Medieval mindset

Published on Monday 21 December 2009 20:57

RICHARD Lucas wonders whether multiculturalism is to blame for allowing a certain degree of unspoken "toleration" towards so-called honour killings (Letters 21 December).

Perhaps it is not multiculturalism per se. After all, we in the British Isles invented multiculturalism – Cornish, English, Irish, Jewish, Manx, Romany, Orcadian, Scottish, Welsh and Zetlanders – 1,000 years before the rest of the world cottoned on to a good idea once we were ruling half of it.

But certainly the race relations industry is to blame for doing its damndest to ghettoise everyone who is not white British.

By hamstringing the law at every turn, it encourages tacitly such barbarism in the name of "tradition", but ask the inimitable Canadian Muslim journalist Irshad Manji about the con-tricks Arab male chauvinists have pulled on us to escape sanction for actions that are condemned in the Koran and Hadith.

Here's a point to ponder: when was the last time you heard of Oriental Muslims committing "honour killings", despite the fact they make up half the world's Muslim population?

Whatever else "honour killings" may be, multiculturalism has utterly zero to do with it, and medievalism everything.

MARK BOYLE

Linn Park Gardens

Johnstone, Renfrewshire