The nation is stunned, horrified and angry. As an Asian, Muslim and mother, I am appalled too and also ashamed.
As we now know, hundreds of children in Rotherham were groomed, abused and passed round by men who were Asian and of Pakistani origin. They were mostly young girls from poor or damaged families. Some were in state care. People knew. Rotherham is a small place. Reports produced on this evil were quietly shelved. The local council and police, politicians and 'community leaders' did nothing, zilch. Instead of saving children who were being gang raped, drugged, assaulted, threatened and terrorised, they protected themselves and tried to disprove the victims. The rapists and authorities felt contempt for the victims. They were trash, nothing, daughters from the badlands. Do you think they would have got way with such group crimes in Chelsea or Knightsbridge?
Let me say this loud and clear: the sex fiends are a small minority. Most Asian or Muslim men are not hunting and hurting young white girls. Abusers come from all classes and backgrounds. Jimmy Savile, master of deceptions, was not a well disguised Pakistani. Nor are Max Clifford and BBC presenter Stuart Hall. MP Cyril Smith, who, represented Rochdale, freely abused countless boys. In that same Rochdale Asian grooming gangs have been corrupting young lives.
That said, we Asians must dig deep and recognise that there is something rotten in our cultures, deeper reasons why these men do what they do. Too many of our men have a problem with females. And sex. Only we don't talk about such things. Our languages don't even have words for sexual parts or acts. I want to break this awful conspiracy of silence. We are all taught from an early age to keep secrets, protect our own. Well sod that.
Asian and Arab men dominate and keep their own women 'pure'- hence all those veils and headscarves, the dreadful female oppression within families. Sadly their women too, mostly accept these controls. Mothers spoil their sons who think they can do no wrong. And out there, as society gets more permissive and free, predatory Asian men convince themselves that white girls and young women are gagging for it, that they are promiscuous.
One Pakistani man whose daughter ran away from home told me this: 'To me she is dead. She thought she could be like those English girls, wear short dresses and lipstick, looking like a prostitute. They can do that, not us. We have morals'. These attitudes are widespread.
Demeaning views of white females can be found among the most respectable Asians. The man above is a retired doctor. The daughter, in fact, is being helped by an Asian Women's organisation. She grew up here, has white mates, just wanted some freedom to be. That made her a 'prostitute'. The sex gang victims were 'prostitutes' too, because they were out, mouthy probably, not covered up. The men who destroyed their lives were sadists but their crimes came from a set of attitudes towards white society, attitudes shared by parents, priests, elders and religious teachers.
Will what I say encourage racists? Yes, undoubtedly. But we still must address these issues.
After this scandal, previously unprejudiced white people will have become more hostile to Asians. We must blame the rapists for that, not those of us who are speaking out. As a well-known antiracist, I feel protective towards the girls, not the abusers who happen to have the same skin colour as me. If my child has been ensnared by these gangsters, I would go mad with grief and rage.
What we need is Asian women in Rotherham, and Rochdale, Oxford and Luton, all those places with these sexual hyenas to come out, march with white mums and shout 'These are our daughters' .
Perhaps good men can be with them too, so show their disgust.
Human rights are for all, black, brown and white.