Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

7.5. Multiculturalism in the UK

The policy of multiculturalism in the UK is primarily related to the rights of immigrants. Ensuring the multi-ethnicity rights of immigrants in this country is one of the priorities of the policy of multiculturalism. However, it should be taken into consideration that the way of life, values, and moral norms of the Anglo-Saxon population are in a dominant position in British society. From this point of view, social groups belonging to other cultures are likely to integrate into the values of the ruling class. When there are contradictions between the two cultures, no social group can be British, while preserving their own cultural and ethnic identity. Dual ethnocultural identity can only be realized here in the light of dominant values. If the mentality of an ethnic group (immigrant group) is not compatible with British culture, then it is possible to integrate into society only when cultural roots are forgotten. In the UK, respect for and tolerance of an alien culture can only be displayed if the culture is compatible with the values of the ruling class. That is to say, it is possible to benefit from multi-ethnic rights after adopting the inherent values of British identity.

Multi-ethnicity rights are minority rights that make it easier for the ethno-confessional groups composed mainly of immigrants to express their cultural identities. The controversial issue here is that some laws make concessions to the ethno-confessional groups. For example, Muslims and Jews in the UK demand that the laws prohibiting the slitting of animals’ throats should not apply to them. But within the framework of ensuring freedom of

religion and belief, the law grants privileges to the Muslims and Jews. Taking into account religious beliefs, the government allows Muslims and Jews to slaughter animals in this way. Similarly, the existing laws in Germany grant concessions to Muslims and Jews concerning the slaughtering of animals and circumcision of young boys.

The application of concessions and exceptions over regulation clothing for Muslim women who work in the civil service in the UK, and permission to wear traditional clothes for people of the Sikh religion are good examples. In order to exercise the freedom of religion, a Muslim woman while working in any job for the state (for example, a police officer) may wear a headscarf in addition to the regulation clothing. Anyone belonging to the Sikh religion who wishes to follow those traditions is granted some privileges concerning traffic rules: if a Sikh wears a traditional turban, then he is not obliged to wear the motorcycle helmet stipulated in the traffic rules.

It has been noted above that the values accepted in society should be adopted if minorities are to enjoy multi-ethnicity rights in the UK. This means that members of ethnic and religious minorities should respect and obey the accepted norms and values of the country in order to preserve their own ethnocultural values. However, some members of ethnic and religious minorities are reluctant to adopt these values for various reasons. They prefer to live with their own ethnocultural values, and do not want to integrate into the society they have settled in. As noted in subchapter 2.4, the former British Prime Minister David Cameron argued that the present-day policy of multiculturalism was ineffective because ethnic and religious minorities settled in the UK did not want to integrate into society.

Section III

Chapter 7

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

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