According to the BBC,
At a security conference in Munich, he argued the UK needed a stronger national identity to prevent people turning to all kinds of extremism.
He also signalled a tougher stance on groups promoting Islamist extremism.
The speech angered some Muslim groups, while others queried its timing amid an English Defence League rally in the UK.
As Mr Cameron outlined his vision, he suggested there would be greater scrutiny of some Muslim groups which get public money but do little to tackle extremism.
• • •
"Let's properly judge these organisations: Do they believe in universal human rights - including for women and people of other faiths? Do they believe in equality of all before the law? Do they believe in democracy and the right of people to elect their own government? Do they encourage integration or separatism?
"These are the sorts of questions we need to ask. Fail these tests and the presumption should be not to engage with organisations," he added.
• • •
He said under the "doctrine of state multiculturalism", different cultures have been encouraged to live separate lives.
'I am a Londoner too'
"We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run counter to our values."
Building a stronger sense of national and local identity holds "the key to achieving true cohesion" by allowing people to say "I am a Muslim, I am a Hindu, I am a Christian, but I am a Londoner... too", he said.
The knee-jerk on this is going to be delightful to watch, as the sanctimonious scolds come out of the woodwork at both ends of the political spectrum to flail and rail.
They could start by stopping funding for faith-based schools.
ReplyDeleteFor sure! That works for me.
ReplyDelete"Let's properly judge these organisations: Do they believe in universal human rights - including for women and people of other faiths? Do they believe in equality of all before the law? Do they believe in democracy and the right of people to elect their own government? Do they encourage integration or separatism?"
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more that these are fine benchmarks. I only hope Cameron is going to apply them in a consistent manner. But I doubt it.
All faiths would fail horribly on the respect for women and other faiths bit, so lets bin all religions. Most clubs and social organisations fail in this respect too. Not to mention the discrepancy involving equal pay for women that we as a country tolerate.
The Bloc are separatist not integrationist. Reserves are definitely separatist and both are gov approved.
I've just scratched the surface, dumping government welfare for all religions is something I'd subscribe to. Ditching the state religion altogether would make for less pretty openings of parliament and would put a damper on the royal wedding but Cameron's right.
Joining the English Defense League Ed?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/05/david-cameron-speech-criticised-edl
Multi-Kulti is probably the only way to keep the society balanced and prevent a racist rebound.
I'm looking at a photograph of what are clearly some of the most intolerant, narrow-minded thinkers on the planet, and you're using that picture to symbolize the failure of multiculturalism?
ReplyDeleteNot sure I'm getting your point.
How is tolerance a failure because intolerant people exist?
Where this leads:
ReplyDeletehttp://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/michigan_cops_army_vet_threatened_mosques_at_bar_found_with_guns_outside_islamic_center.php?ref=fpb
Its terrorism if a white guy goes and blows up a mosque just as much as if a Taliban member blows up a supermarket in Kabul.
Well said Greg.
ReplyDeleteTerry Eagleton has an excellent essay about Dawkins and his God Delusion". He points out that Dawkins has take people like Billy Graham, Haggard, Swaggart, and the Bakkers and saying: "There this is what Christianity is all about."
They are no more what Christianity is about then those screaming for blood in that picture are a good example of different cultured immigrants are about.
It's all about consensus, folks. The happy gang in the picture are not part of that UK consensus. They refuse to join the UK community of man, and it's our fault? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteTsk, tsk. They are not the only ones with head-space problems.
Of course there's an excellent argument to be made that 'multiculturalism' a word that encompasses and includes many different concepts, attitudes and programs has led to much better inclusion and participation by minority populations than the 'robust defense of secularism' that in France has led to ghettoization and riots.
ReplyDelete