Is this racism?

Tue, 2010-12-07 18:36 — Communist (not verified)

Mehdi, you've really picked up on this incident. Yes, I think any reasonable person is aware of the continued existence of racism. But then we have effectively pushed it into a corner... not exactly eradicated it. I don't no if the complete elimination of such prejudices is a possibility but we can get close. I think that scares of "censorship" and "political correctness" that are fed to the populace of middle england by the far right media are setting us back though. This incident is just abhorrent and there was obvious racism involved.

Fri, 2010-12-17 17:22 — EnragedBrit (not verified)

My cracker mother lived in NY for 30 years. And so,yes I've been to New York a few times. Got loads of cracker relatives there - all absolutely Christmas crackers, of course, (you dumb racist git!)
And no, I'm not making things up, that's what you naggers do, isn't it? You know, make ridiculous claims that Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Greeks were negroes.
The problem with the cabs was actually highlighted on a TV documentary I saw a few years back. Are you trying to deny that blacks ( here and in the USA)commit far more crimes per head of population than any other ethnic group? If so, you're onto a loser!
Even Jesse Jackson said that if he hears footsteps behind him and turns to find it is a white man, he heaves a sigh of relief! Is Jesse jackson a racist or is he just displaying common sense - like the Pizza Hut people?

Tue, 2010-12-14 17:06 — EnragedBrit (not verified)

In New York, even black taxi drivers will not pick up black youths. Now, why would that be? Racism? Or a case of one bitten, twice shy?

Wed, 2010-12-29 16:06 — Hugh Markey (not verified)

Why aren't the Coal Guv marketing the '11 Plus'? Preetee clear. These Oxbo types know the facts. Forget about scam IQ tests dreamt up by Burt. Think of all those dedicated voters whose progeny ousted by more competitive ( that is the word ) pupils failed to get into grammar school. Just as Herr Hitler's party attracted embittered 'failures', the BNP would exert too powerful a magnetic field for U K aspirational and defeated superhumans to escape its attraction.
Preppie

Fri, 2010-12-10 18:10 — Geraint (not verified)

Yes it is racist. The truly sad thing however, is that if these men were not professional footballers, would it have even made it into the news?

Tue, 2010-12-07 19:09 — Fruininut

Its about time black people were faced with the truth... they are not the paragon of virtue and good behaviour that they insist is their natural state... they have hidden their sins in the colour of their skin... God judges the heart and the heart of the blacks is black.

ps do any black people know whats going on in Africa,I mean do they know how racist Mugabe is,or have they heard of the Congo. !

Thu, 2010-12-09 13:47 — Jamie1

The Oxbridge institutions aren't necessarily racist, but the people in the shitty jobs at the institution, such as hall security monitors! I'd hardly go to the local with the nametag at an institution for the social consensus. :P

Tue, 2010-12-07 19:20 — Mr. S

Ah Dillon, I was waiting to see how long it would take for a Daily Mail reading arsehole would show up.

Tue, 2010-12-07 19:26 — dillon (not verified)

@esmeraldo1903..http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/yasmin-alibhai-brown/yasmin-alibhaibrown-asian-men-white-women-and-a-taboo-that-must-be-broken-2146251.html.....no daily mail right wing comment here sunshine..

Tue, 2010-12-07 19:36 — swatantra

We're more concerned about the racism and treatment of BAME people on the streets in London and Essex than in Africa or India, because thats what affects us directly, and quite rightly so. We've got enough on our plate without having the extra worry about Zimbabwe and the Congo. And we're also worried about Oxbridge too and opportunities for our youngsters.

Tue, 2010-12-07 19:40 — Orland (not verified)

Just in case it hasn't been pointed out enough Lammy's article was very misleading and on occasion factually inaccurate. You reference is Freedom of Information request. He didn't need to make one, Oxford publish those figures annually - they have been available since March.

Sun, 2010-12-12 05:24 — JULIAN RIDLEY (not verified)

I AM SORRY THE BLACK AFRICAN EXPERIENCE IS UNIQUE. I NOTICE A LOT OF PRETTY TALK WHICH TRIES TO REPRESENT A VOICE OF REASON. FACE IT THERE IS A GLASS CEILING IN UK SOCIETY WHICH WHILE OSTENSIBLY NOT THERE AFFECTS BLACK AFRICANS EVERY DAY. MR HASSAN IS TRYING HIS BEST, ALL YOU APOLOGISTS.... GET OVER.

