Apprentice star and Muslim businesswoman Saira Khan was shocked that the liberal response to the attacks in Cologne was to not address that the attackers were African and Arab men

When the news broke about these assaults, I was shocked and dismayed that the liberal response of officials in Germany and of broadcasters here was not to address the ‘elephant in the room’: that they were all carried out by African and Arab men who were either migrants or asylum seekers.

Not addressing this profound clash of cultures only promises to make things worse.

Having grown up in an Asian Muslim household and community in Britain, I can recognise the symptoms all too clearly. Along with my female Asian friends, I saw Asian men ‘get away with murder’, while as girls, we were strictly controlled – what we said, who we said it to, where we went, what we wore, who we married. As women, our conduct, behaviour and reputation all had a bearing on the family’s ‘honour’ – and to dishonour the family could mean death.

The Asian culture I grew up in was misogynistic – and it still is.

My husband and I have travelled and worked in North Africa, Pakistan and the Middle East, and the common experience is that as a woman, I am not allowed to walk alone and have to follow a strict code of dress (covering up arms, legs and body) when out in public.

In 2007, I was asked by the BBC to travel to Pakistan and make a documentary. One particular shoot was to take place on the day when the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday was celebrated. My all-male British team were nervous because thousands of Pakistani men were to gather in a square and I was to report from the crowd.

I was determined to do the piece and naively I thought: ‘Nothing will happen to me, it’s a spiritual day.’ I was dressed in the native shalwaar kameez – long baggy trousers and a tunic to cover my body. I wore a scarf around my head to show respect. All that was visible were my hands and face. With much persuasion, my director David allowed me to walk by myself near a crowd of men.

I realised within five minutes what an idiot I had been – I was the only woman in this crowd. I was spotted and within minutes a group of men had circled me and hands were all over me while bodies pressed up against mine. I was rescued by our burly ‘fixer’ who carried me out.

I was shaking and shocked – and I was angry at myself for being so naive after everything I had grown up with.

Having grown up in an Asian Muslim household and community in Britain, Ms Khan can recognise the symptoms all too clearly. Pictured, groups of young men gather in front of the main railway station in Cologne on New Year's Eve - when over 100 women have reported they were sexually assaulted or robbed

Here in the West, we need to stop burying our heads in the sand and accept that Asian, Arab and African men grow up in societies where misogyny is the cultural norm, argues Ms Khan. Pictured, firecrackers being set off outside Cologne's central station on New Year's Eve

Understanding how African and Asian men view and treat women in their own countries is crucial when dealing with the migrant crisis – because only when we understand their cultural practices can we help them to integrate. They need to understand that women are deemed equal to men in Western societies.

Here in the West, we need to stop burying our heads in the sand and accept that Asian, Arab and African men grow up in societies where misogyny is the cultural norm. We need to talk about it so we can change it.

Ignoring it, like the BBC did, is just condoning it. If we are allowing people to come in, we must also make sure that we are not blinded by some truths which are hard to swallow.