Historian David Starkey condones UK Asian sex gang's crimes as 'acting within their own culture nor

London, May 11 (ANI): A historian sparked off fresh controversy by saying that the Asian men who were jailed for sexually exploiting women in Rochdale were "acting within their own cultural norms".

David Starkey said "nobody ever explained" to the men, a group of eight of Pakistani origin and one from Afghanistan, that women are not supposed be treated in this way.

"Those men were acting within their own cultural norms. Nobody ever explained to them that the history of women in Britain was once rather similar to that in Pakistan, and it had changed," The Telegraph quoted Starkey, as saying.

He reportedly called for better teaching of English history to create a "common identity" and overcome the challenges of multiculturalism and said that a "genuine approach to the teaching of English history" should look at the origins of modern feminism.

The girls, who were abused by the Asian men aged between 24 and 59, were taken to two takeaway restaurants in the Heywood area of Rochdale where the incidents took place.

Starkey said that the "only way we are going to get to be able to survive as a multi-cultural society is if we re-address the story - the real story - of English history".

His comments are expected to prompt condemnation just a day after the men were handed sentences of between four and 19 years for the offences. (ANI)

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