One of Scotland’s most prominent lawyers says racism is endemic in our society.
Aamer Anwar was reacting to new research published this week showing that ethnic and religious minorities in the UK were still suffering “strikingly high” levels of abuse, discrimination and even physical violence.
He said: “This doesn’t come as any surprise. Racism still exists. It’s endemic, it’s institutional, it’s overt, it’s covert. People are already pointing to Humza Yousaf and saying Scotland has an Asian First Minister, the glass ceiling is smashed, but it’s not true.
“We have no senior black prosecutors, no senior black police officers, no senior black figures in our institutions. We can be highly educated and motivated, yet still have difficulty getting the jobs and the promotions.
“If we raise this in public, we face a backlash and I know it from personal experience, with religion a particular target for hatred. We are not all Jock Tamson’s bairns.”
He added: “You find that even when you’re the victim of racism, you have to prove it, you always have to justify your existence.
“In 1995, I was awarded damages for an unprovoked and brutal assault by the police. Everyone told me I had no chance. But I won the case.
“Almost 30 years later, I remain the only person of colour ever to win damages in Scotland over an unprovoked police assault. How many others have there been? How many officers have been charged or even dismissed? Where is the progress?”
Police Scotland acknowledged the force was not “immune to racism” but said they were working to “address concerns”.
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