Jack Straw should probably keep his mouth shut

As has been pointed out here and here (or go straight to the source of the data used in these posts). Just to  add the data for Derbyshire, where the case that started the furore occurred: of the 666 people arrested for sexual offences in 2007/08, 2.9 per cent defined their own ethnicity as Pakistani, compared with 85.3 per cent who self-defined as White British. So very similar to Straw's Lancashire, then, and broadly in line with the ethnic composition of the area, I should think.

Naturally we have to be careful with the stats. Police arrests do not necessarily provide a good estimate of the extent of criminal activity in an area. But the MoJ report does at least provide some evidence, in marked contrast to the not-so-considered remarks of Straw et al. who seem to seem so ready to extrapolate from this one (very nasty) case to the views, and indeed actions, of large numbers of British Pakistani men.

It seems to me that the self-justifications of these two scumbags are essentially identical to those always used by men who abuse women - 'she was asking for it', 'she wanted it', 'she was wearing a short skirt' etc. etc. That in this case the excuses may have been given a cultural gloss is in no a sense a reason to tar a whole community with the brush of 'potential rapists'. As others have pointed out the similarities with the Black rapist moral panic of the 1970s and 80s are striking.

I very much doubt that Jack Straw is racist. But his comments will provide succour to those who either are, or are so concerned with selling newspapers that they'll whip up any story, no matter how ill-founded, in an attempt to shift a few more copies. Wouldn't it be nice if politicians looked at the data (in this case produced by the department they themselves used to head) before making public pronouncements. You know, thought a little before opening their mouths.

Hopelessly idealistic, I know.