Some say this doesn’t matter, that it’s
only words. That the best way to deal
with abuse is to simply ignore it. They
couldn’t be more wrong.
For one thing there’s the obvious
trauma this kind of abuse causes to its
victims, trauma that is only amplified
by efforts to downplay the problem.
More than that, the mainstream
embrace of low-level, casual bigotry
creates fertile ground in which the
noxious weed of antisemitism can
take root and grow. Just as one
broken window in a neighbourhood,
left unrepaired, leads to a climate in
which vandalism and decay is seen
as a normal part of life, so casual
antisemitism, left unchallenged, leads
to an atmosphere in which extremism,
and then violence, will thrive.
And it’s also a problem for society
as a whole. Casual bigotry and lazy
stereotypes create division. They
put people in boxes, build barriers
between us. As long as we define
other people by their differences
rather than recognising what we have
in common, we’ll struggle to build
solid, coherent communities.
attitudes that fuel such prejudice. Our
new plan for tackling hate crime of
all kinds – launched in July – sets out
some of the steps we’ll be taking to
achieve this.
But we all need to get better
at speaking up when we see
antisemitism. I know that doesn’t
come naturally to a lot of us. We’re
British, after all – we don’t like making
a scene. My dad, who came to this
country from Pakistan, used to joke
that he knew he’d become British the
first time someone trod on his foot
and he apologised to them. But this
simmering, lingering prejudice against
Jews can only be stopped in its tracks
if we call it out for what it is. Racism.
We mustn’t allow ourselves to think
that prejudice is something limited
to foul-mouthed thugs on the streets
of our inner cities. Sometimes the
problem is much closer to home.
Sometimes, the problem is people just
like us. And if we don’t take a stand
against it, we’re no better than the
racists who felt free to call my family
‘Pakis’ all those years ago.
The Government is taking concrete
action to tackle antisemitism. For
example, we’ve already provided
well over £13 million for improved
security measures at Jewish schools,
synagogues and community centres.
But I don’t want to see any minority
group forced to live behind walls
and under guard. That’s why it’s so
important that all of us tackle the
Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP – 17
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