The ESOL squeeze: No of migrants learning English
| Participation | Achievement | |
|---|---|---|
| 2010/2011 | 163,600 | 122,100 |
| 2011/2012 | 139,400 | 110,000 |
| 2012/2013 | 146,200 | 117,500 |
| 2013/2014 | 139,200 | 113,800 |
| 2014/2015 | 131,100 | 109,600 |
Mr Cameron concedes there is no “causal connection” between poor English and jihadism, but he chooses to highlight one anyway, arguing that language lessons will make Muslim communities “more resilient” to radicalisation.
These are just the kind of weasel words that informed Mr Sarkozy’s French “national identity” debate during his single term as president between 2007 and 2012. The notoriously reactionary politician joined with the far-Right Front National in portraying some five million Muslims as an enemy within. Never mind that only a tiny minority was drawn to extremist groups – the idea was that all had to be viewed as inarticulate aliens involved in anti-social activities, up to and including terrorism.
The centrepiece of the French anti-Muslim manifesto was the so-called burka ban: a highly publicised prohibition aimed at criminalising women who cover their faces in public. The objective was to use a few hundred full-veil wearers – mainly converts living on housing estates – to stigmatise all Muslims, no matter what their background.
Mr Cameron is also backing the banning of some veils to conveniently coincide with his counter-terrorism offensive. There is zero evidence that women’s fashion choices are linked to violence, but by again suggesting that they might be, the desired effect is achieved. (Mr Sarkozy once despairingly claimed that burkas could hide explosives – as if suicide bombers were unable to disguise devices with ordinary jackets or coats, which have never faced a ban).
The burka ban, combating poor English skills and a crackdown on gender segregation are all neatly mixed up with a wider security threat. This appeals to base instincts, and especially to those harbouring religious and racist bigotry. Thus, it is Sarkozy-style propaganda – rather than anything else more substantive – that attracts Mr Cameron.
The truth is that all kinds of behaviour can be considered menacing by those with an agenda, and that loaded government policy is seldom needed to sort out minor problems. A judge can easily ask a woman to remove her veil as a matter of respect, for example, without making a legal issue of it.
Similarly, eastern European Catholics from countries like Poland; Russian Orthodox oligarch families; and other Christians from places like Iraq and Lebanon are among a wide range of groups firmly settled in Britain who might struggle with the English language. British Muslims with poor linguistic skills need as much help as any of them, without being turned into hate figures.
Both Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy are ultimately PR operators – men who offer soundbites to express prejudices, creating tensions that might be turned into electoral advantage. So it was that Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, has accused Mr Cameron of a “clumsy and simplistic approach to challenging extremism” that “is unfairly stigmatising a whole community”.
"Radicalism is the result of extremist domestic politics, just as far more horror is the result of military offensives into the affairs of sovereign states"
The French establishment has a long and disturbing history of targeting Muslim citizens from its former colonies. Despite the secular nature of a society that is not meant to distinguish between races, creeds and colours, differences among the French are constantly highlighted for political purposes. In contrast, Britain’s tradition is of tolerance and respect. It does not tend to cynically blow up debates about how people lead their lives into something far more sinister.
As Mr Sarkozy found out when he was rejected from office,the result of his domestic policies was more radicalism, just as military offensives in the affairs of sovereign states led to more horrors.
In this sense Mr Cameron should be made aware that alienating and humiliating religious groups can be as dangerously irresponsible as trying to bomb your way to “freedom”.
Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/579309/s/4d00df72/sc/13/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cpolitics0Cdavid0Ecameron0C12110A0A470CDavid0ECameron0Emust0Enot0Efollow0EFrance0Eby0Ealienating0EMuslims0Bhtml/story01.htm