAF prepares for multi-faith worship on base
Julie Hemmings
A YORKSHIRE RAF base is thought to be the first in the service to offer space for worship by faiths other than Christianity.
A multi-faith room is being created at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, near York, after an idea from Squadron Leader David Norfield when he took over as station chaplain.
He said: "My office next to the station's chapel was far bigger than I needed and I was aware that it was only available for our Christian personnel.
"So I have moved out and we are set to redesign my former office to meet the requirements of a prayer room.
"We have close links with many Muslim communities in Leeds and that has given us an advantage because we are able to call on friends for guidance."
Armley Mosque chairman Ishtiak Hussain has been to the base to discuss protocols important to Muslims.
Mr Hussain said: "There are a number of rituals that must be carried out before prayers including cleansing the body. So David has suggested his office because there are washing facilities close by."
The room will be redecorated in a neutral colour scheme.
Sqn Ldr Norfield said he was grateful for the advice of Leeds Grand Mosque Imam Sheikh Mohammed Tahirand who also offered items to prepare the multi-faith room, where work starts next week.
He said: "It is important that we provide for the spiritual needs of all our people and I expect to formally open the room for prayer at the end of this month."Council aims to win back 'alienated' BNP supporters
A Yorkshire council is aiming to bring "alienated" BNP supporters back into the mainstream by addressing their concerns head-on.
In the 2005 General Election in Dewsbury the BNP received more than 5,000 votes, almost as many as the Liberal Democrats and nearly half of the second-placed Conservatives.
In a bid to stop the growth of hardliners in the district, Kirklees Council will introduce a new community cohesion strategy directly to tackle the worries of a growing number of residents rather than sweeping them under the carpet.
The strategy states: "The way in which resources are allocated to particular areas and initiatives continues to be a potential cause of community tensions.
"It is vital we are open and clearly explain the reasons why funds and support are allocated to a particular part of the community."
Colin Auty, the town's BNP councillor, said: "We see new play areas built for small communities in Asian areas and then look at far larger white estates which have nothing.
"People feel like they're forgotten, like second-class citizens and that builds massive resentment."
Mr Auty, who recently hit headlines after recording an anti-Asian song and posting it on the internet, denied being a racist but said that he represented an increasing view among white people in the town that they were being unfairly marginalised and victimised.
But mainstream politicians last night rounded on the party, accusing it of stoking up racial tensions.
Baroness Warsi of Dewsbury, Conservative Shadow Minister for community cohesion, said: "The BNP have a racist agenda, they can pretend to be as respectable as they want the truth is what they stand for is very divisive and racist.
"But people here vote for the BNP and I'm not prepared to write them off as racists. They vote for the BNP as a protest vote and if they're protesting about issues it's up to the mainstream parties to take on board these protests."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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