Britain can no longer hide from the “uncomfortable truth” of ethnic segregation after a major new study found that public institutions sometimes condone “regressive, divisive and harmful cultural and religious practices” for fear of being branded racist.
Dame Louise Casey’s year-long study, which was commissioned by former prime minister David Cameron found divisions within communities is growing in some places.
Casey said: “We can no longer duck difficult issues.” Public bodies were accused of going “too far to accommodate diversity and freedom of expression”.
The report also said immigrants should have to take an “oath of integration” and schoolchildren should be taught “British values” to help bring communities together.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, Casey said pockets were developing in the UK in places such as Oldham and Bradford where one ethnic group or religion is dominant.
“We cannot hide away from an uncomfortable truth and one of those uncomfortable truths is that some religions.. are pulling away and I think in some ways we are pushing some people in the Muslim community away,” Casey said.
The author of the report said she had visited communities where women who have lived in the UK for years are not allowed out of their house without a man’s permission. [The Huffington Post UK] Read more
