For balance and to please CSM

[roomy]

uj

 

[CSM]

Oldham still divided five years after race riots


LONDON (Reuters) - The town of Oldham is still divided, five years after race riots which led to some of the country's worst disturbances in recent years, the head of a review said on Thursday.

Underlying tensions between white and Asian communities in Oldham erupted into riots in the summer of 2001, fomented by extremists from both communities, according to initial assessments.

It led to similar riots in Bradford, Burnley and Leeds and Britain's worst disturbances for 15 years, causing millions of pounds worth of damage.

A Home Office review shortly after the Oldham riots blamed racial segregation and an "almost apartheid system" in some schools, whereby white, black or Muslim pupils attended separate institutions, for the polarisation of the communities.

Five years on, the head of that review, Ted Cantle, said the town still suffered from many of the same problems.

"The divisions in Oldham are still very entrenched, and of course segregated housing and segregated schools are probably at the top of the list," he told BBC radio.

A lot of positive work had been carried out to encourage integration, through youth projects and school twinning schemes.

"We've been out and measured people's attitudes and perceptions of race relations and ... there's no doubt race relations have improved," said Cantle, who is due to release a progress report for the town council later on Thursday.

"There is an improvement in trust between the two communities."

He pointed to the far right British National Party's lack of electoral success in the area as being indicative of better community relations and played down suggestions there could be a repeat of the riots.

But he said Oldham still had to deal with some "deep-seated structural issues of segregation" and accused some community leaders of hindering progress because they were worried about losing influence.

"We did find that a number of the communities, and particularly the community leaders were unwilling to get out of their comfort zones and that's a really big issue now," he said.

http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/article.as...ortlive&ks=0&mc=5&ml=ma&lc=en&ae=windows-1252

Thanks for pleasing me. There is no doubt that racism exists and it exists everywhere. I personally consider it wrong. It is not unique to the US which your other post implied. Obviously, progress is being made but I dont think it will ever disappear entirely.

 

[CSM]

Well, I have travelled around the world a couple of times and it's been my experience that people are pretty much the same everywhere (some good/bad, smart/dumb, happy/sad, etc). I suppose there are those who dont see it that way and that is why the issue remains.