Defending multiculturalism

It has become very trendy to denounce multiculturalism in Europe. The political leaders of three major European countries have one by one denounced multiculturalism as a failure.

Last year the German chancellor Angela Merkel announced the multicultural approach, which let different cultures exist side by side, had failed and said German society should compel immigrants to integrate fully.

Early this year British Prime Minister David Cameron said the state multiculturalism failed since it encouraged separatism and extremism in society, allowing people to have different cultures and lead separate lives. He told UK needed stronger national unity and identity, and "a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism" in order to stop people turning to extremism.

Unsurprisingly, French President Nicolas Sarkozy followed suit; joined Cameron and Merkel in condemning multiculturalism as a failure in France.

Conservative European leaders usually claim that multiculturalism doesn't work since Muslim minorities in their countries can't integrate. In such an environment, anti-multiculturalism and Islamophobia fuel the actions and campaigns of far-right groups and movements.

For instance, in July this year far-right terrorist Anders Breivik, who blamed the Norwegian Labour Party for multiculturalism and Muslim immigration, killed almost 70 teenage members of the party. Islamophobic English Defense League, a far-right racist movement has been campaigning and organizing rallies across UK against the so-called Islamic threat.

In response to these hostile political comments against multiculturalism; Islamophobia and institutional racism in Europe and in all other western countries, social justice activists in the UK recently launched a campaign to defend multiculturalism.

Hassan Mahamdallie, editor of the book "Defending Multiculturalism: A Guide For The Movement", says multiculturalism became a contested and controversial concept among the left in the UK when it first appeared during the anti-racist movements in the 1980s. But it was still welcome since it acknowledged cultural diversity, a challenge to the superiority and monopoly of British culture and institutionally racist state.

Today the anti-racist left in the UK unites to defend multiculturalism in response to the "voices over the past decade declaring that multiculturalism has 'gone too far', has 'failed', that it represents an unacceptable 'relativism' that undermines 'Western values' and so on".

In Australia, John Howard government had a long battle against multiculturalism and cultural diversity; and eventually removed the name 'Multiculturalism' from the Department of Immigration. Howard still believes that differences can be divisive and Australians should emphasize "the common characteristics of the Australian identity" and their "unifying points" rather than differences.

Since the last national policy on multiculturalism expired in 2006 under the Howard government, last year the Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia launched a campaign to reclaim multiculturalism. Over 100 key organisations and individuals across Australia signed "Reclaim Multiculturalism" statement that called for the current Labor government to reinstate multiculturalism as a national policy.

In February this year the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen launched the new multicultural policy 'People of Australia' to show the government's commitment to a multicultural Australia. The Department also set up the new Australian Multicultural Council to advise the government on multicultural affairs. The government will also establish a National Anti-Racism Partnership to provide an anti-racism strategy to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

The government now also officially acknowledges Islam as part of the religious diversity in Australia. In his recent lecture on Australian government's approaches to Islam at the University of Western Australia, Andrew Metcalfe, the secretary of Department of Immigration and Citizenship, points out that "the government is committed to protecting the rights of all people to express and practise their religion without intimidation, interference or harassment, as long as those practices comply with Australian law. "

Metcalfe identifies Jihadist terrorism still as "the most immediate threat to Australia" but also acknowledges the existence of "a small subculture of racist and nationalist extremists" with anti-Muslim views. And pointing to the Cronulla riots, he says "the government does not tolerate any racism or prejudice".

The secretary acknowledges that Islam has been linked to terrorism and the oppression of women globally; and that in Australia Muslims might face marginalization and alienation due to their religious identity. In particular in relation to the burka, which has often become the focus of Australian public debates, he concludes that "while some Australians find the burka confronting, banning the burka or any other form of religious dress in Australia would be inconsistent with our principles and traditions of religious freedom and tolerance."

The new national multicultural policy is a historical progressive step. But it is incomplete unless Australian society requires politicians and media commentators, who have the power to influence public opinion, not to stigmatise whole communities and spread hostility against them by distorting truth in the name of free speech. And the law should hold such people accountable for any inflammatory speech.

Although now the new multicultural policy aims to officially celebrate cultural diversity again and promote acceptance of differences in Australia,

in Europe multiculturalism and cultural diversity are still considered divisive approaches that can lead to separatism in society.

Tariq Madood, a well-known scholar on multiculturalism who is involved in the Defending Multiculturalism campaign in the UK, says multiculturalism is not "all about emphasizing difference and separatism. In fact it's about creating a new, ongoing 'We' out of all the little, medium-sized and large platoons that make up the country."

But in the face of increasing economic insecurity and social unrest, it seems conservative political leaders in Europe will keep making multiculturalism and Muslim minorities scapegoats for a long time.