New Life, November 1989

Hurd launches Asian Who’s Who 1989

Douglas Hurd MP, made his first public speech as Britain’s new foreign secretary at a gala dinner to launch the Asian Who’s Who of 1989 publication.

Mr Hurd CBE MP, was chief guest of the evening at the Portman Hotel in central London which also presented the publication’s 1989 edition. Other guests included Richard Balfe MEP, Keith Vaz, Sir J Gohel, AFA Sayeed OBE and prominent members of the Asian community. Mr Hurd stressed the valuable contribution made by the Asian community in Britain. “In business industrialists and small shopkeepers alike are generating new investment and new jobs for this country. They are increasingly represented in the professions - as lawyers, doctors, accountants and teachers. They are involved in public service - as magistrates and local councillors. It is welcome that British Asians and blacks should have been elected to the House of Commons and I hope that after the next general election there will be black and Asian conservative MPs there as well", he said.

Referring to the struggle going on in Britain for the betterment of race relations Mr Hurd spoke of the "long and difficult process."

"No society can cope easily with the stresses and strains following the arrival of large numbers of people from very different religious and cultural traditions," he admitted. "The continuing controversy over Salman Rushdie's book "The Satanic Verses" is a reminder of the difficulties we still face. But despite this, the poison which characterised political debate on race relations and immigration in the 1960's and 70's has abated.

"More British Asians and British blacks have grown up here, are British citizens and know no homeland other then Britain. Many more white people now meet blacks and Asians as neighbours, workmates, customers, professional advisors, business contacts or employers. The kind of success stories summarised in the “Asian Who's Who" are more widely appreciated," he noted.

In what appeared to be an apology for the new Immigration Act 1988, which has brought widespread agony to Asian families, Mr Hurd said: "Anyone who wants feeble or cosmetic immigration controls is no friend of racial harmony. I believe that the reduction in immigration achieved during the past decade has taken much of the heat out of discussions of this subject."

Mr Hurd stressed the need for all British to learn the national language, which would, he said, give people more equal opportunities in every field. And he added: "British Asians are increasingly part of the mainstream of our national life. Now that does not mean that they have to abandon cherished traditions of religion, culture or language. But it does mean accepting that they and their families are part of Britain. No-one should object to a child in a British Asian family being brought up by his parents as faithful Muslim, Hindu or Sikh.

“But those British Asian children also need to have a clear understanding of the history and institutions of this country and of the key influences - western, Christian and liberal - which have shaped our society. Without such understanding, those children will not make the best of their lives and their opportunities as British citizens.

“The government wants a country where all citizens, whatever their origins, have a sense of belonging to Britain: and where they both enjoy the liberties and shoulder the duties which go with that citizenship. All of us have a responsibility to strive for racial peace and mutual toleration. The evidence of achievement found in the pages of the “Asian Who’s Who” strengthens my belief that, albeit slowly and with many difficulties, racial peace and mutual respect is gradually being established.”