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Floral tributes to Kalan Kawa Karim have been left
on the street where he was murdered in Swansea.
The Iraqi Kurd, 29, was attacked close to the
Kingsway in the early hours of Monday in what police
believe was racially motivated incident.
It is within yards of St Helen's Road, the most
obvious sign of Swansea's increasing multi-cultural
population.
Home to city's mosque, the past decade has seen new
restaurants, ethnic grocers, bookshops and a video
store dedicated to Bollywood movies.
According to the 2001 census, just 2.2% of the
city's 224,000 population is from a non-white ethnic
group.
But as the multi-cultural population has increased,
according to some, so has the level of racism.
Khalil Ahmed, who runs a bookstore on St Helen's
Road, has lived in the Hafod area of Swansea for the
last 17 years.
"A decade ago racism was not at all rife," he said.
"There were a lot fewer Asian or coloured people in
Swansea and they were made to feel very welcome.
"But as more have moved to the city because of that
welcome I think racism has increased.
"I live in the Hafod and on the streets you see the
young children from all families playing together.
"But when they go to secondary school they divide
into groups."
Mr Ahmed believes part of the problem is a lack of
understanding and media portrayal of the asylum
issue.
"Some white people in Swansea see a coloured person
and think asylum seeker," he added.
According to the local council, Swansea has taken in
1,052 asylum seekers in total, who have been
accommodated in homes across the city.
"Some white people are not taking the time to
understand why they are seeking asylum, what they
have been through and why they have left where they
have come from," added Mr Ahmed.
"They see things in the papers and get angry - it is
mainly the younger ones who drink or take drugs who
cause the trouble."
Another store owner on St Helen's Road was of a
similar belief.
"When they are drunk they cause trouble - they come
in and say 'you should go home'.
"It is not many but it is not good," he said.
None of those willing to speak to the BBC News
website expressed any disquiet about the asylum
issue in Swansea.
But among those stopping to read the tributes on the
flowers left in memory of Mr Karim, a number said
they felt Swansea was becoming less welcoming than
was once the case.
Reg Mead, who now lives in Britton Ferry, said:
"What has happened to this man is disgusting.
"They are brainwashed. Because a person is dark they
think they are all friends of Saddam Hussein.
"If you put a uniform on them they would not go and
fight but they will have a go at people in the
streets.
"It's the youngsters who have had too much to drink
that are to blame."
Student Selina Roberts is starting her third year of
studies in Swansea.
"I think because Swansea is a growing city they is a
greater mix of race, especially with more overseas
students at the University and Institute," she
explained.
"Some people have a closed mind so you are going to
have a problem with racism.
"I think the media, especially certain papers, put
their own spin on things such as asylum.
"They don't show both sides of the story so people
do not understand what they have gone through or why
they want to come here."
http://news.bbc.co.uk
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