The main challenge facing the CRE

By Dr Ismail Jalili, FRCS, FRCOphth


What approach should the CRE adopt to meet the challenge? 

We are facing increasing challenges, increased xenophobia, escalating religious extremism and inter-ethnic racial tensions in this demographically-mixed dynamic society.

For the proposals put forward in the CRE’s (Commission for Racial Equality) Corporate Plan to be effective, I believe that the single most important challenge is for the CRE to regain the credibility and trust of all sectors of British society, both the indigenous and the ethnic minority communities.

The CRE in the past few years is perceived to have distanced itself from many recent new comers to the UK, effectively categorizing communities into a rigid faith context. This has, I believe, ignored the fact that many of these communities are socially and culturally diverse. It has thus marginalized the very ethnic groups who seek to base their new lives on those aspects which attracted them to Britain, such as freedom of speech, religious tolerance, democratic due process etc. Thus both the trust of, and valuable input from these communities have been lost.  

It can be argued that this alienation has helped the rise in religious extremism; why should a discontented person or community resort to moderate secular organisations when all the attention and importance is seen to be given to increasingly powerful and well-funded religious organisations?   

The ethnic conflict in Britain is no longer Black and White; it is a spectrum of colours and shades, cultures and beliefs; more recently exemplified by new waves of immigration from eastern Europe.

 I believe that the CRE have got it about right in its aims of participation and interaction, particularly in seeking to build up an integrated society.  

Recognizing the goal of stronger legitimate representation and an independent voice for the various ethnic minority communities is a step in the right direction to rectify some of the existing pitfalls. This should go hand-in-hand with combating the abuse of the democratic process by all extremist groups.  Promoting more positive media images away from the negative stereotyping would be a welcome addition and would enhance the image of the CRE bringing it closer to many of its stakeholders.

All this should be in an atmosphere of trust, transparency and good communications, that should extend through to the CEHR (Commission on Equality & Human Rights), which is a welcome initiative.  It is vital for the CRE to appear to open up to all sectors of society and to dispel any perceived rigidity and inflexibility. It is important for the CRE to be a creative and innovative body; that is to say a conduit for objective advice to the government of the day, away from rigid dogma and able to react effectively and quickly to a changing world.  Fairness and justice is the key to racial harmony and the CRE should not distance itself from this very fact.  We all have an obligation to Britain and no group has a monopoly more than any other.

I sincerely hope my views are taken in the well-meaning and constructive spirit that they are offered in and which are meant to reflect the new CRE as the listening voice of all of Britain’s communities for a harmonious and well integrated Britain where all groups feel that they are secure within a culturally mixed but vibrant whole.

Dr Ismail Jalili