This happened to me at the weekend and I feel ashamed I did nothing - Racism

I'm astounded so many are saying this isn't racist???

'They're like rats, it might help if we stop giving them everything'. This is quite blatantly referring to media/Reform rhetoric about immigrants.

Her behaviour doesn't make this not racist. If he wanted to comment on her behaviour, he'd be muttering about people being rude.

Sounds like she was being rude, BUT that doesn't excuse racism, wtf.

Edit: if this was a white Brit, there is NO WAY on earth it would have been phrased this way. Be for real. Racism against Muslims is so normalised people don't even recognise it anymore.

Also, I'm white British. You can obviously criticise anyone's behaviour. You can criticise religion. We have freedom of speech. I'm an Atheist and vocally despise all major religions due to their historical impact on scientific development, the impact on our laws, and impact on minorities. But that's different from comparing people to rats because of the religion and colour of their skin.

@ElsieMc how did you know the lads were Muslim? TBF I can imagine a lot of general scallies, young, old, any colour saying this, it’s ignorance not racially motivated as Muslims also fought and died in the war.

Yet none of you said anything...... I wonder why that was?

OP, we have the same at a local market. The stall holders make racist comments about the customers, particularly the South Asian ones.

There seems to be a semi-collective belief that Muslims should be able to withstand any sort of abuse.

I predict that there will be an attempt to ethnically cleanse Muslims.

It's been going on for longer than that but it's certainly ramped up recently.

What happens to people who repeatedly go behind stalls at car boot sales in Saudi Arabia?

Your feelings about this whole scenario are really interesting.
Fwiw, I suspect that you are correct about the racist stall holder. As others have said, he MAY not have been racist, but his language suggests he probably is. You are right to be upset about this, and if you want to do better next time, good for you.

On the other hand though, this lady was clearly up to no good, and likely trying to steal from the stall holder. And yet, she receives none of your outrage. Don’t you want to do better on this score too? She was being shooed away BEFORE the racist comments were made about her. Did you feel no compulsion to support the stall holder in trying to prevent theft? Would you want to do better there next time?

What I have learnt from this thread: it's okay to be racist when the person you're being racist to has been rude 👍

About what? No one is badgering you about anything. I said it’s fine if you don’t want to stand up against racism. How is that badgering?

Because of her race? No.
Because she was wearing a full niqab, not respecting the rules and not speaking English? Probably yes.

If it was race, that means that a white person wearing a niqab could have done the same (going to the back, ignoring him) and he would have been ok with it. Seems improbable.

@User46576 what did this have to do with Jewish people?

Yes exactly. This is perhaps what the commentators are admitting they really think about some groups.

Because some people are not dense?

Naturally, you'll be blamed for not integrating and assimilating too 🤷🏾‍♀️.

I sometimes think these assumptions are racist in themselves. Why assume a comment about someone’s bad behaviour is referencing their heritage unless you see them as something other than just another person who is behaving badly at that time.

It's as if during Brexit immigrants were never referred to as "swarming". I remember that during the campaign.

Like I said, if you lack critical thinking skills just say that. Regarding your question about what Othering is, Google is your friend: https://www.google.com/search?q=othering&rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB1017GB1018&oq=othering&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDAgAEEUYORixAxiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIMCAYQLhgKGNQCGIAEMgcIBxAAGIAEMgcICBAAGIAE0gEIMTE3MmowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Fair enough. If you don’t want to stand against racism then don’t. Up to you. Sounds like you do need guidance though

I mean the giving them everything comment part he probably was being racist.

As someone who refuses to do car boots anymore due to this kind of behaviour I understand why he was bloody fed up in general. It is like a pack of rats regardless of colour or creed when you open that bloody boot you get swarmed and then people constantly though out the day keep trying to get round the back sniffing around your stuff that’s not for sale as it’s sold and they are coming back or you’ve just purchased it yourself.

We have a high police attendance at our local Sunday carboot now, due to thief’s and the shop thief’s trying to sell on their stolen goods.

It seems MN has been infiltrated by a lot of them this week suddenly.

Saw what now? I thought it was a comment that was racist? Either way you don’t know anything- you’re making an assumption that may or may not be correct.

Anyway, as I said there is plenty of actual clear racism to get exercised about if you want to do something about racism. I hope to see you outside our synagogues next week protecting us from the explicit overt abuse and racism shouted at us on a weekly basis.

How did you know they were Muslim?