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White victim of racist killing

By Shyam Bhatia in London
March 22, 2004 18:51 IST
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When racial violence erupts in the UK, it is always Asians and blacks who are at the receiving end. But now a recent murder of a Scottish teenager bears all the hallmarks of a racist killing.

Kriss Donald, 15, was abducted by a gang of five, described by police as Asians, and bundled into a car near his home in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow last Monday. His badly bruised body was found the next day near a football  supporters' club in another part of the city.

Claims that Kriss had been killed by one of Glasgow's notorious Pakistani youth gangs have prompted a local MP to warn Pakistan's diplomatic mission in the UK that suspects sought in the killing may apply for visas.

Pakistan-born MP, Mohammed Sarwar, confirmed he had contacted Pakistani diplomats in London and Glasgow following the killing.

 "If the suspects fled the country it might be to Pakistan or it could be to any other European country where you don't even need a visa," says Sarwar.

"I alerted the Pakistani authorities in Glasgow and London to the fact and we co-ordinated with the police and asked them to provide the names of the suspects to the authorities.

"These people have terrorised the community over years. They are criminals and gangsters, drug dealers and car thieves, you name it. And many of their victims are from the Asian community."

Local police have rejected claims by the British National Party that they are partly responsible for Kriss's murder because they did not heed warnings that such an incident would occur and had abandoned a move to clamp down on violent Asian youth gangs in the south side of Glasgow.

BNP chairman Nick Griffin, met with party supporters and local residents in Pollokshields the weekend before gathering with Scottish BNP officials to talk to the media outside Glasgow police headquarters.

A police spokesman commented,  "I would not ascribe to the BNP's view. Race relations in the area are good and that is evident in the relative lack of tension here since the incident."

Elsewhere in the UK, a more familiar story is attracting public interest following claims by an Asian housewife that she is the victim of discrimination by her local golf club.

Uganda-born Sheila Williams has launched a legal action against Woodbridge Golf Club in Suffolk which she says has refused to admit her as a member because of "an underlying racial element."

The club denies racism is the reason why it has turned down the membership application of Mrs Williams who is married to a white millionaire. A special meeting of all 700 members of the club has now been called to decide whether Mrs Williams should be admitted.

 

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Shyam Bhatia in London