Scotland Against Racism
RACIST???
Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw added: ''If you spoke against somebody who was gay, you would be homophobic; if you spoke against someone who was black, you would be racist. If you say that people are anti-Scottish because they belong to a different political party, that is a form of political racism. "It is absolutely disgraceful and has no part in our politics.
Mr Salmond later moved to distance himself from the row, with his official spokesman failing to back Ms McAlpine on three separate occasions during a press briefing.
He instead characterised the opposition parties as ''anti-independence''.
The Campaign
Most Scots believe they are not racists and would like to live in a country free from prejudice. Racist incidents are still continuing to rise, according to the most recent figures a total of 5243 racist incidents took place in 2007/08.
The Scottish Government is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and social justice for all those who live in Scotland. This means tackling discrimination and prejudice and challenging the systems, behaviour and attitudes that cause or sustain them. One Scotland: No Place for Racism is the Scottish Government campaign designed to tackle racism.
It aims to raise awareness of racist attitudes, highlight its negative impact and recognise the valuable contributions that other cultures have made to our society – and make Scotland no place for racism.
As Scotland continues to flourish, we are committed to creating a modern Scotland where people from all over the world can bring their talents and skills, make a contribution and help shape Scotland’s future. History has shown us that in times of economic uncertainty it is all too easy for communities to become divided. It is vitally important for communities - of all ethnicities and faiths - to stand together, united. Together we are stronger and we must never forget that.
“Scotland is a nation of many cultures and beliefs, we have a reputation for being a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit. However, even today, sadly, racism still occurs and lets us down as a nation. That’s why the Scottish Government has developed a new phase of activity under the award winning One Scotland anti-racism campaign. The campaign needs to continually evolve and adapt to meet the challenges facing communities. This year has seen the third series of our Rock Against Racism gigs, carrying the One Scotland message to a younger audience informing young people about the damaging effects of racism in Scotland and encouraging them to celebrate our country’s cultural diversity. We must stand together as One Scotland to tackle the challenges which we face as a nation, only by working together can we all prosper in an equal modern Scotland.” - Alex Neil MSP, Minister for Housing and Communities,
