(June 26, 2011 at 4:14 pm)Napoleon Wrote:(June 26, 2011 at 4:02 pm)twocompulsive Wrote: Like you I too am from Birmingham. I live in Sparkhill which as you know is a Muslim area - or to be more precise an area with a predominant Muslim population. Maybe it is because I have lived here all my life and therefore have no alternative frame of reference. But I am glad that I live here because growing up in this environment has made me more tolerant of other cultures. If I had been raised in an English / Christian neighbourhood I may not necessarily be so accepting of others. No Muslim has ever made me feel unwanted in my home city. I am more than happy to have lived amongst them and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I am not saying that there are no problems with multiculturalism, but am just offering you my own perspective based on my personal experience.
I'm not doubting the majority of muslims aren't extremist crazed terrorists. The vast majority are just normal people. Their culture though, as I've said countless times, IS divisive. Seen as you have lived there from birth you are probably right and have no other frame of reference, just as I can't imagine living in such a muslim dominated area. Even you though must see the clear difference between the area you live in, and one which is not populated so highly by muslims? Or have you not ventured beyond Sparkhill?
To be honest it is not something that I am consciously aware of. I do not wake up every day wishing I lived somewhere else. If you had been raised alongside others from a differnt culture and happily co-existed with them, then you too would not be aware of it until it was referenced. I live in an area which is predominantly Pakistani, but there are other areas of Birmingham where one nationality is overwhelmingly evident. Handsworth for example is predominantly Jamaican. As humans we have a natural tribalistic tendency to settle amongst those we most identify with. This is universal and not confined to one section of society. But to perceive others as different is rather worrying. This is where ignorance, prejudice, fear and hatred emanate from. I have no problem with anyone living next door to me, long as they are doing me no harm. Funny though how multiculturalism was never a problem back in the days of Empire. Perfectly alright for us to impose ourselves on others, but heaven forbid they do it to us. Not that that makes it right, it doesn't. But we do seem to have a rather selective historical memory pertaining to this.
A MIND IS LIKE A PARACHUTE : IT DOES NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS OPEN
