We believe that a far-right group is behind the desecration of graves in Birmingham, with an attempt to divide the Black and Asian communities in Birmingham. An urgent news alert on Ligali has the same view:

As an African British organisation who has been operating for a number of years in the UK, we have never encountered any information about an organisation called the ‘Black Nation’. We have contacted several organisations and trusted sources in Birmingham to ascertain whether they have heard of this alleged group.

BBC article here. We are of the view that someone is getting a kick out of exploiting existing tensions. We urge you not to let unsubstantiated claims effect your thinking without knowing all the facts.

Sunny adds: There has been tensions between the African and Asian communities in Birmingham (nowhere else), and this is an issue we have to resolve. The latest developments however look like the work of the far-right and we urge people not to let us be divided further.

Blick says the same. It may be the RVF.

Al-Hack adds: Adding to this couldron of hatred, two men: Waseem Mughal and Younis Tsouli, from west London, both 22, were charged with conspiracy to murder and to cause an explosion. Idiots!

I write this as a heterosexual man. This isn’t meant to be patronising and i hope it doesn’t read that way.

The depiction of any minority or subgroup of ‘wider’ society always has a tendency towards clichés. The media highlights the differences between communities as a way of distinguishing between them; there is nothing inherently wrong in that, but it does lend itself to stereotypes and bigotry. During and immediately after the civil rights movement in the US, the depiction and characterisation of African-Americans started to focus through blaxploitation inspired individuals. The legacy of that is a bigotry amongst some of how they believe ‘black’ people (all black people) behave.

For her courage in speaking out against her brutal rape in Pakistan, Mukhtar Mai, aka Mukhtaran Bibi, has become internationally known as a campaigner for women’s rights.

In fact she has become so well-known that the insensitive jerk commonly known as President Musharraf had a stupendous bout of foot-in-mouth disease (rather lot of that going around) a few weeks back when he said Pakistani women who wanted to get a visa or make money would get themselves raped.

Mukhtar was awarded the Woman of the Year prize last night by Glamour magazine in a lavish New York ceremony. It smells slightly of opportunism though – the rape happened three years ago and since then everyone under the sun has interviewed her and discussed women right’s in Pakistan. Glamour’s come late to this party!