30 November 2001
Intolerance of members of the black and minority ethnic (BME) community has increased considerably in the past two months, said Saif Ahmad, chief executive of the North London Muslim Housing Association.
Examples included attacks on mosques and women in Islamic attire as well as threats against children.
'BME associations are required to deal with more and more cases of the Muslim as victim and the non-Muslim as perpetrator,' he told the conference. 'As a Muslim, I have to prove that I'm innocent or I feel that I'm guilty.'
Ahmad was speaking as the Housing Corporation announced that race equality and diversity will be built into its new regulatory regime – in line with a recommendation by the recent race and housing inquiry.
Declaring that the 'age of voluntarism is over', the corporation's chief executive, Norman Perry, said enforcement action will be considered if registered social landlords d0 not show improvements in race equality as well as other outcomes when the new system replaces performance standards from next April.
'Housing associations will be judged as much on what they do in this area as in any other area, but it wouldn't be fair to specify what sanction will be applied in this area any more than any other,' he said.
Regional corporation directors are asking RSLs whether they have noticed any increase in racist incidents, ahead of the corporation's board meeting on December 10.
PFnov2001
