Minorities make a mark

"That this House takes note of the contribution made by ethnic and religious communities to the cultural life and economy of the United Kingdom, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the formation of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE).” This motion moved by Lord Karan Bilimoria in the House of Lords on May 24, 2012 and his accompanying speech was debated by the peers for nearly two-and-a-half hours thereafter.

Lord Karan Bilimoria: an inspiration

Tracing the history of the Zoroastrian faith and its adherents who facing persecution in Iran took refuge in India, Bilimoria cited the names of outstanding members of the community who have risen to become legends. "Proud to be the first Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in your Lordships’ House,” Bilimoria happily recounted the contribution of members of his family and others who had distinguished themselves in the British Armed Forces before adding, "I am disappointed that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not yet allowed the Zoroastrian community to be represented at the annual Cenotaph (war memorial in Whitehall) ceremony each Remembrance Day. Can the minister ask her cabinet colleagues to rectify this anomaly?”
Bilimoria also spoke strongly about the "immigration cap” which he described as a "madcap idea and a crude and blunt instrument.” As he mentioned, "Immigrants from all ethnic minorities and religions have been the making of the ‘Great’ in Great Britain. They have been crucial to Britain’s success, contributing enormously to the economic and cultural life of Britain and enriching it in every way by punching far above our weight. One example is the Asian community which makes up just four percent of the population of Britain yet contributes double that percentage to our economy… Foreign students bring up to eight billion pounds a year in revenue into our country, both direct and indirect… I know from my experience as a member of the advisory board of the Cambridge, Cranfield and Birmingham business schools that we have seen the number of applications from Indian students, for example, plummet. This is so shortsighted when student numbers should not be included in immigration figures to start off with. Would the minister ask her colleagues to once again look into removing students from immigration figures? Yes, the Government needs to crack down on phoney students and, yes, they need to crack down on bogus colleges, but why tar everyone with the same brush?”
The Lord was also concerned that the immigration cap is affecting business. Since his Cobra Beer supplies 98 percent of the UK’s Indian restaurants, two-thirds of which are owned and run by Bangla­deshis, he knew that they are unable to bring in skilled staff — the chefs — which they so desperately require. "This industry has been an inspiration to me. It is made up of pioneering entrepreneurs who have gone to every corner of Great Britain, opened up restaurants on every high street, won customers and made friends, put back into their local communities and made Indian food a part of the British way of life…Can the minister look into this with her cabinet colleagues and see what can be done to help this important industry?”

ZTFE members with representatives of other faiths come together for "A Year of Service”

Alluding to the Queen being presented a special necklace with symbols from the nine recognized faiths of the UK on the occasion of her diamond jubilee this year Bilimoria commented, "Britain prides itself on being a secular and multicultural society where all religions are allowed to be practiced and where all races, communities and cultures coexist side by side. There is a word however that I do not like: tolerance. I believe not that all this should be tolerated but that it should be celebrated.”
Giving credit to Great Britain contributing to the success of minorities, Bilimoria acknowledged, "In this country, renowned around the world for its sense of fairness and opportunity for all and where the glass ceiling has been shattered, the wonderful thing is that when people from minority, ethnic and religious communities do well, they reach the top. Their achievement creates inspiration which creates aspiration…That is the magnifying, multiplying and inspiring power…We are a tiny nation, yet we are still one of the 10 largest economies in the world with hardly any natural resources. The one resource that we have is our people and among our people it is the minority, ethnic and religious communities who punch far above their weight.”
Thereafter several Lords and Baronesses including Baroness Sayeeda Warsi who wound up the debate acclaimed the contributions of all ethnic and religious minorities and praised the interfaith movement that brings about better understanding between diverse communities. Seated in the visitors’ gallery of the House of Lords were members of the Zoroastrian contingent that included ZTFE president Malcolm Deboo who in an e-mail two days prior had written, "We express our deep gratitude to our patron Lord Bilimoria for all that he has done and continues to do for us. Within a short span of time he has established a well deserved reputation for making strong contributions in the House of Lords…” Others present included Noshir Avari, Rusi and Roshan Dalal, Dorab Mistry, Gul Bilimoria, Behram Sethna, Zarin and Behram Dastur, Nawaz and Jamshed Irani, Navaz and Jal Tata, Rohinton Khajotia, Soonoo Malkani and Zerbanoo Gifford.
In fact Gifford earned a special mention from Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon, Labour’s leader in the House of Lords, who stated, "The anniversary of the formation of the ZTFE offers us an opportunity to say thank you to those who are using their faith as a tool for good in the world. Creative, courageous, entrepreneurial and industrious they have made and continue to make a huge impact on our lives — from the Tata family to Freddie Mercury. Another example is Zerbanoo Gifford, a tireless campaigner for justice and human rights and a passionate advocate for democracy and women’s empowerment…”
Five days later, on May 29, as part of the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebration, the Chief Rabbi Lord Sachs initiated a debate on the work of interfaith communities. Responding to the debate, Baroness Hanham, minister in the department for communities and local government made some complimentary reference to the Zoroastrian community that was shared by former ZTFE president Dorab Mistry. In her words, "This jubilee year the government is facilitating a program — "A Year of Service” — to celebrate and link up social action. Every month each of nine faith communities in turn is hosting a day of volunteering around the country and inviting people of other faiths and beliefs to join in. Each Day of Service is linked to either a religious festival or an existing volunteering day and each has a theme…For example, this March, the Zoroastrian community marked the Iranian New Year by bringing music and laughter to old people’s homes and hospices in different parts of London…”