« I will break you · Main · Time's Top 100 Movies »

May 21, 2005

Manchester United?Short

The Hindustan Times reports on the first Asian mayor of the England’s second largest city, Manchester.

Afzal Khan who came from Pakistan to Britain at the age of 12 had nothing to look forward to. He had no education and no money, but now 35 years later at 47, he has become the first Asian Mayor of Manchester, the second biggest city in Britain.

He said his appointment reflected the diversity of Manchester’s ethnicity and demonstrated the contribution immigrants can make. “They can provide a city with an infusion of energy and creativity,” he said.

There was this one line that caught my eye,

Khan has a reputation for taking firm stands on ethnicity. He has supported the idea of celebrating Englishness through a patron saint as a way of enforcing community cohesion and, although he is a former assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, he has not adhered to its policy of boycotting National Holocaust Day Remembrance services.

abhi on May 21, 2005 07:30 PM in Short · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post



6 comments

 1 · Punjabi Boy on May 22, 2005 04:04 AM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)
England’s second largest city, Manchester

No! Birmingham is England's second largest city by quite a long way. Its quite normal to have Indian, Pakistani, Jamaican mayors, its a ceremonial role, they open a few schools and wear silly hats, and everyone feels happy to show they are all so multicultural.


 2 · Saheli on May 22, 2005 02:01 PM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)
former assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, he has not adhered to its policy of boycotting National Holocaust Day Remembrance services.

Huh? Why do they have that policy??


 3 · Not so Mancunian on May 22, 2005 02:43 PM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)

Why the confusion, Saheli? Standard Muslim vs Jew argument, no?


 4 · Saheli on May 23, 2005 06:09 AM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)

Sorry, my cynical realism took the weekend off without telling me. :-p


 5 · Not so Mancunian on May 23, 2005 07:38 AM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)

Saheli, no worries, happens to me all the time :-)


 6 · NdN Kutie on May 23, 2005 02:15 PM · Direct link · “Quote”(?)

Thanks for the clarification, PB! Mayors are certainly not ceremonial across urban America. Except ofcourse for the nation's capital, Wahington D.C.


Add a comment
         
 
   
   
 
Remember me?   

To prevent comment spam, please type the word brown below:


Note: Please don't feed the trolls. Requests for celebrities' contact info or homework assistance; racist, abusive, illiterate, content-free or commercial comments; personal, non-issue-focused flames; intolerant or anti-secular comments; and long, obscure rants may be deleted. Unless they’re funny. It’s all good then.

   
If you don't see your comment yet:
Wait 15 seconds and refresh your browser, don't post a duplicate.