It is something that I have been thinking about. Isn’t multiculturalism a failed ideology in some aspects?
Before we continue, this is the official definition of multiculturalism:
The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country
Yet contrary to the claim that multiculturalism is actually successful as touted by the politicians of western civilisation, we find that different cultures do not really co-exist. They can, in a sense, get together to celebrate diversity through venues and can communicate to an extent such as the workplace and education.
But if we are talking about co-existence, then from my perspective, the doctrine has actually failed. Cultures do not co-exist, rather they exist within a bubble. We have various ethnic ghettos, new migrants from other countries that most likely will live in ethnic areas and will most likely not adopt the host country’s culture or language. Their culture and upbringing, in some parts, actually counteracts the host country’s culture.
I will use an example:
As I am half-pakistani, I am mostly drawing up experience and anecdotes. But the Pakistani culture, or rather, the middle-eastern Islamic culture, is no way compatible with the British culture. They both uphold vastly different culture that counteracts each other, especially when Islam is concerned.
Britain, or western society as a whole, focus on individualism, the duty to yourself and the choices you make that you will live with. You have the freedom of speech to adopt various ideologies and hold different opinions. You can consume pork and alcohol without restriction. You can choose to attend a religious service. We have gay rights. Transgender rights. Female rights.
These are all possible thanks to the progress of western society and what it allow for us.
Pakistani –Or the middle-eastern Islamic culture- runs contrary to that. It focus on the collective, focus on family, it focuses on an outdated and very flawed religion. It uses its religion and culture to discriminate against others. It doesn’t tolerate free speech. In fact, it punishes apostasy. There are more restrictions on food, mainly for cultural reasons and yet have little to no penalty on quality of living.
For a culture like that, how can it possibly uphold the shining example of multiculturalism when the culture is not compatible with the majority of Western Europe? Put it simply, cultures from Africa and the Middle-East are in comparison, barbaric compared to Western Europe. And yet we’re supposed to praise these as enriching and beneficial to us?
So how is it we accept what is mostly a flawed ideology? Do the benefits we gain outweigh the odds? Or a return to monoculturalism and actually enforce integration is a viable alternative?