Azeem Rafiq is right – when are we going to be seen as ‘one of us’ rather than ‘one of them’
The experience of the former Yorkshire cricketer will strike a chord with many, writes Salma Shah
English cricket is “institutionally” racist, according to former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq. In uncomfortable and moving testimony at the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, he detailed the years of racist torment he suffered at the hands of teammates and the way in which it was ignored by management.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC), in fairness, looked into the claims of racism – and former chairman, Roger Hutton, told the committee he "fears" the club is institutionally racist – but dismissed the obviously racist language as “banter” and took no action against those responsible. This total failure of leadership has thrown the club and the sport into crisis, resulting in senior resignations and sponsorship being pulled. If Rafiq had not bravely pursued this, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation at all, with the facts of his case being carefully tucked away in the filing cabinets at Headingley.
This is not a problem confined to cricket. Those of us who are second generation children of immigrants still face the classic dilemma of the “dual identity”. But what was once considered a conflict between one’s familial cultural and mainstream society has turned into the conflict between wanting to join society and being rejected by it.
The children of the Commonwealth immigrants that settled in the UK have by and large “adapted”, “assimilated” and “integrated” – all the things they have been asked to do by the authorities. This cohort have faced down racism for years to pursue goals and ambitions to make a contribution to British society. We love our country, support our national teams and pay our taxes. Many communities have pushed into public life too, taking up important positions in the establishment. We only need to look at the cabinet for positive examples. But it just isn’t enough. The bar has risen higher and higher every time it’s met.
What more do we have to do? How much fealty do we have to pay? When are we going to be acknowledged as “one of us” instead of “one of them”?
Like many other sports stars, Azeem Rafiq would pass the infamous Tebbit test – suggested by Conservative politician Norman Tebbit in 1990 to test the loyalty of minority communities by which cricketing nation they supported – with flying colours. But despite it, he was subjected to “otherness”. He was labelled an “elephant washer” and that he was a cornershop “P***”, he was different and relegated to a stereotype to those who mocked and belittled him. It speaks to the ignorance of some players, who’s world view seems to be dominated by their small sense of Englishness. Don't they know that animal conservation is all the rage and probably involves some bathing of elephants? And what’s wrong with coming from a cornershop? Have we not been called a nation of shopkeepers? How very French revolutionist of him.
We can certainly boast in the UK that we are among the most tolerant and welcoming countries in the world and that society is accepting and even encouraging of all its citizens. Opportunity is colour blind, up to a point. But we mistakenly associate racism with extreme views espoused by the few – and ignore the way in which many are ostracised through acceptable snubbing of pretty inoffensive habits, like not drinking. We are still asked to meet impossible subjective standards of some white people.
You know they type. Moderately successful, middle-class and largely male. This chap has never had to work hard at anything, he enjoys the entitlement his accident of birth brings. He is ignorant though educated, a philistine though well-travelled. He appears imperious even though his most obvious attribute is his astounding mediocrity.
We all still live in this man’s world and even though it has come at a price, Azeem Rafiq’s stand is a challenge we need, saying loud and clear that we deserve better than this.