Multiculturalism has failed: Nicolas Sarkozy

PARIS - French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that multiculturalism had failed, echoing the growing concerns about the issue among a number of world leaders or ex-leaders, including British Prime Minister David Cameron.

“We have been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving him,” The Telegraph quoted Sarkozy as saying in a television interview in which he declared the concept a “failure”.

Last month, Cameron had criticised “state multiculturalism” in his first speech on radicalisation and had also emphasised on the need of a stronger national identity to stop young Muslims being radicalised and tempted into terrorism.

“We don’t tolerate racism in our society carried out by white people; we shouldn’t tolerate extremism carried out by other people. It certainly means changing the practice, changing the groups you fund, the people you engage . . .the people you let into the country. It needs a whole new way of thinking,” Cameron had said.

He had also indicated that tougher action should be taken against some Muslim groups who receive public money, but do little to tackle extremism.erman Chancellor Angela Merkel, Australia’s former Prime Minister John Howard and former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar have also said in the recent months that multicultural policies have not successfully integrated immigrants. (ANI)