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Multiculturalism or Integration: which should UK embrace?
Interviews by Darko Antwi
To learn the English language to enhance job seeking prospects of migrants or not to learn. To wear the veil (niqab) to an MP's surgery and to a classroom or not to wear. To shake hands with the Chief Inspector of Police on a line of duty or not to shake; just to avoid male contact being a married Moslem woman.
Such opposing opinions are examples of differences that have almost set UK divided on Multiculturalism and Integration - with the Archbishop of York, the Ugandanborn John Sentamu, and the Commission for Racial Equality chairman, Trevor Philips, in favour of the latter. Below is a collection of views that Public Square gathered from Londoners.
'I strongly oppose to the idea of integration. Don't you think it takes away people's ethnic identity and will rob UK of a rich diversified society it has so far built for itself'.
Mrs Regina Karikari, 34
Librarian
Enfield town
'I think that to live in another country, you should give your loyalty to that country to uphold it's democratic values, to respect its rights and freedoms and to observe its laws'.
Cllr Sheila Peacock, 75
Civil Servant
Haringey Council
'Everyone has the right to exercise his religious beliefs and cultural practises no matter where one finds himself. So in my opinion, integration will suppress the rights of many in a civilised world. I still eat Kenyan foods on English soil. Some ways of life will change, others inevitably remain the same'.
Jonathan Kisilibi, 42
Nurse
Brixton
'UK should only call for integration if Britons want to live in a flat and boring place. We have to welcome all cultures except ones that are anti-social or against national development'.
Dale Simms, 25
Court Clerk
Vauxhall
'When you go to Roman, do what they do. For the sake of peace, I won't do anything that makes my fellow countrymen misunderstand me. It's not necessarily becoming English, but there're ways we can conduct ourselves to maintain good relationship in spite of the said differences.'
Bola 'Diji' Kamate, 30
Cook
Walthamstow
'Integration is the best thing for this country, but we have a long way to go, trust me. People have to be educated to understand the system of tolerance and the sense of belonging like it happens in the US.'
H. Roger 44
Plumber
Crouch End
Next topic for discussion: Cannabis, from class B to C. Should there be another revision?
To join the next discussion send your views with necessary details to
publicsq@yahoo.co.uk
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