Sat, 2010-12-18 10:06 — Mireille Pouget (not verified)

You are right, white people cannot understand the drip drip effect of everyday racism; I am white, and although I understand it intellectually I do not have to face it everyday and feel it in people's stares, through snide comments etc...But I know my non white friends did. I lived in the UK for 30+ years, worked for a long time in the area of Equal Opps. with mature students and worked all my life to do my bit to deconstruct prejudices and the root of discriminations. I moved back to France 4 years ago, and I am astounded at the level of racist feelings and overt declarations against mainly Arab people, and Muslims in particular. It is such an explicit, institutional racism, coming right from the top of the tree, the President, the Home Minister (recently fined twice symbolically for racist comments!). Of course there is racism in the UK, but it at least there has been legislation since the mid seventies, and there has been some soul searching, such as the Lawrence enquiry. Here in France this would be unthinkable; the latest debacle which called itself a national debate on national identity was shameful for a 'civilised' country, and yet all in the name of the famous Republican ideal of equality.
I think it would be really interesting to do a comparative analysis of the two approaches: the Anglo-saxon take on equality and discrimination, and the French style Republican approach. At least the UK does not claim to be a paragon of virtue in the equality stakes, while France always gloats about its revolutionary and Republican tradition - and is stuck in its historical groove. It literally can make you sick!

Tue, 2010-12-07 21:46 — triedeinsursE

This is similar to being asked. Why are there so many black Americans on death row? It’s because it’s black Americans doing most of the murders. If the manager of that franchise in the UK were asked, why did you make the black people pay up front. Chances are he may have given a similar answer regards non paying runners.

Tue, 2010-12-07 21:54 — M Pearle (not verified)

***rather disturbing to see that Oxbridge colleges have failed miserably***

How so? Psychometric data accurately predicts that East Asian and Ashkenazi jewish students should be overrepresented at elite colleges & that is what is seen in most countries.

A slight different in average can lead to a big difference at the extremes. For instance, there is significant overlap between different population distributions. That is, Swedes might be taller than Vietnamese on average, but the range of heights within each group is larger than the difference in the averages. Nevertheless, at the tails of the distribution one would find very large discrepancies: for example the percentage of the Swedish population that is over 2 meters tall (6"7) might be 5 or 10 times as large as the percentage of the Vietnamese population. If you have a If two groups differed by, say, 10 points in average IQ (2/3 of a standard deviation), the respective distributions would overlap quite a bit (more in-group than between-group variation), but the fraction of people with IQ above some threshold (e.g., >140) would be radically different.

Wed, 2010-12-08 22:11 — Left Is Forward (not verified)

Mehdi, the Lammy article is tripe.

It claims for instance that Cambridge University has no black academics.

Perhaps he should have a chat to some of the law faculty there:

Dr Okeoghene Odudu (http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/people/academic/o-odudu/1709)

Dr Justice Tankebe (http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/people/academic/j-tankebe/3586)

They look a little bit black to me.

Tue, 2010-12-07 22:40 — triedeinsursE

Happy Chanukah Mehdi.

Wed, 2010-12-08 23:09 — Axmed

At the Oxford Union is a very common that to be asked your ID every time you enter the gate - of course, if you're a black, assian or an Arab. Even though you're a member. It will happen again and again in the future. We can all complain about it or we can move to the other side and set up our own educational institutions and Pizza huts etc. For the last 200 years we have witnessed bigoted and prejudiced. We shouldn't be complaining but we must work harder and overlook their hatred.

Wed, 2010-12-08 01:00 — M Pearle (not verified)

***But it still exists. It hasn't disappeared.***

Perhaps it would help if blacks didn't commit crime at a rate 5 times higher than europeans or Chinese?

Wed, 2010-12-08 01:02 — DannyF (not verified)

I had exactly the same problem trying to get into King's college grounds at Cambridge one time - granted, I wasn't a student there, but I was still pretty annoyed.

Mon, 2010-12-13 08:37 — Reginald-Fah-fah

Dash that! That not very British! It's not cricket!!!

Mehdi, Great to see you on 'This Week'!!!

Thu, 2010-12-30 03:10 — RaddaRaddaRadda (not verified)

You are aware that the three staff involved on the day were 2 Asians and a black women. They were not being racist...just stereotyping. But hey ho jump on the band wagon.