U.K.: Asian Muslim Ghettos Keep Growing, Hindering Integration

 London, 8 September 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Asian Muslim ghettos in Britain have kept growing fast over the past 10 years, hindering integration and raising fears that dissatisfied Muslim youngsters may become easy prey for extremist groupings.

Magnus Ranstorp is the director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

“I think that home-grown terrorism is certainly being accelerated by the growing ‘ghettoification.’ Not just in Britain, but across Europe. And it’s very easy for the recruiters and for those who are manipulating the individuals to taking that final step. To find the willing recruits who are socially excluded and then marginalized in the society,” Ranstorp said.

This “ghettoisation” has been most visible in eight major cities. Leicester, Birmingham, and Bradford top the scale, followed by London, and others. And the integration or assimilation process in the ghettos is so slow, according to the report released by the Royal Geographical Society, that in many cases it will never happen. 

Ali Noorizade heads the Arab-Iranian Studies Centre in London. He says the problem has been that the ghettos are a voluntary creation by mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants, not something the society has forced upon them. And he adds that they rarely need to venture outside.

“The women are totally isolated. Majority of them are brought to England to bring children. They are coming from a remote village, and suddenly they find themselves in a society they know nothing about."

“They deal with themselves. Some of them never learn English. They have a Pakistani doctor, they have Pakistani lawyers, and therefore, you know, it became part of their culture to live within their ghetto. And they don’t show any intention to integrate with the society,” Noorizade said.

Other experts view the situation similarly. David Owen is a population studies specialist at the University of Warwick.

“The degree of concentration has increased over 10 years, because there’s been quite rapid growth of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi populations over that period. They are a very impoverished population who tend to remain within established areas,” Owen said.

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Os “novos” imigrantes. Um outro país dentro da capital

 

 

"(…) O maior problema é que as pessoas têm medo de vir a esta rua (Rua do Benformoso). As minhas filhas, que cresceram aqui, por exemplo, deixaram de cá vir tantas vezes e, quando vêm, não trazem os meus netos. Quando os quero ver tenho de ser eu a deslocar-me”, explica. (…)"

Jornal Sol

"(...) Das mais de 100 lojas, contam-se pelos dedos da mão as de outros tempos. Numa delas, de roupa e acessórios, no início da Rua do Benformoso, as três lojistas, que pediram para não ser identificadas, queixam-se da insegurança, do tráfico de droga, da prostituição e de como isso se reflete nas contas: “As pessoas têm medo de vir para aqui, os nossos clientes antigos já não vêm.”

“À porta da minha loja vende-se droga. Já mandei e-mails para todo o lado a pedir mais policiamento. Aqui vê-se de tudo. Estou aqui há 30 anos, mas isto está a tornar-se pesado. Estou cansada. Já nos convencemos que estamos a trabalhar em Chinatown, ou melhor, em Banglatown”, dizem, completando-se em concordância (...)"

CNN

 

Crime in Pakistan

 

Crime in Pakistan is done in many places and through different ways. Some Pakistani places where crime happens a lot are the cities of Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan, Hyderabad, Islamabad and Quetta. Some types of major crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary, carjacking and corruption are done. In the city of Lahore, 379 murders, 500 attempted murders, 2,650 abductions and 55 rapes were done in 2019 only. 

Wikipedia

Juízes assassinos - 75% dos reclusos regressam ao crime

 

 

Não há, em termos oficiais, estatísticas actualizadas da taxa de reincidência de criminosos em Portugal. Apenas em 2003, a Provedoria referia que a taxa de reincidência em Portugal era de 51% na população masculina. Em 1998, era de 48%. Estima-se que essa taxa ronde os 75%, de acordo com a taxa mundial estimada pela Prison Fellowship International, com assento na ONU. É assim no mundo, é assim na Europa e Portugal não foge à regra. Os dados que constam dos relatórios do Conselho da Europa, da União Europeia e da Amnistia Internacional não traçam o melhor retrato, de acordo com o Diário de Notícias. De acordo com a definição mundialmente aceite, a justiça restaurativa é aquela que "pode mudar a vida das pessoas", contrariando o sistema punitivo, assente no "tens de pagar pelo teu erro sem mais nada", explicaram ao DN. " 

Os resultados dessa "justiça restaurativa" são bem explicados nesta notícia de hoje do Correio da Manhã. João Pedro Oliveira, de 43 anos, matou a companheira em 2009 - há 15 anos. Foi "recompensado" com liberdade condicional, antes de concluir a pena de prisão a que foi condenado. Em Junho de 2024 fez exactamente o mesmo: matou um segunda ex-companheira, passando com o carro, por cima dela, sete vezes. 

Qual é o valor de uma vida? Que resultados tem a chamada "justiça regenerativa", quando comparada com a "justiça punitiva"? Por que razão se dá tão pouco valor a uma vida? Como é que é aceitável que um crime de sangue, a morte de uma pessoas, não tenha como pena a prisão perpétua? Quem mate outra pessoa, aos 20 anos, sai da cadeia, em média, cerca de 15 anos depois, embora seja, por vezes, condenada a 25 anos. Mas isto tem a ver com o facto de a "generosidade" dos juízes se inclinar sempre para a tal "justiça restaurativa". Ou seja, sai da cadeia com 35 anos. E de quem é a responsabilidade? Quanto vale a vida de Daniela Padrino, de 37 anos, a primeira companheira de João Pedro Oliveira, assassinada por ele em 2009?

Não será altura para se discutir, na sociedade portuguesa, um verdadeiro equilíbrio entre estas duas correntes de pensamento, no que diz respeito à Justiça? Perguntem aos milhares de familiares de pessoas assassinadas neste país se estarão de acordo com a prisão perpétua, pelo crime de homicídio. Está na altura de impedir que os juízes lavem as mãos, tintas de sangue, como autênticos Pilatos...

