It is amusing when people who do not really know our community well comment on how we get on with each other. Because the basic fact is that we do not.

In reality misguided and mischievous points of view are reflected in our community to such a degree that they curb the natural instinct to help other ethnics in need, or be able to jointly organise a campaign or movement.

It might seem a little patronizing to put us all in the same pigeon hole and assume that we are all the same in mind, opinion and political persuasion - but there is a great deal to be said about having a collective approach to matters which concern us all.

For instance, there was a huge outcry when the Gulf war took place last year - with the invasion, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq and regime change.

Initially there was a lot of huff and puff, but when it came to the marches in the North West - there were frankly more people from Greenpeace and the Anti Nazi movement than ethnic minorities. And now that the dust has settled, as well as the Americans and British troops, we don't seem to have the same sort of opinions. As one local councilor said on the doorstep of a potential voter 'The war in Iraq does not affect us Asians in here, does it?'

Whether we are people of our word or whether we have the courage of our convictions matters little in the whole scheme of things, but what does matter is the continuous shifting of our positions.

On the one hand we decry that there is a huge rise in anti-Asian sentiment, and then on the other hand some celebrated England being knocked out of the European Championships - thus handing the initiative right back to fascists.

So if we don't support England who exactly shall we support? How about the French, who have recently banned the wearing of headscarves in schools. What about Italy then? Did you hear the one of about their leader Silvio Berlusconi calling the Islamic faith, 'barbaric and outdated'.

It was a fantastic sight seeing young Asian kids with their England flags and shirts during the recent competition, and even if some indigenous members of the community cannot accept this - that is simply not the point. This is our country and we will support it just as much as anyone else. And no one is going to tell me that when Darius Vassell missed the penalty against Portugal that it hurt me any less because I am brown.

Muslims are being persecuted in their hundreds and thousands in Palestine. They are prisoners within their own homes, and this is according to western observers. The systematic brutality against them is being orchestrated with the help and funding by major companies around the world.

You and I are funding this enterprise by purchasing products by these organizations. We may have the best trainers in school yard, we may eat comfortably in town at a fast food joint. We may even give our new born babies the very best in comfort with their nappies - but we are all contributing that little bit to the desecration of the holy land in Palestine.

But if someone comes along wanting to change that situation by helping our people in the Middle East - this is greeted with scorn and ridicule. And even those who sympathise simply shrug their shoulders and say, 'What difference can we make?

We all have our opinions about what is going on in the world, but when it comes to direct action through our pockets or through choice of what we purchase - we are going against views and priorities. We are all hypocrites to a certain degree, and sometimes it is difficult to compromise choice for beliefs. But it isn't good enough not to choose an ethical product or service because it is a few pence more expensive. If that is the case then we must simply sell ourselves to the highest bidder.

The success of products such as Mecca and Qibla Cola give rise to the opinion that we can indeed make a big difference. The successful communities in this country are the ones that pull all their resources together, it appears at times that we are trying our very best to pull each other apart. If we want a bigger voice in this country then we have to make our judgements more cohesive and unambiguous, rather than the thinking about the bottom dollar.

The views in this column are not neccesarily those of the Editor or the Newspaper.