Archbishop of York Condemns Racism Amid Big Brother Race Row

|PIC1|The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu has criticised racism as he joined the Big Brother race row.

He commented that there is an "ugly underbelly in society only too ready to point the finger at the foreigner, or those who might not fit in".

Dr Sentamu's comments came as he gave the 20th Martin Luther King Memorial Lecture in London, with a call for the country to overcome and cast out "the four modern demons of our time" - idolatry, materialism, militarism, and racism.

He compared racism in society with the hospital superbug MRSA in the human body as he said it "is the worst enemy because it attacks directly community organs and all its component parts".

The archbishop, who turned down an invitation to appear on Celebrity Big Brother, said it was everyone's duty to tackle racism head-on, both publicly and in private, from "whatever quarter it rears its vicious head".

"The events of the past week on our television screens have reminded us only too well of Dr King's famous dictum that 'ignorance is the root of all prejudice'," Dr Sentamu said.

"Sadly ignorance is not in short supply. Racism is real. As the week's events on reality television demonstrate, there is an ugly underbelly in society only to ready to point the finger at the foreigner, or those who might not fit in.

"But much more worrying than the soap opera silliness of Big Brother, were the comments of the judge this week who, rather than chiding a defendant for racially abusive comments towards a police doctor, advised the defendant on how to insult Asian people in such a way that he didn't end up in court.

"The eradication of racism is a serious task for all of us. It isn't some optional liberal gesture towards minorities.

"Racism, like MRSA to a human body, is the worst enemy because it attacks directly community organs and all its component parts.

"It's our duty and responsibility to tackle racism head-on - publicly and privately - from whatever quarter it rears its vicious head."