News

The Asian News marked the 10th anniversary of the Oldham riots earlier this year with a series of insightful articles around the disturbances. Happening before 9/11, those disturbances were to transform the way Britain viewed its Muslim communities, and also the way many Muslims viewed themselves.

As part of our ‘Multiculturalism fights back’ season we were pleased to be invited to hear the views of the US Government on the subject. In an illuminating speech at the John Adams Society Fall Lecture,  Stephen Boyer, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the US State Department, spoke about what multiculturalism means to him, his Government and why its is important both home and abroad.

I hope we see more of Boyer here in the UK speaking to our communities and our politicians.

Simon Woolley

At times the letter of the law can be a blunt instrument particularly when you are trying to win over hearts and minds. The furore over Emma West’s racist rant at Black people and Polish people is in danger of dividing society on racial grounds, not bringing them together.

Forbes Africa magazine has named Nigeria's Central Bank governor Mallam Lamido Sanusi as its Person of the year.

Sanusi was named in the number one position ahead of two Nobel prize Winners (President of Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, and Kenyan Wangari Maathai), a Mo Ibrahim Prize Winner (ex-President of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires), and Forbes richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

The coalition Government suffered their first Commons defeat last night at the end of a general debate on the economy.

Only 79 Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs turned up to vote as the Government lost a symbolic, but non-binding vote on Chancellor George Osborne's autumn statement.

MPs spent nearly six hours debating the state of the UK economy but normally, general debates usually end without a vote. But Labour whips forced one through, provoking the coalition's first defeat in the House, deciding they had not "considered the economy".

It is not only the cold winter weather which will be sending a chill up the spine today as a former Metropolitan Police chief fears there could be further unrest in Britain.

Former chief Lord Stevens yesterday predicted three years of rioting provoked by soaring youth unemployment. The cross-bench peer, who launched an independent report into policing for Labour, added that rising unemployment and crime rates was a real worry.

OBV's Director Simon Woolley argues that the X Factor is a racial barometer for equality in the UK.

I’m so pleased I was out of the country and missed Misha B being voted off the X Factor, which incidentally, I won’t be watching anytime soon.

Millions of public sector workers went on strike last Wednesday in response to the Government's austerity measures and pension reform.

The N30 Day of action was orchestrated by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and included workers from UNISON, the biggest public sector union.

OBV interns Arita Pecaka, Oksana Trofimenko and Danny Mucinskas travelled to Holborn where the strikers had gathered before their march in central London to hear from the protestors about why they chose to come to the events and how they felt about pension reform.

The National Theatre held a discussion on the identity of the modern Black and non-white voice in British theatre back in October, hosted by Paterson Joseph. On the panel was actor Asif Khan, the actress Ellen Thomas, and the actor and director Don Warrington. Together, they represented several generations of actors.

Muslim women in Britain don't always get positive coverage in the news.

But one pioneering organisation which has been attempting to motivate the Muslim community to get more active and involved is hoping to highlight positivity and progression.

The Muslim Women's Sports Foundation (MWSF) celebrated a decade of leading the way in encouraging, supporting and developing the involvement in physical activity of women from BME communities, particularly focusing on the cultural and religious sensitivities of Muslim women.