Muslim divisions remain in UK town 5 years after civil unrest
Regional-UK, Politics, 5/25/2006

Divisions between communities are still "entrenched" in Oldham, northwest England, five years after the 2001 Muslim unrest, according to the author of one of the reports into the rioting.

Professor Ted Cantle, who led the first Home Office investigation into the May 2001 riots in three northern English towns, said Thursday it will take "at least a generation" to address the issues in Oldham.

"There is, I think, more openness and trust. But there are some very entrenched divisions in Oldham. It's going to take some time, probably at least a generation, to deal with the divisions," Cantle told BBC Radio Four's Today Programme.

The rioting in the town, where over 10 percent of the 220,000 residents are Muslim, were initially blamed on segregation of whites and Asians.

The Cantle report, which also examined unrest in Bradford and Burnley also with large Muslim populations, said that people were leading "parallel" and "polarized" lives from different backgrounds and did not mix.

It urged government action to bring together Britain's "shockingly" divided communities, and also called for a meaningful concept of citizenship which could include an oath of allegiance setting out "a clear primary loyalty to this nation." A separate report by civil servant David Richie warned that "segregation, albeit self-segregation, is an unacceptable basis for a harmonious community" and said it will lead to more serious problems if it is not tackled.

But the report was criticized by Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council as misleading, saying it was wrong to cite race as the main issue behind the disturbances.

In a 130-page document, the local authority insisted that the primary focus in Oldham should be on poverty, deprivation and social inclusion, which it said were the catalysts of the rioting.

Cantle, whose report made 67 recommendations covering areas such as housing, political leadership, education, youth and leisure facilities and regeneration, said that people on the street now actually think relations have improved in five years.

"The council and various other partners have brought the communities together and we've seen many more social relationships at least improved," he said, but still believed it would take decades to address the problems.

Previous Stories:
  British Council launches Muslim media guide   (5/22/2006)
  UK saw nothing of Iraq connection to London attacks   (5/20/2006)
  Muslims most deprived in the UK: report   (5/16/2006)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search