BBC White series, White girl. Your thoughts.

[Minty]

Just wondered if anyone has watched these episodes .
I am watching tonights with a lot of discomfort.Minty

[whigger]

I watched bits of the one about the working mens club and started to watch the one about Enough Powell (but couldn't stomach it tbh). Got this one on now.....not sure about it at the moment, thought it was going to be a documentary rather than a drama but it's still raising lots of issues. What is it you find disturbing Minty?

[Minty]

I find it disturbing that the only solice these unfortunate people can find has to be in Islam.
Why does the BBC have to put it across like this.
I am in no way racist or zenophobic but why so one sided ?????

[whigger]

If peolpe were to embrace any religion would it have made the programme different in any way? The only difference is the Islam is predominantly a religion of people of a different colour. All the religions preach the same tenets.

I think the BBC has made a hugely brave decision......these programmes are designed to make us question our own prejudices rather than make us question our multi cultural society

[bubblewrap]

Religion the biggest cause of the worlds problems.
I don't care what religion a person has as long as they don't force it on me or inflict it on others who are not interested.

[Minty]

If peolpe were to embrace any religion would it have made the programme different in any way? The only difference is the Islam is predominantly a religion of people of a different colour. All the religions preach the same tenets.

I think the BBC has made a hugely brave decision......these programmes are designed to make us question our own prejudices rather than make us question our multi cultural society

In answer to your first question a massive YES because had the comforting religion in the programme been anything other than Islam the Brave BBC would not have made a programme about it.......
As for Islam being about of a different colour ?? i have to question. A different colour to who ?.
As for the BBC making a brave decision, i`m sorry but any company with no equal competitor will never give us a balanced view of any issue and quite frankly why do they have the right to assume we have prejudices to reflect upon or question our multi cultural society. Were there ever a time recently where any SMALL PART OF any other religious community took to the streets of the UK with banners demanding we kill others ??????. Minty

[whigger]

Okay Minty......it's on

(before i start please do not take this as a pesonal slurr, i am hugely anti-racism yet one of my best friends is a member of the BNP......i just like a good debate)

Firstly - "comforting religion"? All religion is based on guilt and we are all sinners therefore begging forgiveness. Remember this is coming from a practising "religious" person.

A different colour - yes!!! as much as i hate to admit it Islam is generally perceived by British society as a whole to be a religion of Arabs and Pakistanis (although indians are commonly though by the un-educated to be islam as well)

Brave - Yes indeed, with what is such a contestious issue at the moment BBC2 are hugely brave to air the "White" season. Not only because it challenges the way in which we view Islamic culture and communities but also because of the way in which it "could" be used as raison d'etre for those idiots and clowns who are willing to judge people/busniess's and communities who are "different". As for being a channel with no competition.....BBC2 is actually 4rth placed in the viewing figures behind Channel 4 who it is DIRECT competion with.

A religion who condones "Direct Action" - You just have to look at the Israeli record on dealing with Palestine to answer that arguement as far as religion goes. Not only that but within Islam we are dealing with a huge MINORITY as far as the call for death goes. In recent times we have seen bombings and killings in N.Ireland (On both sides), bombings due to issues such as vivisection, abortion etc. and poisoning of food-stuffs for animal testing issues. Does this mean that all anti-abortion/anit-animal testing activist is wrong. I think not.......i'm not disagreeing that fundamentalism is right.....it's not. But think about the number of people killed all over the world be people for pointless reasons......can anyone say they are not party in any way to the causes these people have been killed in the name of?

[Two_Sheds]

I thought it was a good piece of well-acted drama. None of the Moslems depicted had banners demanding we kill others, or did I miss that bit?
The Islamic point of view was not forced on the girl, she drifted to it because her Moslem neighbours gave her more comfort and love and acceptance than her own family did.
They could have been Hindu, Sikh or even Jehovah's, but Islam is topical.

I started off thinking it was going to be full-on, Islam is great propaganda, but it was more subtle than that, and more about a child's desire to be listened to, accepted, loved.

[pigletwillie]

Religion the biggest cause of the worlds problems

I totally diagree here BW. Religion has been one of the greatest gifts to mankind.

The intollerable thoughts and deeds done in religions NAME, is one of the biggest causes of world issues and that is a totally different thing.

Personally I think the BBC sold out its supposed subject, White working class people. The series has shown nothing of the issues that concern them or the reason areas of the east end and the north of England are turning to ultra right wing political parties. Only now that this is happening, and in traditional Labour heartlands to boot is our current government attempting to put the multiculturalism genie back in the bottle and mooting "British" days, quotas and the like.

