When we venture into their country, we have to abide by their rules and happily do so. We don't try to change their ways to suit ours.
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The British countryside is “overwhelmingly white” and needs more halal food, a report from the University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies on “rural racism” has claimed. The Telegraph has the story.
In [the report], academics claim that ethnic minority communities face “challenges” in the countryside because rural England is “overwhelmingly white”.
This creates feelings of “discomfort”, the report states, and the “psychological burden” that comes with “navigating predominantly white spaces”.
The report also raises concerns that traditional pub culture and other “monocultural customs” are exclusionary.
It states that the countryside lacks “appropriate facilities to meet religious and cultural needs”, and does not cater for “dietary norms that are rooted in religious or cultural practice”, such as kosher and halal, adding to feelings of exclusion.
To tackle “rural racism” and increase diversity, a series of recommendations are set out in a section of the report, “How Can We Make the Countryside More Inclusive?”
The report notes that “the availability of halal food or spaces for prayer could make a significant difference in whether people feel comfortable visiting the countryside”.
It states that rural businesses should adapt to improve “cultural sensitivity”, saying: “Welcoming minoritised individuals into the countryside means more than tolerance; it requires thoughtful adaptation, sustained inclusion efforts and a willingness to change.”
These suggestions mark the conclusion of a two-year project led by Prof Neil Chakraborti, Leicester’s Hate Studies lead, along with his colleagues Amy Clarke and Prof Corinne Fowler.
Prof Fowler assisted the National Trust’s controversial 2021 report into the colonial connections of its country houses.
‘Rural Racism Project: Towards an Inclusive Countryside’ was funded by the Leverhulme Trust, a charity established by William Lever, the first Viscount Leverhulme, the plantation-owning soap magnate behind Unilever....<<<Read More>>>...
