solidarity petition

[monkeytrousers]

Okay, do we still have..

Sophable
Caligula
Spidermama
fuzzywuzzy
Binkie?
ChaCha
Peachyclair
Saadia
Edam
Aragon?
Peacedove
Papillion

Lurkers..

Dinosaur?
Janh?
Blu?
Jimjams?
Happymerryberries?

Have we converted..?

Moondog
Dinny
Bloss

Any feedback. Edam? Blu? Aloha? VB?

All welcome!

[monkeytrousers]

3rd draft..

'We the undersigned make a symbolic gesture of soldarity with the Muslim communities of the UK, who may feel confused and belegured both by current events and their portrayal in in the media. We support you in your fight against the fundamentalist interpretation of your religion by terrorism and bigotry in the UK..

We ask the newsprint and TV media, and specifically, as a cornerstone of British identity, the BBC, to make a bold and public gesture with us. In a war that is fought with words as much as it is with military hardware, we ask you to challenge the current approach, as it only obfuscates and leaves us more ignorant of issues that affect us directly. We ask you to divise some tangible symbol of solidarity in the hope that this will help to unite all peoples in the face of terrorism and not follow the terriorsts own script when it comes to the corruption of both Islam and democracy. We are in no position to dictate to you what this symbol may be but some have suggested a ribbon either worn by newsreaders or imbedded onscreen and on you front pages

In this spirit we make a stand for the people of Iraq, mothers and fathers of beloved children just like us, except you have been chosen to make the most sacrifices in our name and for our freedoms. To reiterate to you that many of us attempted to use those freedoms to march for the cause of peace, but that our voices were not heard. Now we discover that 'our lances are but straws, our strength as weak, and our weakness past compare. What seeming to be most which we indeed least are..' And it is for this that you are paying such a high price.

We make a stand for the starving of Niger, whose current abject fate was known by those in power as they debated world poverty in Gleneagles.

We make a stand for all victims of terrorism and despotism.

Finally we make a stand for the millions more unknown, and ask our leaders and perhaps, more importantly, our media institutions to help enable us to make the right choices. But to do that we need to know the whole story.'

Don't be afraid to tell me if you think it's a load of shite and give any suggestions. I mean it . Quote from The Taming of the Shrew (quite apt I thought)dont have the book to hand but I'llfind out where it is exactly. It's somewhere in Kat's final speach anyway. And any hel[p with typos and grammer appreciated too.

[Heathcliffscathy]

monkeytrousers the sentiment is admirable, but as a piece of lobbying it is far too broad, and who is to to and what do you want them to do exactly? iyswim

[CountessDracula]

Not sure about all the stuff at the end - makes it all rather unfocussed. I mean what are you trying to achieve? It doesn't really say what you are trying to do.

Also do you mean devise not divise?

I would happily sign anything along these lines but I do feel it would benefit from single topic focus

[CountessDracula]

sophable posts crossed!¬

[CountessDracula]

Also the word obfuscate often does what it means - use something a bit less flowery maybe?

[monkeytrousers]

I don't want to get too strident and reactionary though. It all smacks too much of 6th form politics.

It's a message to the Muslim communities of the UK

a request to the media

I dunno, just somewhere to register disatisfaction at the mad world we appear to be living in..

How would you frame it?

[CountessDracula]

Try just focussing on the media bit, after all they are who you want to aim it at. Not suggesting strident, but tbh the bits tacked on the end make it a bit 6th formy!

[Nightynight]

I support it, but suggest focussing on one issue at a time.

[monkeytrousers]

How about this..

'We the undersigned wish to make a symbolic gesture of soldarity with the Muslim communities of the UK, who may feel confused and belegured both by current events and their portrayal in in the media. In this spirit, we ask the newsprint and TV media, and specifically, as a cornerstone of British identity, the BBC, to make a bold and public gesture with us. We ask you to devise some tangible symbol of solidarity in the hope that this will help to unite all peoples in the face of terrorism and not follow the terriorsts own script when it comes to the corruption of both Islam and democracy. We are in no position to dictate to you what this symbol may be but some have suggested a ribbon either worn by newsreaders or imbedded onscreen and on you front pages.

In a war that is fought with words as much as it is with military hardware, we also ask you to challenge the current approach, as it only obfuscates and leaves us more ignorant of issues that affect us directly. For the vast majority of us you are our only conduit to the truth. This is an immense responsibility and has long been open to corruption from various sources. Now we ask you to enable us to make the right choices. But to do this we need to know the whole story.'

