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September 2007
What is Britishness, anyway?
"What is Britishness anyway?" Professor Tariq Modood asked Labour party conference delegates at a UNISON meeting exploring the contribution of multiculturalism to a dynamic society.
It certainly wasn't a prescribed set of values decided by the government, he said.
"Citizens must share common values, but they must be found through dialogue, not imposed," Prof Modood said. "The kind of British we want to be should be woven in debate, with a plurality of voices, not imposed from the top."
British is the buzzword of this year's Labour conference, but he advised Britain's black and minority ethnic citizens not to be scared of the new mantra.
"We should be engaging with it, claiming it and pluralising it," he said: "British is a very diverse and plural identity, knitting together four countries to begin with - and we need to tap into that idea of Britishness, and foster it."
The meeting, jointly hosted by the National Assembly Against Racism and UNISON, boasted a heavyweight line-up: race relations campaigner Doreen Lawrence, MP Sadiq Khan, MEP Claude Moraes, Edie Friedman from the Jewish Council of Racial Equality, the Muslim Council of Britain's Dr Mohammed Abdul Bari, UNISON national black members' committee chair Bev Miller and Mohammed Azam from NAAR.
They agreed that while fostering community cohesion was important, difference should be valued.
It is vital that the quest for a modern, multifaith, multiethnic Britain does not stifle debate, the panel said. But they warned that Britain appears to have lost faith in a political vision that allows space for different cultural groups to flourish.
Multicultural Britain is under attack - and not just from its traditional enemies, far right groups and old-school Tories. The backlash against immigrants both black and white, and any citizens perceived to be 'different', was increasingly becoming mainstream, and accepted as the norm, they said.
"We must challenge the myths being thrown about and call for strong action on racism and a national debate," said Ms Miller.
And Mr Azam noted there were also growing alliances to oppose racist attacks and protect multiculturalism, "bringing together communities, religious and non-faith groups, trade unions... all who abhor fascism and racism working together against the onslaught."
UNISON is Britain's largest public services trade union.