… “we must not merely regard black and minority ethnic people as ‘deserving’ respect and inclusion, but reject racism as the sin of exclusion, disrespect and ‘segregation’, by grasping and cherishing the fact that all God’s children inherently share in the dignity of the Being of God.”
Rev. Arlington Trotmann, Churches Commission on Racial Justice speaking at the All Ireland Churches’ Consulatative Meeting on Racism (AICCMR) conference, Challenged by Difference: Threat or Enrichment, at Dromantine, November 2005.
Northern Ireland has been labelled the race hate capital of Europe and we have a rising tide of hate crime against people from minority ethnic groups and migrant workers.
In 2004-05 a total of 813 racial incidents were recorded in Northern Ireland. Of the 634 recorded racist offences there was 1 murder, 187 woundings and assaults, 61 cases of intimidation and harassment, and 322 criminal damage offences. The clearance rate was 15.9%. Unfortunately these figures rose in 2005-06 to 936 overall. While there were no murders, there were 238 woundings or assaults and 351 incidents of criminal damage. The clearance rate rose to 20.5%. Source www.psni.police.uk
We are all aware of the physical and verbal racial attacks. However, more subtle forms of racial discrimination, indifference and overlooking can exist throughout people’s lives, in contacts with official bodies, in the schoolroom, job hunting and the workplace, medical and housing services, and socially.
‘People threaten you saying they are UVF/UDA and may be or not, they tell you that they see you as “Indian” and think you don’t know the difference’.
A member of the Bangladeshi community quoted in 30 Years Seen but Not Heard
‘Local people who want to do something for ethnic minorities tend to want to group them all together. … Being put together with other ethnic groups can make us feel vulnerable unless we have enough support’.
Julie Chiang Li of the Belfast Chinese Christian Church quoted in lion & lamb: racism and religious liberty, Autumn 2004.
School
‘’When my eldest first went to school he encountered some problems. He is quite dark and other little boys told him that his hands were very dirty. They were P1 children too young to know any better. The principal took action’.
A mother from a minority ethnic community group quoted in Fermanagh: Other Voices
The health service
A family did not know their 6-year old child was dying until the day he died because an interpreter was not offered to them.
‘I have had to interpret for my wife, it was very serious, goodness knows what would have happened it I had not been there’.
2 examples from the Bangladeshi community quoted in 30 Years Seen but Not Heard
Workplace
‘Sometimes people will talk the bad language. Maybe call you Chinkie and maybe ‘go back to your country’ just like that you know. Some…will not be friendly you know, But most people is quite nice’.
A Chinese woman restaurant worker quoted in Into the Light.
Officials
‘They assume you are employed illegally’.
A member of the Bangladeshi community, complaining about heavy-handed raids
on restaurants. Quoted in 30 Years Seen but Not Heard
Politics
‘Everyone wanted you to take sides’…’people should not expect you to be involved in their fight’.
Extract from an interviewee quoted in an ICCM briefing for Church Leaders.
Links with Sectarianism
‘ “Because I have darker skin”, says Marizete, “people think I am Portuguese and therefore assume I am a Catholic.” For this reason she avoids some parts of town.’
From an interview with a Brazilian Baptist pastor’s wife, Marizete Lara living in Dungannon, in lion & lamb: racism and religious liberty, Autumn 2004.
Subtle Racism
Stereotyping: People are asked questions such as: ‘Are you a mail order bride?’
Patronising: ‘It really annoys me when people ask me “where did you learn English?” People take it for granted that I don’t know many things and that in general Asian people don’t know many things.’
Women from a minority ethnic community group quoted in Fermanagh: Other Voices
Church
‘The local minister…provided tins of food and spoons to our home but did not invite us to his church. They [the Church] were saying we were poor. I was insulted. Would the same thing have happened if a white person moved into the area?’
An African woman quoted in an ICCM briefing for Church Leaders.
‘Being a foreigner in this land has not been easy because people take you as a leper…We have once sat in the church…we smiled as we sat down, but there was nothing in response. They shifted and moved to keep space and distance between us so much that it became embarrassing. …Was this just? Everywhere we go, it brings home the fact that once you have coloured skin you are regarded as scum and a refugee who has come to take…take…take…’
Yvonne Mefor in Inter-Cultural Insights: Christian Reflections on Racism, Hospitality and Identity from the Island of Ireland
‘I am from a rejected people. As a member of the Traveller Community neither society, nor the church knows me. And in not knowing me they fear and at times despise me. I am so tired of the rejection and ignorance. I too am much in need of the water from the well. I crave the life giving water that is life from God. … My hope is to be filled with the spirit of love or I will be lost to the continuous hurt I experience as a Traveller person.
