Missing children in Bradford
“More than 30 girls are missing from schools in Bradford despite efforts to track them down, MPs have been told. Authorities suspect 33 children from the city have been “taken abroad to participate in forced marriages”, Labour MP Keith Vaz said.
Children’s minister Kevin Brennan told the Commons Home Affairs committee that the issue was a “serious concern”. The government had identified 14 other areas with suspected high rates of so-called “honour violence”, he added … Mr Brennan told MPs that Bradford City Council had lost track of 205 youngsters aged under 16 from its school rolls in 2007. Following inquiries, 172 were tracked down – but 33 were left unaccounted for.”
It is good to see that this issue is getting the attention it deserved. Too often in the past some schools have not made enough effort to track down British Asian children who stopped turning up to school, as it was widely assumed that they had simply being taken back to South Asia. As Jasvinder Sanghera said to the Home Affairs Committee two weeks ago, this is basically a racist attitude, since a vanishing white child will provoke a much more vigorous response from the schools. I just hope that yesterday’s hearing has a lasting impact on the way schools deal with children who have been forced in marriage abroad.
| Post to del.icio.us |
Filed in: Cultural Relativism, Current affairs
‘Authorities suspect 33 children from the city have been “taken abroad to participate in forced marriages”,’
Why do they suspect this? Is it because of their ethnic background? The report does state that authorities contacted 172 others.
If I lived in Bradford and then moved to Leicester during this period, would I be suspected of being forced into marriage? Bizarre.
I’m always surprised that the “Respect Party” and its MP have nothing to say about this
‘I’m always surprised that the “Respect Party” and its MP have nothing to say about this.
I suspect, rightly, they would say why has the media tried to smear a section of the Bradford citizenry with the false claims of 205 children being forced into marriage. And ask why disappearances of children across the board is given such low priority, including these 33.
Rumbold, would it not be reasonable for you now to tell us how the 172 disappeared re-appeared? There might be a story there too.
Who cares if the 33 kids disappeared because they were being forced married or if they moved to Totenham.
The issue is that we need to know what has happened to the children.
Maybe its just the imperialist yankee in me, but I don’t suspect Bradford is all that big, and for a small place to have 30 girls disappear should be a pretty big deal no matter what has happened. Of course, the fact that its girls would, oh, I don’t know, be somewhat of a hint!
By the way, this huge pakistani hit film, Khuda Kay Liyay, covers the area of forced marriages very effectively. The girl goes from London to Northern Pakistan.
Pretty dope soundtrack.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuda_Ke_Liye
Bradford is a large metropolitan area with a population of around 700K. It has a huge, largely Muslim, Asian population – if memory serves they comprise about 40% of the Cities population (but not the District as a whole).
Anne Cryer, ever excellant Labour MP for Keighley, has been campaigning about this for years – usually to condemnations and accusations of racism from, ahem, community leaders. Heaven forbid shes sees girls as human beings and citizens rather then walking baby boy makers and resources to be auctioned off…..
If 33 white kids disappear from school registers should we blame it on parental drink fuelled neglect or the breakdown of the family where ppl change partners every other month?
Refresh:
Some of them probably moved to other parts of the UK and did not inform the school, which would explain why 172 of the 205 were later found. However, as Ali Eteraz says, if children suddenly stop coming to school and cannot be found then the school’s reaction should be pretty ardent. Given that some of 33 probably were forced into marriage (as there have been plenty of cases when this has happened), I am not sure why anyone is smearing people in Bradford. Nobody is saying that everyone in Bradford is marrying their children off, but at the same time nearly three dozen children have gone missing from a medium-sized city.
Ashik:
We should certainly try and find out why children went missing, rather than worry about offending people who force their children into marriage.
“‘I’m always surprised that the “Respect Party” and its MP have nothing to say about this”
Am sure GG will find a way to blame Jews, Israelis and Neocons in some way…..
Rumbold:
‘We should certainly try and find out why children went missing’
Agreed this should be the priority.