Living in Leicester, a city which is going to be the first city in Britian where White people are a minority, I find we dont have any raging issues as we actually have a mostly integrated society with very few "ghettos" of one race or colour that are insular. Integration is the key, rub shoulders with each other and there is tolerance and acceptance, multiculturalism is deadly, it is exclusive and divisive and causes issues that the BBC SHOULD HAVE COVERED.

That said, the drama last night "White girl" was a very subtle view of a child wanting to be accepted and loved and was a great piece of television in its own right.

[Paulottie]

In answer to your first question a massive YES because had the comforting religion in the programme been anything other than Islam the Brave BBC would not have made a programme about it.......
As for Islam being about of a different colour ?? i have to question. A different colour to who ?.
As for the BBC making a brave decision, I'm sorry but any company with no equal competitor will never give us a balanced view of any issue and quite frankly why do they have the right to assume we have prejudices to reflect upon or question our multi cultural society. Were there ever a time recently where any SMALL PART OF any other religious community took to the streets of the UK with banners demanding we kill others ??????. Minty

It certainly would not have made it is she turned to Christianity. But more importantly why can't we see a programme about someone who turns away from the modern cult of consumerism and benefits for the work-shy?..maybe that is Buddhism?

A different colour to WHOM sorry!!

I am so glad that there is still a channel I can watch for 30p a week without adverts(well almost...another subject!)

I don't know about taking to the streets openly now, I think demonstration has died out now! but when I was in East London there were regularly BNP demonstrations at Brick lane and the walls were plastered in Muslim anti white slogans inciting them to 'Rise to the call' etc....what we need to do away with is religion and ghetto-ism.

Really all religions are not tolerant of others' points of view they are anachronistic forms of social control and warmongering. The only common 'tenant' is supposedly love and respect for thy fellow man; and that seems to be ignored by all of them. Outdated prejudices about ,contraception,diet,covering bodyparts or whatever, only serve to increase tension in our communities. True intergration and understanding only comes through respecting individuals, regardless of skin or ridiculous suppositions about what happens to us when we turn our toes up.

[mapcr77]

I wonder if it would really be that easy for a white girl to be accepted by an ethnic minority group...

[Paulottie]

I don't know but I think all 'groups' are going to contain bigots and lovely people.

PW, I'm not sure why you say religion is a gift? er, from whom? I accept that mankind's need to believe that is is something more to it all, and explain the imponderables has inspired some of the world greatest architechture etc. I sure religion has proved a comfort to many bereaved. I agree that it is mankind who has used it as an excuse for most atrocities, and I couldn't agree more with your take on multiculturalism and intergration being the key. I just don't see how this modern and enlightened world view is aided by religion?

Vive la differance! we are all people rubbing along together! can't we celebrate and learn from other cultures? rather than trying to bend the world to fit various particular beliefs or superstitions

[yoanbob]

I Loved this drama, I cried and everything, it reminded me of my childhood to some extent and the way I drifted into the church, the people at the church gave me comfort and attention and I loved the sense of community, I had to save up my pocket money to pay for my baptism and my parents didnt want to come.
I thought it raised more issues about poverty than religion, I am not religous now but when I was a child it gave me a huge sense of worth I dont think it matters what the religon is.

[SarzWix]

PW, I'm not sure why you say religion is a gift? er, from whom?

Well that depends on the religion....! As a Christian, I would say God, although the 'religion' wasn't His gift, His son was....

The thing is though, by saying you're willing to "accept that mankind's need to believe that is is something more to it all, and explain the imponderables", you're being a little patronising? I don't have a need to believe, etc., I DO believe in God & creation and all the rest of it!
I could say that "I accept that some of mankind are desperate to prove that there is no God, to assuage their guilt at not keeping to any of the rules He set down for us to live by"
But I won't.

Sorry Paul, not trying to wind you up really.

[rustylady]

I watched this programme (first of the series I've seen). Yes, it was hugely disturbing and I felt so much for that poor child. Sadly it is common in society for children in "disfunctional" families to feel that they have nowhere to turn. As I see it the neighbours offered her food, shelter and companionship and the comfort she so desperately needed. I think that if they had been Catholic she would have been drawn to that religion (or whatever religion the neighbours held). I think the programme makers picked Islam because it is controversial and they assumed it would attract viewers. We all need some source of comfort (for me it is my family and my gardening).