GEOFF Brown of the Anti-Nazi League is quite right (Yours Truly, August 24) to point to the possibility of this country being enriched by its multi-ethnic communities.

People from abroad bring with them new religions, new languages, new ideas about morality and culture, new ways of thought generally. Perhaps the best example of this is the Jewish community's enormous and distinguished contribution to the life of this country.

But diversity in itself does not, inevitably, lead to society's enrichment. Enrichment is a possibility, not a certainty.

There are far to many culturally diverse communities which have been characterised by conflict and even bloodshed for us to be complacent about this. Examples: Yugoslavia after Tito, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Canada, Northern Ireland and indeed, the USA after the passing of the Civil Rights Act 1964 and the rejection of the "melting pot" theory of race relations. How far can this country be said to have benefited from its transformation from a broadly mono-racial to a multi-racial society? Well, we can point to some examples of a positive outcome, e.g. the educational success of the Indian community, the seriousness of Islam's commitment to worship, the creation of jobs by ethnic minority entrepreneurs, and the professional contribution of ethnic minority doctors and nurses.

But there are also many negative outcomes: forced marriages masquerading as arranged marriages; ethnic minority connections with the drugs trade; the massively disproportionate level of back street crime; the appalling practice amongst some groups of female genital mutilation; the failure of far too many to learn the English language, a factor which the present government is just beginning to recognise, and the very worrying phenomenon of the race riot.

There have, over the past 40 years or so, been race riots in the following places: Birmingham, Brixton, Moss Side, Notting Hill, Nottingham, Southall, Tottenham, Toxteth, Oldham, Burnley and Bradford.

And we should never forget the public book burning in Bradford in connection with the denial of free speech to Salman Rushdie, an action which must have done immense damage to the Muslim cause and which did no good whatsoever for race relations.

So the picture is a very mixed one and different people will take different views about how far this country has been enriched by its cultural diversity. How far can we ensure positive rather than negative outcomes? I suggest that the following factors are important:

The aggressive promotion of multiculturalism by such bodies as the Commission for Racial Equality and the Race Equality Councils must stop. There is no evidence that most people want multiculturalism and I suspect that most people would be happy to see the abolition of the race relations lobby.

The principle of harmonious integration, which is not the same as assimilation, must be the basis for all race relations policy-making. There must be an obligation on all newcomers to learn the English language as soon as possible.

There must be a clear and enforced understanding of all concerned that strict control of immigration is a prerequisite of good race relations.

The scandal of bogus asylum-seeking must be stopped.

I believe that, given these broad principles, this country may well benefit from being a multi-racial society. But I have little hope that we have a political class with the courage and vision to do what is necessary.

RAY HONEYFORD,

Wragby Close, Bury.