Muslims and the news media by E.Poole and Richardson - Essay Example

Running Head: Critical Review Critical Review [Institute’s Critical Review The has pointed out the irony that when the media and the politicians are using the concept of “multiculturalism” to represent a society where the differences of race, colour, cast and creed no longer matter, the theoretical multiculturalism emerged because of embracement of those differences in the first place. However, multiculturalism in theory dictates that while we are all different, there is no particular group of people, which is superior from the other based on their ethnicity, or any other demographical characteristic.

Nevertheless, the fact is that Britain allowed these people to set foot on their soil in the first place because it was in dire need of people who would accept the second class and third class jobs, which were considered to be as insulting and humiliating for the white people. Even today, the immigrants remain limited to jobs, which white people similar to their age do not prefer to do. Even today, the law enforcement agencies view Muslims and Blacks as communities that are threat to the peacefulness and harmony of Britain (Poole and Richardson, 2006, pp. 13-23). This is an open secret that throughout the legal and law enforcement system, Muslims and Blacks remain stereotyped in the hearts and minds of the law enforcers as potential criminals or threats and thus they are treated in the same way.

In fact, even today, as we come across the streets of Britain, we see great degree of segregation in terms of communities, schools, houses, shops, and areas. There are streets and buildings mainly owned by South Asians and people from other ethnicities do not prefer to visit those places. There are areas, which are dominated by blacks where white people do not roam around until and unless they have a very solid reason. If one tries to lead between the lines, it appears that the author is suggesting that only recipe to tolerance and peace in Britain is through creating a society where the ethnic differences do not even exist in the first place.

People should use sentences such as “I am British, period”. If someone is saying while introducing himself or herself that, “I am a British Muslim” or “I am Black British” or “I am a desi British” then the purpose of multiculturalism is in vain (Poole and Richardson, 2006, pp. 13-23). Furthermore, the attacks on the World Trade Center, American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and other similar events have put a lid on these attempts to create a multicultural society. This is true because now Muslims in Britain are no longer British but they are Muslim British and the same puts them into so much scrutiny that questions the very basic purpose of allowing them to enter into the country if they had to go through such humiliation.

Even today, the mainstream British media portrays any event, related to Muslims in such a different manner as compared to that of other ethnicities. The “us and them” mentality is still far from gone, which is one of the biggest hurdles in creating a purely multicultural society (Poole and Richardson, 2006, pp. 13-23). It is interesting to see that how throughout history, whenever Britain has claimed to create a multicultural society, in reality; they have just put the old wine into new bottle.

First, attempts were made to sideline the blacks in the country and now the Muslims in the country have created a challenge for the politicians and the media to justify the ideals of tolerance and diversity in the British community when people start feeling unsafe in the presence of a bearded man. The value of the real estate around a one-kilometer radius of a mosque goes down because people think that this puts them in the epicenter of terrorism. Many of the White British people are still living in the colonial mindset where they feel that Chinese in the country are for running restaurants, Indians for driving taxis, Pakistanis for cleaning homes and so on.

The only possible solution for the same is to create an educational environment for the new generation where they could celebrate these differences rather than feel unsafe about it (Poole and Richardson, 2006, pp. 13-23). However, what the author has failed to realise is rooted in the fact that over the past few centuries, Britain has gone through a process of evolution, which quite understandably, takes place slowly and gradually. There was a time in Britain where non-whites could not even think of equal rights but today, they can even think of having the highest position in the public office in the country.

There is no doubt about the fact that when media and politicians brag about the multiculturalism, tolerance and diversity of Britain, they are far from being correct, they are highlighting a process rather than the result. The author is correct about the real intentions of British policymakers when the encouraged immigration, segregated society, and violence directed at minorities but the fact is that when people from different cultures try to create a harmonious society, there is bound to be such conflicts before they achieve the peaceful equilibrium.

It might take another few decades for the country to become a completely tolerant society but the fact is that it is evolving to become the same (Poole and Richardson, 2006, pp. 13-23). Reference Poole, E., and Richardson, J. E. 2006. Muslims and the news media. I. B. Tauris.