Dame Louise Casey produced her report on social integration on December 5 and within it she stressed that Muslim women should not be forced to remove their veil when working in public roles. Instead public bodies should exercise wisdom when recruiting.
Dame Casey's year-long study, entitled, 'The Casey Review: A review into opportunity and integration,' took statements from more than 800 people and researched various minority groups in Britain, however the focus was primarily on the Muslim community.
The #Casey Review: a review into opportunity and integration — Publications — GOV.UK #uk https://t.co/2UVSqY4FNX
— Elham Manea (@ElhamManea) December 5, 2016
Excellent report out by Dame Louise Casey on migration and pace of change. Much of what I have been saying for years https://t.co/0zhdMjTwIB
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) 5 December 2016
The report found seriously high levels of social and economic isolation in certain places and cultural religious practices in communities. Dame Casey said in the report that some of these practices are not only holding the citizens within those communities back, but they also run contrary to British values and laws.
"Inequality within certain communities in these highly-segregated areas is getting worse, not better," Dame Casey said in a recent interview.
The Casey Review is important for London & the country — improving social integration & building cohesive communities is a priority for me.
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) December 5, 2016
"I will die in the ditch for people in this country to wear whatever they want frankly, in their own homes and in their own livelihood," she added.
MP Chuka Umunna welcomed the report, saying that it was an "important review" that needed to be done.
"Tackling segregation and increasing integration is not about attributing blame and attacking immigrants, be they recent arrivals or those who arrived decades ago," MP Umunna said in his online statement.
However, the Muslim community hit back at Dame Casey's comments and said that this report was a 'missed opportunity.'
Dame Louise Casey's review into integration has just come out. My statement on it as @IntegrationAPPG Chair is here> https://t.co/qSxg6icxyq
— Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) 5 December 2016
"We need to improve integration, and it needs to involve the active participation of all Britons, not just Muslims. As former Prime Minister David Cameron has stated, 'integration is a two-way street,'" the Muslim Council of Britain secretary general, Harun Khan.
"The report has little discussion on white flight, and could have delved deeper into the economic structural barriers to integration," he added.
The chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, Mohammed Shafiq, was also critical of the report.
"We are saddened that once again British Muslims have become a political football which is bashed from time to time without any regard for the impact this has on individuals who then are subjected to threats and violence," Mohammed Shafiq said in a recent interview.
The report from Dame Casey has highlighted various areas in British society that need to be addressed, with racial tension and misogyny being two of the key topics.
However, it has faced condemnation from those in the Muslim community who believe the UK government is treating them unfairly, using them as a political tool and ignoring the critical points that impact the Muslim community.
