Don't Call me Asian

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Don't Call me Asian

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tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 8:42 am Post subject: Don't Call me Asian
Radio 4 Tuesday 20:00 Don't Call me Asian Sarfraz Manzoor investigates how the notion of a single Asian community has finally been exploded by 9/11 and the subsequent War on Terror. Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus are increasingly facing different issues in today's Britain. But what dangers lurk when religion replaces race as a means of self-identification? [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 8:43 am Post subject:
The presenter of this programme was responsible for a 3 hour Channel 4 special last year which I was quite uncomfortable with, I'd be interested in peoples views if anyone listens.

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 8:46 am Post subject:
Remind me on Tuesday, I'm dubious about the idea that identifying yourself primarily by race is acceptable, which it seems to suggest.

jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 8:48 am Post subject:
Did any one see the C4 programme in the week "Do we hate Muslims" which had the basic premise that Islamaphobia was litte more that a convenient tool of the "race relations" industry? e.g. whilst there is some minimal evidence of an increase in anti-Islam bigotry, there is not a lot to it in reality. I found his arguments quite convincing. jema

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 8:48 am Post subject:
Downolad Thunderbird from Mozilla, and the calendar component, and put it in your reminders

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 8:48 am Post subject:
Actually it works with FireFox too.

jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 8:53 am Post subject: Re: Don't Call me Asian

tahir wrote:

But what dangers lurk when religion replaces race as a means of self-identification?

[Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

There is a question in itself, most "whites" I would concede probably did/do identify by race. Did "Asians" ever really do this? My very limited experience in a "Asian" community gave me the impression that the "community" was anything but united. You could not equate the Ugandian refugee running an off-licence with the Pakistani running the Halal butchers and so on and so on.

jema

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:08 am Post subject:

The divisions are SO great it's almost unbelievable, but then that's always been the story of India, castes and tribes everywhere, but there was also a unity that was only torn apart by the Independence movement in the 40's.

I'll just be interested in his portrayal of the different communities, in the channel 4 programme last year people from "our" community (Pakistani Punjabis) were portrayed as peasant farmers (which we were) who became talentless mill fodder that had done nothing to enrich the UK. A view that I'm appalled by, at our peak we employed almost 300 people directly in a culturally tolerant and broadly ethical business. I tried to contact him after the Channel 4 programme to find out why he held these views (he's from a Pakistani Punjabi background as far as I know).

jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:11 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Does he hold those views I wonder, or is that simply how it came across after what had been lost on the cutting room floor. Short TV programmes deal in such broad brush strokes that they can so easily end up making this sort of unintentional gaffe? I did not watch it, so I can only wonder.

jema

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:15 am Post subject:
You did watch it (I think) it was the three hour special on Asians in the UK on channel 4 last year.

jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28233
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:23 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

You did watch it (I think) it was the three hour special on Asians in the UK on channel 4 last year.

Of course I did, I did not see it as so crass, more the broad brush strokes. But then you always see more/differently if someone is talking about "you" or something you know. I have yet to see the portrayal on TV of I.T. or a game of chess that didn't leave me cringing!

jema

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Jan 09, 05 9:28 am Post subject:
It wasn't the crasness or the broad brush approach that wound me up, that's what is expected, it was the fact that it was THREE hours long and made by someone who should have known better.

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