British PM reignites multiculturalism debate
British PM reignites multiculturalism debate
More than half a century on and after successive waves of arrivals from across the world, Britain is struggling more than ever with the vexed question of how to integrate the newcomers.
Prime Minister David Cameron has now reignited the debate by claiming in a speech on Saturday that the long-standing policy of multiculturalism is a failure and in part to blame for fostering Islamic extremism.
Multiculturalism -- generally understood as meaning no single culture or set of values should be promoted above any other -- was encouraging different cultures to live separate lives, said Cameron.


Young Muslims felt drawn to violent ideology because they found no strong collective identity in Britain, he added in the speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
"If we are to defeat this threat, I believe it's time to turn the page on the failed policies of the past," he said.
His frank remarks came at a time when the issue of home-grown Islamic militancy is fresh in the minds of many here, almost two months after a botched suicide attack in Stockholm by a man allegedly radicalised in Britain.


They were also sure to remind listeners in Britain of the attacks on the London transport network in 2005 by four home-grown suicide bombers, which killed 52 people.
While the speech was swiftly condemned by Muslim groups and opposition politicians, the furore masked the fact that this is just the latest problem Britain has faced with integrating outsiders.
Jewish immigrants faced hostility for centuries and it was not until the late 19th century that they enjoyed freedom in every walk of life.
Now there are countless examples of Jewish people at the highest level in every profession in Britain, such as leader of the main opposition Labour party Ed Miliband, the son of Jewish refugees.
There have also been numerous examples of problems integrating minorities in the past 60 years since the start of post-World War II mass immigration, such as race riots in Brixton, south London, in the 1980s.
Despite repeated attempts by governments to ease integration, polls suggest hostility towards immigration remains high.
Britons are much more hostile towards immigrants than other developed nations, according to the major Transatlantic Trends survey published earlier this month of people across western Europe, the US and Canada.
As for Cameron's remarks, commentators were split on Sunday as to his reason for making them, with some seeing it as a tough new stance while others said it was simply to appease the right wing of his Conservative party.
"There was this belief [under the Labour government] that supporting and reaching out to the non-violent extremists would prevent violent extremists from committing acts of terrorism," wrote Haras Rafiq, of anti-extremism think-tank Centri, in the Observer newspaper.
"It appears that Cameron now believes that approach was muddled."
Others however saw the comments as a sop to the right wing of his Conservative party, which rules in a coalition with the more centrist Liberal Democrats, and little to do with plans for future policy.
"I think it is interesting he's doing a speech at this time given he's seen as a liberal Tory, a bit close to the Lib Dems," Professor Steven Fielding, Director of the Centre For British politics at Nottingham University, told AFP.
"He's positioning himself."
Downing Street said that Cameron's comments were merely intended to indicate the "direction of travel" and he was not going into detail on policy, which was still being worked on.