Is my best friend racist?

Counties aren’t blank canvases ready to be settled by whoever turns up. They have native populations with established cultural norms. Those people naturally want self-determination. That’s why western societies decided colonial rule had had its day and they needed to leave and let people run their own countries. Rapid immigration can cause the same issues f culture clash and disenfranchisement of the native population. It’s not racist to observe that.

Hmm tell that to the girls who are murdered by parents for disobeying them/having boyfriends or who get sent abroad to be married. How is the law dealing with that? It's already happened by the time the police get involved.

I agree with your friend.

I think it's true that people gravitate towards those most similar to themselves. But also if you have no interaction with people of other races then you're probably more likely to be racist than those who know a mix. because people of all cultures are nice, and if you are close to other people you fear them less as everything is understood better.

Right, so what have you seen to prove your friend wrong?

Where on the uk apart from a beach or a swimming pool is this acceptable?

I have been to a large number of places and unfortunately seen English people wearing pretty much nothing in places where it's not social acceptable but still do it.

I live on an incredibly diverse road and no one could give a fuck what anyone wears. I am often gardening in my stupidly short shorts and vest top chatting away to my Muslim neighbour in her hijab and our Sikh neighbour in his Turban. No one bats an eye.

Your friend is right.

Totally agree with your friend and she's stating facts, not being racist.
Growing up as a white woman in an ethnically diverse city was pretty horrendous. As a white person, I had to put up with whatever racist comments people wanted to make and couldn't say anything back. If you made any complaints about their behaviour, they would always state you were racist, rather than accepting they'd done something wrong.
If people want to come here and settle, they have to do it legally, learn English and accept our laws and culture. If they're not interested, they can go elsewhere. If they break the law, then they're deported.
Other countries insist on this and it's accepted and respected.

I agree with your friend. Let me ask you how many friends she has that come from different ethnic backgrounds? White English people being the largest majority in this country do tend to have friends of the same background together, they also do this when they are ex-pats abroad in Spain and France too. Perhaps she should look at herself first.
I have many friends from all different backgrounds and cultures and being Indian and born here, I think I integrate really well. I can relate to most popular culture references, know more about this country’s history and literature than many of my white colleagues and friends. Growing up I didn’t have any friends from ethnic backgrounds because there were hardly any that went to my school, but I had lots of friends I still see 30 years later. Would that mean I would congregate with others of my own backgrounds
and exclude others if there had been more of us? Would it hell, it would depend on personality and interest.

How typical.

It's always the people who have absolutely 0 experience of living in the places where all the illegal migrants are put that want to defend them.

Maybe go and see it for yourself OP. There is no integration. Not even an attempt.

She doesn’t sound racist to me. Educated yes, racist no.

"I explained that the way other people choose to live their lives doesn't affect me."

Every year 12 MILLION girls are married as child brides.

I firmly believe some values are better than others. I have no regard for anyone who thinks child brides are in anyway legitimate.

I agree with her. Just look at British ex pat communities around the world - we form our own little ‘safe’ bubbles and often don’t fully integrate into the adopted country for the same reasons. People often gravitate toward their own cultures or at least something similar. Trying to force radically different cultures or worldviews together just doesn’t work. There’s nothing racist about holding that view.

Afghanistani men also a lovely respect for women. Nothing to worry about.

• Taliban decrees seek to silence women in public, bar them from education above the age of 12, enforce head-to-toe coverings and restrict their travel

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0l16424w1pt

I don't think she is racist. I agree with her point of view. If you move to another country you need to integrate, learn to speak the native language and understand the customs and culture of that country. If that means you have to make compromises, then so be it.

And this equally applies to Brits living on the Costa Del Sol, unable to speak Spanish, as it does to anyone of any colour coming to live here.

https://www.economist.com/international/2021/09/11/societies-that-treat-women-badly-are-poorer-and-less-stable

“A woman who drives a car will be killed,” says Sheikh Hazim Muhammad al-Manshad. He says it matter-of-factly, without raising his voice. The unwritten rules of his tribe, the al-Ghazi of southern Iraq, are clear. A woman who drives a car might meet a man. The very possibility is “a violation of her honour”. So her male relatives will kill her, with a knife or a bullet, and bury the body in a sand dune.

Yes of course. Eg. Men from Iran have a totally lovely view of women. 👀🙄

This is pretty much exactly what I was going to write.

We have to stop being idealistic and shamed for being realistic.
Of course it would be bloody lovely if everyone could get along and live peacefully integrated.
Is it possible? Sometimes, yes.
Is it realistic, all the time across the board? No.
Allow people to express that without being labelled a racist.

Your friend is correct and not racist just factual

I agree with your friend - her view is not racist

I agree with your friend. I don't think she is racist.

It’s racist to believe that remembering your own culture and religion contributes to racial tensions. It doesn’t. Small minded people who can’t accept that difference is ok and that their way is not automatically better are what causes racial tension.

Assuming that people from some groups are more likely to rape or treat women badly is racist.

I wouldn’t point out to this person that they are racist, I’d just stop being friends with them.

No she’s not racist. Yes you are naive.