Nervous Asians ask will city’s melting pot crack? (BARF alert)

Indian Express ^ | 8 jul 2005 | Sonu jain

[voletti]

Early evening, as 21 of the dead lay outside King’s Cross station and rescuers struggled through a fear-struck city to reach to the others, a few hundred metres away in Camden’s Drummond street, home to second-largest community of Bengali Muslims, there was unusual stillness.

Earlier in the day, the dreaded word Al Qaeda had been uttered—on TV and across the nation, provoked by a website posting by a group hitherto unknown.

In spite of their faith in Britain’s traditional multiculturalism, there was fear on what may follow the blasts.

‘‘This will test how strong Britain’s fabled melting pot is. Will it crumble as it did in the US?’’ said Ali Muhammad, who owns a retail store on the street. Though it’s only been hours, this question is spreading like a Chinese whisper in the Asian Muslim community here.

Camden is the second-largest Bengali Muslim area in London after East London. The street known for its string of Indian and vegetarian restaurant is home to 90,000 South Asians.

As swathes of commuters tried to walk London streets trying to find their way home without the underground, the Al Qaeda word had already come up more than once. Statements from leaders gathered for the G8 had flickered on television in small shops and restaurants here. US President George W. Bush, at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, said what has by now become his trademark refrain: ‘‘The war on terror goes on....we will find them, we will bring them to justice.’’

[voletti]

Another smoothie attempt at gently whitewashing the cenmtral role of jihadist madness behind the London attacks.

[Paradox]

This will test how strong Britain’s fabled melting pot is. Will it crumble as it did in the US?

Please, what an ignorant moron. The US is a defacto melting pot, for better or for worse. It has been said that indeed the average European "knows" more about the U.S.A than we know about them, but what they know is mostly WRONG anyways.

[HangnJudge]

Sorry but this cannot go unchallenged

The British and Americans need to now announce plans to infiltrate unfriendly mosques, identify enemy clerics and followers, and intern or deport all leaders and followers of their hateful sewage. I am tired of this mealy mouthed tripe.

[voletti]

I agree.

Also notice the inisidious attempt to club in Asian non-muslims (mainly Hindus and Sikhs) along with the Asian muslims at the first hint of trouble. I think its scandalous, bordering on defamation!

The Hindus and Sikhs have much more in common with the average Brit when it comes to democratic values and freedoms than they do with moslems.

[Trust but Verify]

I was unaware there were such people as Bengali muslims. I would have thought the vast majority of Bengali's were Hindus. England has long had a very substantial Indian population with no problems whatsoever. I don't see any reason for them to worry as long as they distance themselves from radical Islam. As far as I know, there are no known Bengali muslim terrorists.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

I say burn the Islamofascists in the Melting Pot!
Or help them have their own "melting pot" in Mecca courtesy of the US Air Force!

By the way I think this writer 's brain has melted!

[voletti]

Unfortunately there are.
And factually speaking, Bengali muslims outnumber bengali Hindus. Only the former have their own cesspool to wallow in (its called Bangladesh). The Bengali speaking Hindus stayed back in India post partition in 1947.

[A.B.Normal]

"This will test how strong Britain’s fabled melting pot is. Will it crumble as it did in the US?"

Sorry, the Liberals changed it from melting pot to Diversity if not a Multicultural Diverse Society. Some things can't be melted or blended, so it is smelted.

[untenured]

I was unaware there were such people as Bengali muslims.

Bangladesh and Bengali, I assume, have similar roots. Bangladesh is mostly Muslim. There are some people in India who speak Bengali and are Hindu, but many are Muslim too.

[sgtbono2002]

‘‘This will test how strong Britain’s fabled melting pot is. Will it crumble as it did in the US?’’

What is this fool talking about? How has the melting pot in the US broken?

Dont worry Hoss when the melting pot in the US breaks you will know it by the bodies hanging outside the 7-11's the motels and the quik shops. No: so far the citizens of the US have been damned quiet I think. I dont know if or when it may happen that the citizens of America rise up against Islamofascists, but this butthead will get the message if it does. It is my belief that one thing holding back attacks in the US is that Jihadists know America is armed and dangerous if they are pushed too far.

[kabar]

12% of India's population are Muslims. There are approximately 140 million Muslims, which makes India the second largest Muslim country after Indonesia.

[Podkayne]

‘‘This will test how strong Britain’s fabled melting pot is. Will it crumble as it did in the US?’’ said Ali Muhammad,

Good news - the U.S. isn't an attractive melting pot for Ali Muhammed.