[CountessDracula]

not sure about the end

(sorry!)

Personally I think we get too much info, blow by blow endless analysis of every miniscule detail is really bonkers. Also what do you mean by "the current approach"?

[monkeytrousers]

Oh, thats really complicated.

Keep 'em coming though.

..and if someone else wants to have a go be my guest..Maybe someone who does this for a living..?

[monkeytrousers]

How about just dropping the last paragraph altogether?

[SenoraPostrophe]

mt where's this petition being sent to?

[SenoraPostrophe]

Actually wherever you're sending it i think it should be simpler.

Can you give me a bullet point list of what you want to say ad I'll ahev a go?

[monkeytrousers]

Was just going to put it online and/or send it to the Beeb and the few Edam has suggested below. It's also going to be linked with this site unite against terror

Should we frame it as a 'mothers' petition, or 'parents'? Don't want anyone to feel excluded..

Bullet points -

• a gesture fo solidarty to the muslim communities of UK. Feel they're getting it a bit from both sides, the terrorists and the media.
  
  
• ask the media, especially the BBC to make a visual gesture too. Hopefully then other media will follow.
  
  Think we should leave it at that.

[monkeytrousers]

I started this as I felt that for all the rhetoric about racism that Blair et al spout, that it is all utterly compromised by the messages and speaches Bush gives in his 'war on terror'. He talks about 'sacrifices' being 'worth taking' in 'the fight for our freedom' - meaning the Iraqi's sacrifice which they have no choice or freedom in. Basically, that their lives are worth sacrificing for 'our freedoms'. It's just plain racist and the hypocrisy does my head in.

[SenoraPostrophe]

I think the reason it reads as being too complex is because we'd be asking for a symbol of someone and asking someone else to devise that symbol at the same time. Do you see what I mean? Not that I disagree with what you're trying to say at all.

I think it might be more constructive initially to write to individual media organisations with an actual reference to something that they have said which blurs the line between ordinary muslims and extremists, or referred to Bush's "War on terror" without speech marks (or in the case of the BBC, without saying "so-called")

My tea's nearly ready but I'll think and come back to this later.

[SenoraPostrophe]

...and also write to muslim organisations individually about the symbol.

[spidermama]

Monkeytrousers I've been having a go at this but a few issues have cropped up.

Journalists wouldn't display symbols of support for any one cause because it would suggest bias. For the same reason any tangible gesture (like the ribbons suggested) may well backfire because the viewing public might perceive this as bias, especially in the current climate.

On the other hand if YOU were to set up a group which has the specific purpose of showing solidarity with the Muslim community, and which has a symbol to display this (like your ribbon suggestion) you could send a press release to media outlets inviting them to report on this venture.

Also, what you can do with journalists is point out specific concerns about the language used and perhaps suggest alternatives.

I started to adapt your original script ... However, as one myself I can tell you most journalists worth their salt will already be well aware of the sensitivities of the Muslim communities and under heavy pressure from their editors to display this. (Especially within the beeb).

'We the undersigned wish to show our solidarity with the Muslim communities of the UK, who may feel confused and beleaguered by current events and by their portrayal in the media. In this spirit, we ask the print and broadcast media to redouble their efforts to promote awareness that those responsible for the acts of terror carried out in London do not represent the Islamic community as a whole.

For example, the routine prefixing of the words ?terrorist? and ?terrorism? with ?Islamic? is unnecessary and likely to lead to a feeling of general unease within the population as a whole of anything ?Islamic?.

[Twiglett]

I like the first paragraph .. I think that works well .. but I also think it should end there

[monkeytrousers]

Thanks Spidey

Thats a good idea. Once we post it we can say we've done our bit at least, apart from the everyday little stuff. I just wanted to do something a bit bigger, even though I know it probably won't make a great deal of difference, but you never know.. And I wanted to support our Muslim friends here on Mumsnet. I'm really not clever enough to have a debate with jouros about language. I felt myslef getting out of my depth with that idea straight away!

4th draft down to Spidy, if thats okay with you?

I have to go to bed now. We'll try and get thsi up and running by Friday, eh?

THanks again for all your help and suggestions.

[spidermama]

By the way MT I've been meaning to say good on you for taking the time out to do something about this issue which clearly moves you so. I mean it. Good for you.

[monkeytrousers]

Chandra, you around?

[peacedove]

go along with Spidermama's draft, both paras

[Chandra]

I am, reading the thred, back in a sec