Multiculturalism: The Struggle Against Racism

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As Asim Karim quotes Vertovec (2010) in his article “Multiculturalism”: there has emerged in public discourse across numerous settings- especially in Europe- a broad backlash against multiculturalism. From the political Right many critics now see multiculturalism as a foremost contributor to social breakdown, ethnic tension and the growth of extremism and terrorism (cited in Karim 126). Kymlicka and other theorists of multiculturalism have claimed that antidiscrimination law falls short of treating members of minority groups as equals; because states cannot be neutral with respect to culture. Yet we can find state support for some cultural groups over others in culturally diverse societies. As Jeremy Waldron (1995, 100) argues, “We live in …show more content…

[…] Manzoor is going down a rocky road. Those of us who came from former colonies to the UK first defined ourselves as ‘black’, presenting a united front as we entered the struggle against racism. Margaret Thatcher led the demonization of our communities; she claimed that we had swamped this country with an alien culture. The space of the struggle quickened, and successful Indians and Pakistanis demanded to be known as ‘brown’. They were saying to our detractors that they were closer to white people than to us darkies and therefore merited better treatment (Hower: …show more content…

Her inability to interact with the society creates social and cultural barriers. Though she has made some friends yet “she barely knew what lay beyond the neighborhood and didn’t know how to deal with the strangers; full of apprehension concerning the white race and uncomfortable with the white people of another sub continental or grouping’” (p.44). Kaukab feels embarrassed on the arrival of Jugnu’s white woman which highlights the superiority and inferiority complex between the Europeans and the non-Europeans (p.38-39). Nadeem Aslam has portrayed Kaukab an anti- modern woman who does not know the art of makeup which is common in the modern Britain society. After much labor when she is done with her makeup and a ten year old girl sees her and calls her ‘eunuch’ because she was not looking beautiful