"YOU THERE! Why do you hate Muslims?"

[whatthehey]

61. But it DID work, at least much better, in the past

I spent a few years in the UK 30 years or so ago, staying in an area that was extensively populated by Asians (Bradford). Every corner shop, and somehow those places stocked everything in a place the size of a bus shelter in the US, was run by a subcontinent origin family, often 2nd generation. At a rough guess I'd say 30% of the people I ran into were likewise. Not a peep of trouble from any of them. Maybe saw a couple of khimars and quite a few but not universal hijabs. Don't remember a full burka or even niqab. I'd see far fewer but not zero Muslims in the pubs, and still more Sikhs who never seemed to do the full 5 k thing but almost all wore the bracelets I can't remember the name of. They didn't seem insular or antagonistic at all, although like any minority population regardless of race they often clustered in the same neighborhoods just like Little Italy was born. Certainly took part in general commerce and social intercourse with the majority. The only slight issue I saw was that I was there for the furor over The Satanic Verses and saw a single graffito supporting the fatwa.

I'm still in touch with a Brit or two and they tell me it's far worse now, but that raises the question why. Was it Islamic radicalization from newer poorer migrants? Back then you'd routinely run into an Indian PhD who was running a restaurant or driving a cab, as only the upper middle class could afford to emigrate from India. Was it a backlash against anglo racism? Again dating myself but this was the height of the skinhead fad and they were neither shy nor alone in their beliefs. I clearly remember openly discussed and even advertised "Paki-bashing" events. A reaction to global politics as the west and Islam cane into more frequent conflict? I have no idea but it's universal IME that people at the very worst say it was better a generation ago. So what worked better then and why can't it work again?