Shaista Aziz conducts a straw poll of some of her friends to see just how common racism is in their everyday lives
The last seven days were brought to you by the letter R for race, R for racist.The week a UKIP candidate was exposed for referring to Muslims as "scum", but as his father later explained to journalists, his son wasn't a racist because he enjoys a curry. In the old days you couldn't be a racist if your friend was black, so is this progress? Since UKIP launched their European election campaign two weeks ago, its proving hard to keep up with the parties candidates and their 'colourful' statements on race, Islam, immigration, women and homophobia. On Tuesday a UKIP candidate called for Lenny Henry to "go back to a black country". William Henwood resigned from the party a short while later. Two other members of the party were suspended following more 'colourful' comments. On Wednesday, UKIP financier and Greek shipping tycoon, Demetri Marchessini said he didn't believe rape could take place in a marriage because when "a woman accepts, she accepts." He also said gay people couldn't be in a loving relationship, as they are sexual predators incapable of fidelity.
British Muslim woman, barrister, lives in Kensington, London: "I was driving to a supermarket and was parked at the traffic lights when a white man walked into the road and stood in front of my car. He started pointing to his face, making circular gestures. He was referring to my hijab and then he started screaming "you fucking Taliban, you fucking Taliban" over and over again. My young daughters were in the car with me. They were confused and scared. That was a minor incident though! I don't go out very much anymore. In the past I've been spat at and called a 'fucking Muslim' and "one of those fucking Muslim pigs."
British Muslim woman, teacher in Lancashire: "To be honest, I don't feel comfortable in all white areas anymore. I am open to admitting I could be paranoid, but I feel like white people look at me with contempt because I'm a Muslim woman. I have never felt like this before. Even after 9/11. There was a lot of racism around but a lot of solidarity too. I grew up in a middle class part of Lancashire and all my neighbours and friends were white. I never felt like this then. I am raising my children to be proud of being British, they are British and they are Muslim."
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