Race-war ‘fire’ on our streets

RIOTS could erupt in Britain if the row over Muslim veils intensifies, a race relations chief warned yesterday.

Trevor Phillips predicted “fire” unless urgent action was taken to ease tensions.

He said cities were in danger of becoming split by race and faith. And that could spark bigger riots than those in Oldham and Burnley five years ago.

Mr Phillips, head of the Commission for Racial Equality, claimed some Muslims had grown over-sensitive to criticism.

He said: “This could be the trigger for the grim spiral that produced riots in the north of England. Only this time the conflict would be much worse. We need to chill.”

In a warning of what could happen he referred to the writer who predicted race riots in LA and other US cities.

He said: “In 1963 James Baldwin quoted an old spiritual in a famous essay, correctly predicting the civil strife that was to come saying: ‘God gave Noah the rainbow sign. Said no more water, but the fire next time.’ ”

His remarks were a disturbing echo of Enoch Powell’s notorious “rivers of blood” speech on immigration in 1968.

Yesterday Mr Phillips said the row over Muslim teaching assistant Aishah Azmi — suspended for wearing a full veil — had inflamed the situation.

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Source:
The Sun Online