@kenanmalik.bsky.social asserts that Kisin doesn't share Powell's "racial politics" -and then in the next sentence explains that Kisin's racial politics are indeed essentially indistinguishable from Powell's..
Quite so: 'But it is difficult to see how his view of “brown Hindus” being debarred from Englishness differs from Powell’s assertion that a “West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman”.'
I wonder if Kisin's boarding school shares some of the blame? Clifton College in Bristol, for example, where Henry Newbold went, with all those late 19th early 20th century ideas of Englishness? (See also Rupert Brooke, etc)
I admire Kenan and his writing hugely and as usual most of the column is clear, eloquent and well-argued. Which is why the assertion - which his own evidence directly contradicts - that Kisin isn't a racist is so odd.
"he is clearly no duck; he describes himself as a chicken (though Foghorn Leghorn might disagree). but it is hard to see how his quacking, waddling and swimming differ fundamentally from that of Donald and Daffy"
Quite. Interesting that he mentions Joanna Lumley (born in India), versus Rishi Sunak (born in Southampton). What is different to Kisin? Colour of their skin.
Saying someone being 'brown and Hindu' cannot be English sounds as racist as possible. Racist exclusion
My best friends grandfather was an east European Jew, does that mean my best friend is not English (religiously he is agnostic)? It's a stupid argument, long since relegated by most Brits/English
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My best friends grandfather was an east European Jew, does that mean my best friend is not English (religiously he is agnostic)? It's a stupid argument, long since relegated by most Brits/English
If sex trafficking of children isn’t sufficiently gross misconduct to dislodge someone I don’t know what is.