“The Commission for Racial Equality boss, Trevor Phillips, opened the floodgates to this erroneous debate about multiculturalism two years ago. Like the BBC newsreader George Alagiah, writing in yesterday’s Daily Mail, he blamed the ‘policies of multiculturalism’ for the alienation and radicalisation of British Muslims. Both men are prominent, powerful public figures and their views make front-page news. The damage they are causing to good race relations cannot be underestimated. ”

Simon Woolley at the Guardian’s Comment is Free, 22 August 2006,