Areas of Bradford, England, are No Go Zones for certain ethnic groups and the city is “heading toward disaster,” councillors have warned, citing attacks on a synagogue and white businesses in ‘Asian’ areas.
Bradford Council’s Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee chairman Arshad Hussain slammed ethnic segregation and failed integration, and blamed political correctness for making the situation worse.
Too many people are “scared to speak up in case they caused offence,” he warned, adding there are “many areas of this city” where people were afraid to go depending on their ethnicity — i.e. No Go Zones.
Another councillor, Vanda Greenwood, added that young women did not feel safe in parts of the town because of gangs of young ‘Asian’ men, the Telegraph and Argus reports.
The shocking comments — Hussain branded the situation a “horrible state of affairs” — came as the Scrutiny Committee discussed a new report addressing integration in the city, in response to the Government’s Casey Review, which highlighted divisions.
The Casey Review, published a year ago, called on communities to integrate, slamming “regressive religious and cultural ideologies,” and highlighting self-censorship out of fear of being “labelled racist”.
Just last month, Dame Louise Casey, the author, spoke out again, saying integration had failed and claiming political correctness has aided Muslim extremists.
Councilor Hussain argued that divisions were getting worse in Bradford, describing shocking attacks on white-owned businesses.
“Community relations in this city were a lot better 25 years ago. Are we really achieving what we are supposed to be achieving? I don’t think so. Last month on Bonfire Night in my ward, three pubs were stoned by Asian youths,” he said.
The Red Lion and Round Thorn pubs, in the West of the city, were among those targeted on the 5th of November, according to the Telegraph and Argus.
“These were the only white businesses in the area. No Asian businesses were attacked. They were targeted because they were white,” he added.
“I am really cheesed off with things like this. There are so many areas in this city where white people are scared to go into. Likewise, there are other areas where Asian people are scared to go into.”
He continued: “There has been a huge increase in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Hate crime has risen threefold but the majority still is not reported. The biggest challenge for you is to acknowledge there is a problem, rather than being in denial and then work accordingly.”
Conservative councillor Simon Cooke agreed, highlighting attacks on Jewish people.
“At a recent event at the synagogue, there were armed police posted outside. Is that an example of community cohesion that a Jewish event needed police protection? I think we are kidding ourselves.” he said.
“I represent thousands of people who never come into Bradford and I am only five miles up the road. They say they don’t feel safe. That’s the reality. And I am sure there are people who live in Girlington who would prefer not to come to Cullingworth and I don’t like that.
“The perception of what Bradford is like is the problem. Mention danger drivers and who comes to mind? And integration. Both sides don’t want to integrate.”
Labour Councilor Vanda Greenwood added that young women were too afraid to come to the city.
“There is a real problem of people’s perception of Bradford. My daughter is 23 and she and her friends say they will not come into Bradford for a drink or night out because they say there are gangs of Asian males hanging around.
“They say they do not feel safe and instead go to Leeds. You are working here on high-level stuff, but it is mostly with religious people and their ethos is to be caring anyway. You need to get into the streets.”
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