Tuesday, February 17, 2015
By Lindsay Johns for the Daily Mail
Updated: 15:20 GMT, 2 March 2012
Thought provoking: Jens, a 71-year-old retired policeman, was just one person to take part in Channel 4's Make Bradford British
Shift: What is undeniable is that, as populations change and demographics shift, the sense of Britishness, just like language, will evolve too
Updated: 15:20 GMT, 2 March 2012
Britishness is such an amorphous and unfairly maligned yet timely and emotive concept that I am very glad Channel 4 decided to tackle it last night in their compelling two part 'social engineering experiment' documentary Make Bradford British.
The premise was reassuringly simple: pick one of the most racially divided cities in Britain and see if eight people from different races, religions and backgrounds can live harmoniously under the same roof for four days, and in so doing, find out what it means to be truly British in the 21st century.
Those selected were drawn from an alarmingly high number of people from all walks of life who had failed the UK citizenship test. The willing guinea pigs for this social experiment were a motley crew of white and black Brits and second generation Asians – a veritable 'Benetton ad' panoply of hues, hairstyles and hijabs, not to mention convictions and latent prejudices. All resolved to be themselves, and in so doing, to provide televisual gold for the viewers at home.
Thought provoking: Jens, a 71-year-old retired policeman, was just one person to take part in Channel 4's Make Bradford British There was Jens, a 71-year-old retired policeman; Rashid, an Asian former rugby league player and devout Muslim who insisted on praying five times a day at the local mosque; Audrey, a mixed-race publican who admitted to using the word 'paki' in the company of her white customers; Des, a black Bradfordian, complete with mohawk and a degree of self-loathing (who Fanon would have had a field day with); Dean, a 24-year-old white, sheet-metal worker; Moira, a very tolerant, white, retired justice of the peace; and Mohammed and Sadeeq, two British Asian Muslims of varying degrees of tolerance.
From the outset, Make Bradford British was shocking, humbling and depressing in equal measure and will have undoubtedly provided many a water cooler moment for today’s office workers up and down the country.
Hopefully it will also act as a much-needed catalyst for debate and discussion about this important topic, as what constitutes Britishness and the willingness of those who come to these shores in search of a better life to assimilate certainly does need flagging up.
I readily admit that, as a staunch opponent of linguistic pluralism and as a zealous proponent of the need for all immigrants to learn English, I squirmed uneasily in my seat as the consciously provocative subtitles in Bengali or Urdu (or whichever Asian language it was – forgive my ignorance) which accompanied the programme’s title sequence were displayed on the screen. It was so Channel 4, but my hackles were immediately raised.
There were admirable moments of genuine pathos, notably when Des, a Bradfordian with a tormented sense of his own Black British identity, talked very movingly of the heinous racism he had experienced at the hands of his white 'friends' and colleagues. Equally excruciating was Jens’ blithe, almost casual racism when he admitted in a drunken confession that he genuinely saw nothing wrong in using the term 'paki-bashing' and referred to Des as a 'black b*****d' in what he thought was a jocular tone of voice.
This from a retired policeman and pillar of the community, who should have known better!
I am not usually easily offended by racially insensitive language (although I personally hate the term half-caste – what am I – a breed of dog?) but Jens’ utterly uncalled for recourse to such obnoxious racial epithets had me both dumbfounded and repulsed, bringing home the true power of language to hurt, wound and indelibly scar.
'Paki' is a disgusting and demeaning racial epithet which should have no place in the vocabulary of a civilized man or woman. Ditto 'coon', 'wog' and 'nigger'.
On balance, Make Bradford British is a timely, necessary and courageous documentary. David Cameron’s remarks last year on the spectacular failure of multiculturalism as a social policy have made us at last question the correct approach to assimilation and what successful integration into the fabric of British social life actually means.
There is too, most certainly, a need to define what it means to be British, as Britishness and a 'visibly British' way of life are, in some parts of the country at least, seemingly under attack.
Despite its manifold faults and failings, there is without doubt much to be proud of in a nation which has bequeathed a colossal amount of beneficial and life-enhancing material, be it institutions, values and outlooks, to the world and to humanity at large.
I am not blind to its colonial record in India, Africa or the Caribbean, nor seek to condone much of the incredibly louche and ignoble behaviour from that epoch which makes me ashamed to be British, but today, Britain has a lot going for it and there are many great things about this country, its people and its way of life which are source of real pride to millions.
Yet if we as a nation don’t wake up and see that what it means to be British is (for the most part) resolutely worth preserving, we are in grave danger of watching a once great cultural signifier disappear before our eyes. And, what’s worse, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
Shift: What is undeniable is that, as populations change and demographics shift, the sense of Britishness, just like language, will evolve too Thankfully, being British is no longer about the colour of one’s skin. Much to mine and the delight of millions of other brown and black Britons, (despite the odd neanderthal bigot still scraping his knuckles along the floor) we have successfully surmounted that hurdle. To be proud of one’s Britishness and proud of one’s skin colour are thankfully no longer mutually exclusive. I am very proud of my Coloured Cape Townian heritage and my light brown skin, but am equally proud of the fact that I am British.
The insight into the desire for segregation the programme afforded was startling. As a committed humanist, the increasing swathes of self-segregation we are now seeing in certain parts of the UK is utterly depressing and anathema to me.