Car Burnings in France: Around 420 individuals were arrested in connection with the unrest

 

Almost 1,000 cars were burned in France during the 2024 New Year celebrations, with reports indicating that 984 vehicles were set ablaze across the country. This incident involved significant unrest, leading to around 420 arrests.  

Summary of Car Burnings in France on New Year's Eve

• Total Cars Burned: Approximately 984 cars were reported burned during the New Year celebrations in France.

• Arrests Made: Around 420 individuals were arrested in connection with the unrest.

• Context: The incidents reflect ongoing social tensions and have become a recurring issue during New Year's celebrations in France.

• Comparison to Previous Years: This figure is lower than in previous years, indicating a potential decrease in such incidents compared to earlier celebrations.

 

Child sexual abuse inquiry chair urges government to act

 

Prof Alexis Jay, the former chair of a national inquiry into child sexual abuse, has called for the "full implementation" of reforms set out in her 2022 report, which warned of "endemic" abuse across society in England and Wales.

A campaign group chaired by Prof Jay, called Act on IICSA, said ministers must commit to a "clear timeline" to adopt the recommendations laid out by the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The government says it supports the changes.

The group warned against "politicising" sexual violence and pushed back against "misinformation". Prof Jay also distanced herself from calls from the Conservatives and Reform UK for a new inquiry into grooming gangs.

The IICSA national inquiry was set up in 2015 and carried out 15 investigations, including into grooming gangs and abuse in schools and church settings. Prof Jay had previously led a landmark local inquiry into widescale abuse in Rotherham, where it was estimated 1,400 children were exploited between 1997 and 2013, predominantly by men of Pakistani heritage.

The IICSA's final report was published in 2022 and set out 20 recommendations it said were necessary to reduce child suffering.

They included setting up a national child protection authority, implementing tighter controls on who can work with vulnerable children, legislating to force tech firms to take stronger action over online abuse material and making not reporting abuse a criminal offence.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Act on IICSA said: "Politicising the issue of sexual violence fails to acknowledge its lifelong impact and hinders the implementation of vital and urgent overhaul to our systems required."

Prof Jay said: "Our mission is not to call for new inquiries but to advocate for the full implementation of IICSA's recommendations." A Home Office spokesperson said it was "working at pace across government" to implement the report's recommendations.

She has previously said she was "frustrated" at the previous Conservative government's lack of progress in adopting the recommendations, and described its response as "weak", which the Home Office disputed at the time.

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What is Starmer's record on prosecuting grooming gangs?

 

 

 

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of being "deeply complicit in the mass rapes in exchange for votes".
Mr Musk has published a series of posts on X suggesting Starmer failed to deal with the grooming gang scandal while head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) between 2008 and 2013.

In response, Sir Keir has accused critics of "spreading lies and misinformation" and claims he tackled prosecutions "head on".
What is the grooming gang scandal?
The row between Mr Musk and Sir Keir centres around a series of high-profile cases where groups of men - mainly of Pakistani descent - were convicted of sexually abusing and raping predominantly young white girls around the UK.

In 2012 The Times newspaper investigated Rotherham grooming gangs, which led to a major inquiry.
At least 1,400 children were subjected to appalling sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, according to a 2014 report written by Prof Alexis Jay.

The report made headlines in the UK and around the world and led to major debates in Parliament.
Similar scandals also occurred in other towns, including Oldham, Oxford, Rochdale and Telford, leading to a national inquiry into child sexual abuse, which was also led by Prof Jay.

The cases sparked investigations into alleged failures to properly address the crimes and support victims.
Was the CPS or Starmer 'complicit'?
The CPS, an independent body, prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales.

After the police investigate crimes and present their findings, the CPS decides whether to prosecute based on evidence and public interest.
Sir Keir was appointed head of the CPS in 2008 and held the role for five years. He became an MP in 2015.

The CPS was criticised for a decision not to proceed with a prosecution in Rochdale on the basis that it viewed the main victim as "unreliable" following an investigation between August 2008 and August 2009.

That decision was overturned later by Nazir Afzal in 2011 after being appointed by Sir Keir as the CPS chief prosecutor for north-west England.
Speaking to BBC Verify, Mr Afzal said that the view of prosecutors not to proceed to trial at the time was "if the police aren't happy that she will give credible evidence then we're not happy either".

He went on to say that he had reviewed and reversed the decision as "I believed what she [the victim] was saying".
Musk looms large over UK politics as MPs return for 2025
Musk's grooming gangs attack on Phillips 'disgraceful smear', says Streeting
Musk says Farage 'doesn't have what it takes' to be Reform UK leader

But this is not the only instance where the CPS has faced criticism.
Prof Jay's report into the Rotherham cases said the police would often cite the CPS as being unwilling to prosecute alleged perpetrators, but they said that it had been "much more helpful" later on.

A 2013 report from the Home Affairs Committee said that "unlike many other official agencies implicated in this issue", the CPS had "readily admitted that victims had been let down by them and have attempted both to discover the cause of this systematic failure and to improve the way things are done so as to avoid a repetition of such events".

It added: "Mr Starmer has striven to improve the treatment of victims of sexual assault within the criminal justice system throughout his term as Director of Public Prosecution (DPP)."

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The child rape scandal dominating UK politics after Musk criticism

 

 

LONDON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - A child sexual abuse scandal that revealed how gangs of mostly Pakistani men had groomed, trafficked and raped young white girls more than a decade ago, has returned to the political agenda in Britain following criticism from Elon Musk.

Musk, a close ally of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to quit over what he said was Starmer's failure to tackle the scandal when he was the country's leading prosecutor, accusing him of being "complicit in the rape of Britain".

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