There has been plenty written about Carol Thatcher. However, while this kind of symbolic action is being taken, is it at the expense of real action on diversity, asks Sarita Malik.
Then there is point scoring by previous CRE Chairs against the current Chair of the new EHRC. Surely they don’t expect him to make a speech on every battle when he is probably concerned with the war.
By coincidence I came across an interview with John Barnes who reminds us how terrible things used to be in his days. He also points out that the same journalists who are jumping on the ‘offence’ bandwagon ignored much worse abuse, sometimes from Barnes’ own fellow players and supporters.
Also, by another coincidence I came across this case from the EHRC website which says racially to insult a coloured employee is not enough by itself to constitute a detriment, even if the insult caused him or her distress.
Kenan Malik in an article on 20 years since the fatwa on Salman Rushdie points out that there is now competition between people i.e. my feelings are more hurt than yours. He also has an interesting quote from Monica Ali whose book Brick Lane had difficulties during filming in the East End of London because it had caused ‘offence’ to the Bengali community. For her, the giving of offence is not just inevitable, it is also important because it is “necessary for social progress”. She also blames liberals who see a clash between freedom of expression and the defence of minority communities.
Andrew Anthony points out that the Rushdie has led to a culture of self censorship in publishing and the wider world of the arts.
Then this week Christopher Hart points out that everyone has split into special-interest groups, all of whom too quick to take offence.
But then as if in response to all this taking offence, we have the play England People Very Nice which has been denounced as “display of racial stereotypes” by some and as a “pagent about prejudice”. The critic points out that the play doesn’t just talk about change; it embodies it. “And just look at that for a minute: the same actors are in turn Asian, Jewish, ranting, woolly-hatted BNP members”
It reminded me of the 70s or was it the 80s TV programme ‘Mind your Language’ set in an English language class for immigrants where all immigrants were made fun off.
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Submitted by karamat on Mon, 2009-02-23 20:07.