'I would hate to live in a racial ghetto with only my colour of people around me. I have absolutely no desire to live in a neighbourhood conspicuously devoid of the rainbow coalition of humanity.'
I would hate to live in a racial ghetto with only my colour of people around me. I have absolutely no desire to live in a neighbourhood conspicuously devoid of the rainbow coalition of humanity which any sane person knows is the future of the world. Every race and every hue has a place in my Republic.
It was observed by one of the participants that one of the quintessentially British virtues is tolerance, and that we should be intolerant of intolerance. I wholly agree. And yet, it seems to me, on watching the programme, tolerance and extremist Islamic intransigence are not easy bedfellows. I am sure there are many things us Brits can learn from moderate Islam. As a teetotaller, I’m sure the Muslim virtue of moderation with regard to alcohol is one of them.
But as much of a fan of tolerance as I am, I cannot help but think that our munificent tolerance as a nation will soon (if it hasn’t already) contribute to our undoing and subsequent downfall. Would I for one wish to live in a country where minarets threatened to dominate Oxford’s Dreaming Spires skyline? Probably not.
Despite being an atheist, I am highly conscious of the fact that this country possesses a strong and venerable Judeo-Christian heritage dating back over a thousand years and Christian cultural values and traditions to accompany it.
Audrey, a mixed-race publican who admitted using the word 'paki' in the company of her white customers, left, and Maura, right, a white, retired justice of the peace, also took part in Make Bradford BritishFor better or for worse, that is the culture of this land. To attempt to assert otherwise is lunacy pure and simple. To attempt to change it is equally misguided. Those who come to these shores should endeavour to be inherently respectful of the host culture, not look to ride rough shod over it, flout it and take a massively disrespectful advantage of its innate tolerance.
Watching Make Bradford British made me also examine my own prejudices. Even though I am sure it tastes the same, I am someone who bristles with a slight indignation at the thought of my local KFC only serving halal chicken. I do not fault the franchise’s business acumen – it is impeccable, given the area’s overwhelming demographic - but culturally there is something not quite right for me about it. After much (hopefully) lucid introspection, I have decided that, however harmless it is, as a non-Muslim I actually resent being made to forcibly adopt a Muslim culinary practice in what is an overwhelmingly non-Muslim country.
What is undeniable is that, as populations change and demographics shift, the sense of Britishness, just like language, will evolve too. It is chastening to think that maybe in fifty years time, Urdu, minarets, Ramadan and Friday prayers will all be integral components of what it means to be British for many young people in this country. Maybe for many British Asians (and Africans and white Brits) up and down the country today, they already are. But that doesn’t mean that certain older values and traditions aren’t worth conserving.
'What is undeniable is that, as populations change and demographics shift, the sense of Britishness, just like language, will evolve too.'
A sense of Britishness can only be tangibly diluted if people with very different cultural and religious outlooks settle here and refuse to assimilate, or are allowed (nay encouraged) to refuse to assimilate. We must make sure that we do not willingly step aside and allow our nation’s long established cultural traditions, mores and values (of no inconsiderable merit, I might hasten to add) to be flagrantly derided, abused and forsaken in front of our very eyes.
For me, the best of what it means to be British is certainly worth conserving and preserving for future generations. I am only British by an accident of birth. I had no say in the matter whatsoever, but I am very grateful for the plethora of educational and social opportunities this country has given me. Even though in many respects nothing could be further from my life, I ardently admire the quintessentially British virtues on display in Terence Rattigan’s plays and in the war films of the 1950s – the politeness, the restraint, the stiff upper lip courage.
Divest that of all racial bigotry, throw in a hearty fry up breakfast and the language of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens and, hey presto, that’s my ideal kind of Britishness.
As a humanist, and one fully aware of our species’ fragility and crushing cosmic insignificance, the cultural vagaries of a miniscule number of inhabitants on a small island in one corner of one planet in the solar system, when viewed sub specie aeternitatis, suddenly become churlish and ultimately inconsequential.
But on a microcosmic level, Britishness and cultural identity do matter. Adopting the values, customs and most importantly the language of the host nation is of vital importance for successful community cohesion and the well-being of all parties concerned. Linguistic pluralism chronically undermines and effectively debases a shared, cohesive national identity.
The quickest conduit to successful assimilation is linguistic. Likewise, the quickest way to engender resentment is also linguistic.
It is self-evident that education breaks down prejudice. Hopefully Make Bradford British will result in all parties involved (and the viewers at home too, including myself) learning from the valuable cultural and religious exchange on offer and that this will subsequently directly contribute to increased racial, religious and social harmony on the streets of not just Bradford, but cities the length and breadth of the UK.
Men and women of this sceptred, green and pleasant isle; those newly arrived and those not so newly arrived, white, black and brown, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Sikh, Hindu and atheist - you all have a valuable part to play in Britain’s present and future.
You all belong here, as you are here now. But please make every possible effort to assimilate into the established social fabric of this august country, respect its venerable cultural traditions and contribute positively to its sense of Britishness. With your respective help, maybe we can all make Britain great again.
Part Two of Make Bradford British is on C4 next Thursday March 8 at 9pm.
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