Interesting..
Jack Straw, the ex-foreign secretary, has angered Muslim groups by suggesting women who wear veils can make relations between communities more difficult. He asks Muslim women who attend his constituent clinics, to uncover their faces, saying it makes conversation difficult..
Now this is not a request he has made lightly.. in an article he's written for his local newspaper indicates he's been thinking about this issue for more than a year..
This has the Muslim community in an uproar, with not all factions disagreeing with Jack..
Now this is all happening with a number of incidents involving Muslim groups and 'homegrown British'..
There's a dairy in the Midlands which has been firebombed.. It's owned by a Muslim.. There have been confrontations between Muslim youths and locals for the past 4 nights outside this facility..
One of the objections is, that the owner of the dairy wants to open a 'Center for Islamic Studies' on his property..
Friday's newspapers all, to some extent, are focussing on just where ethnic communities live.. The Independant will publish a demographic map, showing that the majority of Muslims live in the Midlands, and coincidentally pointing out that two ajacent constituencies in London have, in one case, 41% black voters, while the other has only 2%..
There is real concern that the various ethnic groups which make up the population of this country, are segregating themselves.. not trying to amalgamate with 'native British values'.. and this in itself is exceedingly disturbing..
Even the Queen has been brought into this fray, with plans to build a Mosque in Windsor, on Her Majesty's doorstep, so to speak. Whether or not planning permission is granted for this structure is still moot..
There's also an official Police investigation underway, into the case of a Muslim Police Officer, who, for the duration of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, had asked to be moved from his post as a member of the guard for the Israeli Embassy.. The position of the police appears to be, that all officers take an oath of loyalty, and where they serve should not be affected by reasons religious..
It's an unhealthy atmosphere brewing in England.. one which could blossom into zenophobia on a grand scale. It will soon be felt by the average man on the street, that it is impossible for immigrants, even those who have been here for generations, to intigrate fully into the British way of life..
We should well remember the Brixton riots, and the causes of those incidents..
The US calls itself 'the melting pot'.. the Canadians have 'the cultural mosaic'.. it would appear that we in Britain are regressing, with fear the motivating factor..
Of course, it's not helped by reports that al Q'aida is collecting depleted uranium, even from old x-ray machines, which could be used in 'dirty bombs'..
It would truely be a shame if we, as a nation, take on a seige mentality. Once again, it would something all terrorist groups would smile at..