However, speculating that these 33 children are involved in forced marriage and tying certain communities into this practice deflects us from this priority. As does pointless carping about Respect and GG. They’re going to be finished at the next election when Bethnal Green falls to Rushnara Ali and Labour.
Ashik – ‘Why do they suspect this? Is it because of their ethnic background?’
I would imagine so, yes. What’s your point?
Given a straight choice between stepping on the toes of ‘ethnic groups’ (whatever that means in this day and age) or finding vanished children, I think that the balance lies in favour of the latter.
Ashik, people in the UK are quite capable of respecting diverse cultures and are are quite capable of recognising differing ways of life. That however does not mean that we have to bend our knee to every taboo.
I would expect the authorities to follow up cases of vanishing children rigorously, I would expect all cultures to recognise the imperative without diving for cover behing allegations of racial bias.
Rumbold
You might not smear a section of Bradford citizens, but there seems to be plenty in the media who seem to delight in it.
I suggest the issues are split and dealt with accordingly. If you can genuinely say that the media coverage is not without an agenda then that’s fine – that will be your position.
If as most of us know and some happy to support the tabloid agenda at demonisation then it is right for the rest of us to challenge it as best we can.
The reported 3-digit disapperances have been around for a while and has been used repeatedly to castigate a section of the community; but its only now we realise its not over 200 hundred. But I imagine the tabloids are not interested in correcting their initial coverage. I do not imagine that they have the welfare of the children at heart unlike like you or me.
So what I was suggesting to you is that there is a parallel story which is the coverage and that agenda. It would be a pretty decent thing to do to draw up a table of where these 170+ children were traced to. Do not assume or presume.
With regards the remaining 30+ children, it is vitally important that all agencies, and schools are able to respond as early-warning systems, do all they can to identify vulnerable young people and act accordingly.
And given in the area we are still hoping that the missing schoolgirl, Shannon, is found unharmed – it would be a good thing to deal with the issue initially as missing children enquiries. Presumably that should give the enforcement agencies as much power as they could want.
And if necessary shame the parents where there is collusion. It needs to be stamped on.
But being disingenuous ain’t the way.
‘Am sure GG will find a way to blame Jews, Israelis and Neocons in some way…..’
Grow up, or better still stay on topic.
MaidMarina.
My reading of what Ashik is saying, do something about it – but do not stereotype, and do not presume.
Running debates based on presumptions, prejudices and stereotypes is no debate.
Damn right refresh
“Ashik, people in the UK are quite capable of respecting diverse cultures and are are quite capable of recognising differing ways of life. That however does not mean that we have to bend our knee to every taboo”
I think that is spot on and I also think that 99% of people who swing past this site do display those abilities.
Forced marriages are abhorrent and need to be addressed. The recent refusal by some secondary schools in areas with high numbers of ethnic minority pupils to co-operate with the (I think) DCLG campaign to highlight the issue is very troubling.
Refresh, GG is a first order cock and I reserve the right, this been a free country and all (Unlike the countries GG has a hard on for) to take the piss out of him and his sad little communulist back to the middle ages party as much as possible.
TCH
But do stay on topic, like the rest of us.
‘The recent refusal by some secondary schools in areas with high numbers of ethnic minority pupils to co-operate with the (I think) DCLG campaign to highlight the issue is very troubling.’
I wasn’t aware of this. Given schools are highly responsible bodies, do you want to elaborate on their reasons? Assuming you are correct of course, and there is such a thing as DCLG(?) and that they themselves are doing what you presume they are trying to do. In a responsible way.
Refresh – ‘MaidMarina. [sic]
My reading of what Ashik is saying, do something about it – but do not stereotype, and do not presume.
Running debates based on presumptions, prejudices and stereotypes is no debate.’
Granted, some in the ethnic minority communities may well feel tarred by the same brush. Candidly, if they stand so close to those at whom the tar rightly is aimed it is not easy to miss. It may well be that there are stereotypes – tough, frankly. I will leave others to consider how justified the stereotype is in sections of communities.
