Labour Research August 2011

Reviews

Defending multiculturalism

Edited by Hassan Mahamdallie, Bookmarks, 240 pages, paperback, £8.99

A hard-hitting collection that defends Britain’s multicultural way of life. The contributors challenge the assertion from prime minister David Cameron and others, that multiculturalism is to blame for dividing society.

The essays examine issues such as Has multiculturalism failed?; Muslim working class history; Are the white working class excluded from multiculturalism?; The Two Tone phenomenon — music and the struggle against racism; and Anti-racism and the trade unions. The book also includes a photo essay by Rehan Jamil and new poetry from writer Michael Rosen and poet and union activist Zita Holbourne.

With contributions from Peter Hain MP, Billy Hayes, Ken Livingstone and Benjamin Zephaniah, this accessible book is a must-have for all those who want to celebrate and extend Britain’s rich and diverse society.

Editor Hassan Mahamdallie has written extensively on the history of black people in the West, anti-racism and Islamophobia.

Reviews contributed by Bookmarks, the UK’s leading socialist bookshop. Order online at www.bookmarksbookshop.co.uk