Mikeuk

Race inquiry INTO phpbb_lecturer who says blacks are less intelligent
By Liz Lightfoot, Education Correspondent
(Filed: 07/03/2006)

The Commission for Racial Equality has stepped INTO phpbb_a row over a university lecturer who claims that black people are, on average, less intelligent than whites.

Students at Leeds University have called for Dr Frank Ellis to be sacked. But the university says academics have the right to their personal opinions. It will not act unless the students produce evidence of prejudicial treatment, which they have not alleged.

The commission responded last night by demanding an inquiry INTO phpbb_whether the lecturer's views had affected his assessment of students.

Dr Ellis, an expert in Russian literature in the department of modern languages and culture, told a student newspaper that he was a supporter of the late Enoch Powell, the Conservative MP who warned that immigration would lead to "rivers of blood". Dr Ellis also said he would support repatriation if it were done "humanely".

He told the Leeds Student that the British National Party was useful as "a canary" to warn the Government of views on multi-culturalism, which was doomed to failure because "it is based on the lie that all people, races and cultures are equal and that no one race or culture is better than any other".

The student union said it was horrified by Dr Ellis's views. Students are threatening to picket his lectures unless the university "takes all necessary action to remove him".

It said: "We are extremely concerned that students from ethnic minorities, who he claims are inferior, could face discrimination from Dr Ellis's presence on campus."

Dr Ellis said yesterday that while free speech was an issue, so was the question of whether it was true that some races were less intelligent than others for genetic and not environmental reasons.

"The people who want to denounce the evidence as racist or fascist or whatever the latest 'ism' is are trying to stop people considering the argument because they don't want it discussed," he said.

It is not the first time that Dr Ellis has been at the centre of a row. In March 2000 he attended a conference of far-Right groups in the United States where he attacked the findings of the inquiry INTO phpbb_the death of Stephen Lawrence, the black teenager murdered on the streets of London in what the police treated as a racist attack.

He was also criticised for an article on the internet in which he states: "It is considered politically incorrect to say so, but were one to take the 'white' and the 'male' out of science and technology, one would have no science, just witchcraft, third world squalor, misery and mega-incompetence."

Dr Ellis said he stood by the statement. He denied that his views amounted to racism, saying they were based on scientific evidence.

The university issued a statement saying the views expressed by Dr Ellis in the student paper were "abhorrent".

But it added: "Dr Ellis has a right to his personal opinions but he does not have the right to treat students or colleagues in a prejudicial or discriminatory manner. The university has no evidence yet that this has happened."

A spokesman for the Commission for Racial Equality said public bodies were under a duty to promote good relations between people of different racial groups, to promote equality of opportunity between those groups and to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination.

gfnewman

Given the present PC climate, it seems that the student paper which interviewed Dr. Ellis is also acting in an irresponsible way themselves. Having fore-knowledge of what Dr. Ellis would say the student paper set out to incite this row, and to incite racial hatred, and a move to remove Dr. Ellis.

That aside, freedom of speech should be maintained on both sides and I would hope that no action will be taken against someone who clearly has views on a subject that is proving controversial.

The challenge, I believe, is for those who are angered by what Dr. Ellis has been reported as saying is to quell that anger and try to disprove what he says by educated scientific means. It’s too easy to shovel it away with sackings and law suits, but they don’t get down to the heart of the matter, and that is whether what Dr. Ellis has said is, in fact, true.

He might easily have found some scientific evidence to indicate that black people make far better athletes than white people. Would Dr. Ellis have been victimised then?

Galileo had a run-in with the Catholic Church because his ideas didn’t sit well with the thinking of the day. The same with Darwin who claimed we were all descended from apes. Enoch Powell spoke out about immigration with his “rivers of blood” speech.

eublues

I heard this lecturer guy on the Today programme a few days ago, and he did sound a bit naive. If there is an argument to be made about IQ differences between races (there probably is) it needs to be argued with care and recognising the complexity of the issues. For example, the idea of "culture-fair" IQ tests is questionable.

To make uncautious claims about such matters is only free speech in the same way as someone going INTO phpbb_a hotel and shouting "fire".

Tom Collier

The comparison with shouting "fire" doesn`t really stand up because you do not really have a choice about how to react with someone shouting "fire". You have to take it seriously, get everyone out, investigate, call the Fire Brigade etc.

Dr Ellis though is a Russian literature expert who fancies himself as a scientific boffin with some odd views which we can either ignor, look into, support or get upset by. Not the same really as making a hoax alarm.

The CRE has inevitably stepped in to make a national controversy.And so ofcourse Ellis gets his right to reply on Today. I don`t see what Leeds is supposed to investigate if no complaint has been made. Well done to them though for saying that academics can have private political views (and they are political here. He is no scientist, just a supporter of theories). And the amazing thing. These academics have views that are weird and wonderful, sound and wrongheaded. Just like everyone else, except the academics probably go in for more of the "man bites dog" stuff.

brian pearson

I hate the 'shout fire' argument nearly as much as the 'if this saves one life it will be worth it' argument.

C_steam

would someone who propounded the view that whites have smaller lung capacities than blacks also be treated in the same way?

David Holland

I disagree with him, but I don't think he should be sacked.

__________________
More people + no new homes = housing shortage.

Mikeuk

On what basis do you disagree with him?

Wouldn't you say that the state of Africa probably suggests he's right.

David Holland

Well, I think the state of a country does not depend solely on its people's intellegience - otherwise the UAE is probably the brightest country in the world !
To be honest, I am not even sure how you accurately measure intelligence.
I went for a job interview, where because of colour blindness I couldn't do some of the intelligence tests. I was going to complain but I got a good score anyway so didn't.

__________________
More people + no new homes = housing shortage.

Mikeuk

On the basis of empirical observation over many centuries I think it would be reasonable to guess that black Africans are, on average, less intellectually able than Whites, and I include true Arabs as 'whites'

Consider the state of South Africa as it was and where it is going now. Compare the management of UAE with Nigeria, which also has vast wealth.

Why do some people think it is unreasonable to suggest that races differ in average intellect? It used to be taken for granted.

Do people really believe that what Dr Ellis is saying is false or misguided or is it that there are certain truths -eg the Pope breaking wind - which are sheer blasphemy to proclaim?