Ashik may well want something done about these vanishings, I do not question his/her intent. I would be interested to know s/he proposes to tackle the vanishings of British Asian children without shining a spotlight on sections of the British Asian Community.
Refresh,
DCLG – Department for Communities and Local Government, Whitehall in other words.
Either they or an NGO have been running an awareness raising campaign, an element was a poster and thats where the poor response from Secondary Schools started.
Ch4 News might still have a link and the story on their site.
Apologies for the vagueness but am not in a situation where I can check up. Will be this weekend and will investigate.
TCH
MaidMarian
‘I would be interested to know s/he proposes to tackle the vanishings of British Asian children without shining a spotlight on sections of the British Asian Community.’
Its not the tar and brush that’s at work.
‘Tough, frankly’ – maybe, but irresponsible too.
Better to focus on getting results than joining the frenzy.
Thanks TCH. Look forward to more info.
so far it seems the schools may have objected to the posters. I can presume many reasons why. But will wait for more when you have the time and access.
‘would be interested to know s/he proposes to tackle the vanishings of British Asian children’
If one dispenses with media hysteria and finger pointing then one can work with community centres and mosques in the area to locate the children. Those kids almost certainly attended after school Pakistani/Islamic mokhtobs (classes). Their extended family members no doubt reside in the area and regularly come to Friday prayers. A mosque announcement ought to suffice. In fact the local council should be organising talks at mosques warning ppl about the dangers of forced marriages, if they aren’t already.
And another aspect is that it is depressingly common in the Asian community for kids to be taken out of school for extended visits to BD, Ind, Pak. Especially to visit relatives on their death bed. Are local authorities liaising with the FMU section of BHC Islamabad?
Cheers
Have deadline and grumpy boss.
Does anyone else remember this Ch4 or Newsnight story?
If only PP wasn’t so interesting!
TCH
Bangladeshi (Sylheti) and Pakistani (Mirpuri) parents have a propensity to flock back to their villages in the motherland for months on end. Which is fine, except they take their children with them, utterly disrupting their schooling and ultimately their educations, since they simply end up being unschooled for these “holiday” periods.
I’d say that this cold be a significant reason behind the poor performance of inner city Bangladeshi and Pakistani children in schools?
The Common Humanist,
“Am sure GG will find a way to blame Jews, Israelis and Neocons in some way…..”
Seriously must you charicature him that way? Does story give you an oppurtunity, not to find out what has happened to some of your fellow citizens but to lambast your political opponent?
Am sure TCH will find a way to blame Respect, GG, and SWP in some way…
Ashik:
Well, it is a line of inquiry. That does not mean that it should be the only line, but as children have disappeared from school before and ended up married, it would be silly not to investigate this possibility.
Refresh:
It was 205, but now most of the children have been accounted for. I agree that the tabloids should point this out, and as you say, press doubly hard for information about the whereabouts of the remaining 33.
I will look for that information, but I suspect that it is not easily accessible, especially with the data protection act.
The example I have is from Derby:
http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/1719#comments
To quote er… me.
Bikhair:
Two things:
“Seriously must you charicature him that way? Does story give you an oppurtunity, not to find out what has happened to some of your fellow citizens but to lambast your political opponent?”
1. GG rarely needs any help, he is a walking caricature. But I enjoy takling the piss out of him and his merry band of medievalists.
2. Am very interested in what happened to those poor girls. As I mentioned earlier, Anne Cryer has been campaigning on this for years – often in the face of ‘Elder’ opposition. Try reading my posts.
Lee John Barnes:
A link would be nice.
And yet the Left still run around looking for the fake witches and pseudo-phantoms of ‘fascism’ and racism like the old style witch finders.
Your rant is a perfectly good description of your own blog. This for example.
Lee John Barnes:
Perhaps reading the article you linked to might be of some assistance. Human meat was not being sold as bush meat (which implies cannibalism), but sold for vodoo purposes after smuggled in. Still disgusting I agree, but hardly cannibalism.