To think Nihal Arthanayake is being ridiculous

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He lives in a country where the majority of the population is white, but says it has mental health problems from a workplace which is mainly, yes, white. However does he deal with everyday life?
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/bbc-diveristy-nihal-arthanayake-radio-5-journalism-diversity-fund-b1123658.html

Here's the report. It's quite dry. I don't think it indicates much in the way of "growing concern", more the need to ensure any Sharia councils were aware of the British laws they needed to comply with

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a822842ed915d74e34020a3/6.4152_HO_CPFG_Report_into_Sharia_Law_in_the_UK_PRINT.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwilkfDTqO-CAxUtUkEAHTGUCFgQFnoECBcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw15cQMU74M8up_ajhKqp-lK

Im tired of the pathetic cries of phobia being used to silence perfectly legitimate concerns about demographic and cultural change. I don't think racism is a "legitimate concern" to be honest. And I don't know what "demographic and cultural change" means if it isn't rooted in racism.

In quite a neat twist, you are basically doing this:
Imagine if a white person said their were too many blacks. Their feet wouldn't touch the floor on the way out.
Let's see what, if any, consequence you get for it. Probably none, as its "legitimate" racism

Anyone should be pleased to get a high profile job with the BBC! He has the opportunity to fill the airwaves 4 days a week for 3 hours a day. What a great job! Many other people of all backgrounds and colours would be delighted with this well paid, national radio job .

He was, hopefully, the best candidate and got it on merit. Why shouldn’t a “Brown” person get a job on merit? I do think it’s rude to object publicly to those you work with. Also, by implication, your bosses . It’s a huge shame he said anything along these lines. It’s almost inevitable that the people who chose him were mostly white. When he walks in the room the silence will be deafening now as his position is so divisive. When we don’t like a job or those we work with, most of us leave the job.

If he had talked about succeeding against the odds and said the BBC was at least making an effort to improve the odds, I would have understood his position. If he had praised the people who produce his show, research for him, and make it happen on the airways, irrespective of their background, it would have been ok. Some of them might even come from deprived families. Just focussing on one aspect you don’t like about your fellow workers means you are not respecting them.

He’s a pompous puffed up bore

so condescending

bleughhhhh

Yes, we know the country is majority white. But the fact remains the UK is institutionally racist.

BAME people have be twice as good, twice as smart, twice as hardworking to succeed as white colleagues.

On top of that we have to sing from the happy-clappy hymn sheet at work and pretend that a lot of our white colleagues are not intolerant and bigoted who only like you if you do everything by their book.

How have minorities affected your rights? How have you been subjected to sharia? Don’t be ridiculous.

The biggest danger to women’s rights is the TWAW movement and white men.

99% of threads in AIBU are by white women in relationships with abusive white men.

@RosaGallica "
On cultural matters I was born into a country with a completely different culture to that in practice now, one that was aiming towards meritocracy, inclusivity, equality and democracy: one which practised the values of free speech and free flow of information."

When was that? Because I am quite old, and I do not recognise that characterisation of Britain at all. The country I grew up in had a rigid class structure and an education system that reinforced it. Open discrimination against women and minorities, unequal pay structures, freedom to use abusive and offensive language and no mechanism to question authority or to speak truth to power.

When he walks in the room the silence will be deafening now as his position is so divisive. When we don’t like a job or those we work with, most of us leave the job.

So your response to a whistleblower is to shun them? How productive.

He's extremely well known. I wouldn't say this is about publicity.

Can’t stand the condescending twat
Especially hate how he fawns all over arty type people (not that I have anything against them)

Used to listen to 5 live a lot , but he has single handed made me switch.
Im sure they don’t miss me

Ah the old ‘Google it’. The get out clause when you’re talking shite.

@RosaGallica Just checking-you have read the reports about Sharia law you're referencing? Because they don't make the points you seem to think they do.

So basically it boils down to you don't like Muslims and think that if they are practicing, they aren't part of "British culture".
That's interesting. Do you also feel the same way about practicing Christians for example? Catholics who think women should stay married no matter what and not use contraception? Are they part of "British culture"?

What about the House of Lords and the fact hereditary seats are passed down the male line so not available to women. Is the House of Lords not part of British culture?

Edited to add: who are "we" in a British context? How many generations have families had to live here before they count as "British" to you? Or is it about religion or skin colour?

"Acceptance and normalisation of islam is a part of this, albeit one small part (there are many, many others)".

@RosaGallica - Can MumsnetHQ Take a look this comment please? As far as I can see the poster is implying that it is wrong that Islam is accepted in the UK.

I am British @RosaGallica I am as British as you. My ethnic heritage is different. My family were invited to this country to help rebuild it after the war. Also, just by the by this country has built its riches on colonising nearly a quarter of the world. So that arrogance that's seeping out your posts is built on slavery, exploitation and extracting the wealth of other nations riches, cultures and skills. Its historic facts. Please remember this when you're propagating hatred for immigrants because if you want to get rid of foreigners please also give back the NHS doctors, nurses, care workers, porters, teachers, lawyers, oil, gold, minerals, cultural artefacts, spices and foodstuffs, labour and intellectual rights etc etc etc.

You know very little about BBC and media culture.

Also you are commenting about a speech that was part of a conference on diversity in journalism.

@HomiesAlone unfortunately MN HQ doesn't pick up on racist and islamophobic comments unless they are reported. Even then they will refuse to delete some that hold outright lies because they think they enhance debate.

It’s the BBC Nihal talks about!! When you are employed, going to a conference and castigating your employer is usually misconduct. He might not be an employee of course and dodging tax.

@TizerorFizz"It’s the BBC Nihal talks about!! When you are employed, going to a conference and castigating your employer is usually misconduct. He might not be an employee of course and dodging tax."

It was a conference about diversity and widening participation🤣🤣🤣

It's completely standard for people to talk at specific conferences about their experiences as a minority and how their workplaces can support them better.
In fact good employers make space for that conversation and listen to their employees experience.

It's also a sign of respect for their employer that an employee wants to talk about their experiences to help them improve.

Are these men being "disrespectful" to the schools that employ them, by saying things like: High school biology teacher Bryan Meeker was struck by the gender divide during his student teaching stint, as the only male on a four-person team. “I had some work I had to do, not only to show I had value, but to get to a place where we could collaborate better,” he said. “It can be isolating.

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/male-teachers-share-advice-for-getting-more-men-into-the-profession/2021/03#:~:text=Simply%20being%20a%20constant%20and,you%20get%20such%20daily%20gratification.%E2%80%9D

@CurlewKate The nature of the conference doesn’t matter. It’s fairly normal for employers not to want their reputation trashed publicly by employees. Employees can have opinions, like Gary Linaker but it’s a fine line. It’s about employee and employer relationships. Contractural issues too quite possibly. With prominent people, it’s often quite normal to get views vetted before they go public as they know their utterances will be reported.

It would have been helpful if he had said what was being done to address diversity at the bbc. Most of us can see they have improved. Whistle blower he isn’t. It’s not acceptable to complain about the colour of people you work with. What are they supposed to do about it??

@TizerorFizz Fair enough. I really don't think you understand either the nature of the event or Nihal's points, so there's no point in discussing it further.

But it's a bit like having a conference about how to improve health and safety but it being considered disrespectful to ask about the number of carbon monoxide alarms the company has.

I do. I don’t agree with him. I certainly don’t like disloyalty when you’ve got a great, covetable, job with an employer.

I was one of four women in around 100 men for a couple of years. It was fine. But also not fine. It was quite emotionally draining over time being “other”. I can imagine that applies to race and cultural background too.