Category Archives: Multiculturalism

Definitions and ideology

Chimanmanda Adichie’s Single Story

Posted on 1 September 2010 by Robert

“I have always felt that it is impossible to engage properly with a place or a person, without engaging with all the stories of that place and that person. ” Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Books, Multiculturalism | Leave a comment

Defending the Cordoba Mosque

Posted on 10 August 2010 by Robert

Over in New York, an argument is blazing over the Cordoba Initiative, an Islamic cultural and community centre planned for downtown New York.  Shrill critics have labelled it the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ and called for the project to be cancelled, … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Multiculturalism, Religion, USA | 12 Comments

WOMAD and Multiculturalism

Posted on 29 July 2010 by Robert

One of the highlights of WOMAD last weekend was watching a comeback performance by the Afro-Celt Sound System, who rocked the tent on Sunday evening with a tight blend of two cultures. The undoubted crowd-pleaser was a three-way drum duel … Continue reading →

Posted in Diary, Multiculturalism, Music | 1 Comment

Trouble Looming over Burqa Ban

Posted on 14 July 2010 by Robert

So, French MPs have voted to ban the burka. We know where this story will go next.  Somewhere in France, a woman will engage in a piece of civil disobediance and enter a public space wearing her veil.  She will … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Multiculturalism | Leave a comment

Multiculturalism Notebook

Posted on 20 June 2010 by Robert

The World Cup and European Cup can both be relied upon to kick-start debates about national identity. All the flags of St George we see about still conjure memories of sinister appropriation by far-right groups, and national identity is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Multiculturalism | 7 Comments

The World Cup is Not Xenophobic

Posted on 13 June 2010 by Robert

We’re only three days into the World Cup, and already I’m tired of the drone. I speak not of the Vuzuvelas, but of the naysayers who dismiss the World Cup as being somehow xenophobic. Continue reading →

Posted in Multiculturalism, Sport | 29 Comments

Speech to the Society of Young Publishers

Posted on 29 March 2010 by Robert

Publishing as a faith. Continue reading →

Posted in Diary, Human Rights, Literature, Multiculturalism | 3 Comments

Elsewhere, on Offence

Posted on 27 March 2010 by Robert

In The Independent, Michael Coveney discusses theatre that offends, and what to do about it. There is a quote from yrstrly too: Freedom of speech carries with it a freedom to insult; otherwise, as Tom Stoppard says, it’s not a … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Multiculturalism, Religion, Theatre | Leave a comment

Wootton Bassett

Posted on 5 January 2010 by Robert

The greatest tribute to our soldiers, living and fallen, would be to maintain our principles consistently at home and abroad: This means allowing the Islam4UK march. Continue reading →

Posted in Debate, Human Rights, Liberal Conspiracy, Middle East, Multiculturalism, Religion, UK | 11 Comments

A True Born Englishman?

Posted on 11 November 2009 by Robert

Overall, my impression was that the other pannelists collectively agreed to discredit Griffin with ad hominems, rather than engage with, and demolish his arguments. What they needed was some poetry. Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Multiculturalism, Music, Politics, UK | Leave a comment