Cathleen McDonagh reflecting on John 4:5-15 in Intercultural Insights
Psychiatrist, Raj Persaud, Independent, 29 January 2005
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have appointed Minority Liaison Officers in each area to respond to the increase in racial incidents and have published Hate Crime, Racial Incidents: Protecting your Rights [pdf]
Scientists have increasingly questioned the concept of ‘race’, despite its popular usage in the public discourse. It is convincingly argued that the difference between different people groups to which ‘race’ refers accounts approximately for only 5%, whilst the differences which occur within people groups, is reckoned to be approximately 85%. (See Stephen Cohen on Ethnicity, Class and Immigration) A question posed by Rev. Arlington Trotmann Churches Commission on Racial Justice speaking at the All Ireland Churches’ Consulatative Meeting on Racism (AICCMR) conference, Challenged by Difference: Threat or Enrichment at Dromantine, November 2005.
Consider undertaking race or ethnicity awareness training.
If you can get a local group together, the Irish School of Ecumenics, in Belfast, Learning Together: Education for Reconciliation Programme, may be able to design a course for you, based on biblical insights. For more information contact cenisec@tcd.ie They have also organised courses on hate crimes, including racism, and restorative justice.
Yvonne Naylor has developed resources for young people and these can be freely accessed on a number of websites including that of Corrymeela, www.corrymeela.org under ‘Free resources’. They can also be found at www.puppetwoman.org .
There are courses on ethnicity/diversity awareness and anti-racism available from groups such as the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM), the Multi-Cultural Resource Centre, the Chinese Welfare Association and the Ulster Peoples’ College. Ask your District Council if there are any courses available locally.
Look at Christian Welcome for ways in which we can make our local communities more welcoming and counteract racism. Let us know about racist incidents and positive actions in your local community.
In reality the word ‘ethnic’ refers to all people because all people have ethnicity. In other words, each person belongs to a people group: Asian, white, black, all have a particular heritage. In order to be careful not to reinforce exactly what we are trying to defeat - racism and discrimination - African, African Caribbean, mixed heritage and Asian peoples in Britain are understood as minorities, simply in terms of numbers. White people in Britain are the majority. Whilst people prefer self-definition, ‘minority ethnic’, with the emphasis on ‘minority’ respects those minority identities because it emphasises ‘minority, rather than ‘ethnicity’. To emphasize ethnicity is to deny it to white people, and to use it negatively to segregate minority ethnicities from white ethnicities.
Consequently, even though it is widely used, ‘ethnic minority’ should be avoided as it places the emphasis wrongly on the ethnicity of African, African Caribbean, and Asian and mixed heritage people as the only ones that possess ethnicity. As such ‘ethnic minority’, for all intents and purposes means someone that is marginalized, excluded and unwanted in society, because those terms have attracted grossly negative connotations for minority ethnic groups in Britain.
‘Ethnic group’, ‘ethnic community’, ‘the ethnics’ ‘ethnic minorities’, ‘ethnic people’ as references to minorities in Britain are all linguistically incorrect, socially offensive, and do nothing to help our case against racism and racial discrimination.
Rev. Arlington Trotmann Churches Commission on Racial Justice speaking at the All Ireland Churches’ Consultative Meeting on Racism (AICCMR) conference, Challenged by Difference: Threat or Enrichment at Dromantine, November 2005.
Some interested groups:
- Chinese Welfare Association
- Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
- Labour Relations Agency
- Law Centre NI
- Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM)
- Northern Ireland Citizens Advice Bureaux (NIACAB)
- Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
- Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) 0800 555 111
- Victim Support
Important resource:
Seeking Advice and Redress Against Racism in Northern Ireland [pdf] An Information Handbook, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and National Consultative Committee on Racism & Interculturalism, March 2005 (This booklet also contains Seeking Advice and Redress Against Racism in Ireland for people in the Republic of Ireland.) This document is also available at: www.equalityni.org and www.nccri.ie
Policy:
A Racial Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland 2005-10 [pdf] OFMDFM This document and other useful research texts on racism and racial equality can be found on the OFMDFM website www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/race
Sources:
Daniel Holder, Rozana Huq and Loaunne Martin, 30 Years Seen But Not Heard; a Listening Session with the Bangladeshi (Sylheti) Community in Northern Ireland, MCRC, Belfast, 2001.
Into the Light, Conference Report, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Belfast, 1999.
Scott Boldt ed., Inter-Cultural Insights: Christian Reflections on Racism, Hospitality and Identity from the Island of Ireland, All Ireland Churches’ Consultative Meeting on Racism, Belfast 2007
Lion & Lamb, Racism and Religious Liberty, No 37 Autumn 2004.