To think the situation in Ukraine has highlighted how racist many still are.

[username99903]

The outpouring of shock and horror at the situation is right of course. I am not trying to take away from that. I have seen some amazing examples of people trying to help and charitable giving. I of course have donated. However I can't help but think why we can not feel this empathy toward the people of Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria etc.

I have heard the most appalling statements especially from US channels talking about how Ukraine is a civilised country that you wouldn't expect this to happen to. It's like people think those from the Yemen etc are some how use to war/don't feel pain the way white Europeans do. We literally dehumanise and devalue people lives.

My work place is holding a charity event which again is great. But we have never thought to do it before for any other war where there was mass migration.

It's not a new realisation I just think it's massively highlighted it.

An European war fucks the whole world over - see both World Wars.
War in other countries
a) Don't really matter (unless it's India or China perhaps)
b) Have plenty of neighboring countries that could help out before Europe.

Also @Scianel it's not quite about being happy to have our lives destroyed, but the difference between refuge and resettlement.
Ukrainian refugees aren't being 'resettled'. Their visa is for 1-3 years. They'll be expected to return once it's all over. Refugees from other countries however stay permanently. And Europe (including the UK) is a lot fairer than the rest of the world. Things like benefits etc don't really exist where we come from.

People calling the UK racist compare it to an utopian ideal. There shouldn't be a race to the bottom, but the sad truth is that the majority of the world is racist. Those of us born in places where our skin colour determines university places, where religious discrimination is enshrined in law, and where it's acceptable for employers/landlords to openly advertise for a certain race (like the U.S back in the day 'no blacks no jews no irish')... the UK is still better, for us. Like @Whydoesthecatalwaysdothat pointed out the most racism I've experienced here isn't from White British people. It's from people of a similar background to me (I'm from a Muslim majority country, not at war, but has political instability). Most other countries expect you to conform, as well.

Btw let me make this clear I'm NOT stating that the UK isn't racist. Or that anti-racism work is over. Or that it's right to discriminate between different refugees. I'm just giving an immigrant's perspective on why many rush to certain countries.

I'm hesitant to criticise people for caring about a humanitarian crisis. If you cared more about the tsunami than Syria is that wrong? If you cared more about Yemen than the Uighurs is that wrong? We're all exposed to different sources of information and we're all going to be affected differently.

People who care about Syria and people who care about Ukraine have a lot in common. It's not helpful to turn this into a competition.

Bwix for me it’s the language used, particularly in the media which is concerning. If you care about Palestinian and that occupation you are some kind of leftie, the insinuation that other countries invaded/ refugees are less civilised etc. the Slave trade/ colonisation was justified based on similar rhetoric.Going forward people need to consider why they value Ukrainian refugees above others.

@Bwix

I'm hesitant to criticise people for caring about a humanitarian crisis. If you cared more about the tsunami than Syria is that wrong? If you cared more about Yemen than the Uighurs is that wrong? We're all exposed to different sources of information and we're all going to be affected differently.

People who care about Syria and people who care about Ukraine have a lot in common. It's not helpful to turn this into a competition.

Such a good point

There was a headline in the daily morning that stated people just like us are being killed. It was changed later but it just shows the media bias.
It's shocking the way Ukrainian refugees are seen as worthy yet Syrians or Afghans are seen as scroungers.
Though I suspect when we do start seeing a lot of Ukrainian refugees they'll quickly be turned against. People are quick to toss them their unwanted duvets and old clothes acting as though they're doing a good deed but it'll be different when they're real life people needing housed and fed

@Im2022

Hello,

I've seen all those news articles already. I am not denying any of them or saying we shouldn't speak about them.

What I am saying is the jump from "racist incidents in Ukraine" to "All Ukranians are inherently racist and therefore bad people, and therefore less deserving of our empathy," is pretty alarming.

Perhaps we can avoid responding to racism with more racism?

@Im2022

This is what is concerning me deeply. Any one speaking about the racism is being shut down. No. It isn’t being used to justify anti Eastern Europe sentiment. IT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING and if it’s happening the anti Eastern Europe sentiment IS JUSTIFIED.

This is quite shocking to me. You feel/speak negatively about an entire nation because some people in that nation are racists? Which nations does this apply to? Do you feel negatively about the UK? The US? Spain? China? I hope it's not just eastern Europe who you feel deserve the prejudice against them.

@Dexy007

*It's most likely because we are in the same continent as Ukraine.

When awful things happen in Africa, it seems more remote to us*

Completely agree with this.

I can only hazard a guess, but I would be surprised if the war in Ukraine is receiving as much news coverage in the Middle East and Africa as it is in Europe. Not because they're racists who don't care about white people but because they have deep and long-running geopolitical issues and conflicts much closer to home which affect their local economies, livelihoods, neighbours and families directly.

Many people have already astutely observed the fact that people may well be more prepared to perceive women and children as genuine refugees and to treat them compassion than what were predominantly groups of young men who were willing to leave their families behind in the war zones they were apparently fleeing.

Sweeping generalisations about racism are lazy

I didn't expect some many replies. I will have a good read. Just wanting to point something out about comments that it's nearly always men. It's ironically to the above statement is also a generalised sweeping statement.

www.unhcr.org/uk/women.html 50% of refugees are women.

[quote BigHuff]@Im2022

Hello,

I've seen all those news articles already. I am not denying any of them or saying we shouldn't speak about them.

What I am saying is the jump from "racist incidents in Ukraine" to "All Ukranians are inherently racist and therefore bad people, and therefore less deserving of our empathy," is pretty alarming.

Perhaps we can avoid responding to racism with more racism?[/quote]
Just sat here pondering where the racism is in posters talking about the horrible racism that people of colour are actually being subjected to in Ukraine.

@user1471447924

I’ll just leave this here.

It wasn't my only reaction as said in the OP. This is actually a weak defensive argument. If two people were attacked and people only went over to one to help them. Would you use the same quote?

@Squidinkk

The reality is that many refugees from places like iraq, afghanistan and syria WOULD have preferred to live in the west anyway

That's quite the statement. You think these people wanted to be displaced? Any evidence for that viewpoint?

I think you needs educating especially with countries such as Syria.

@Norsey

What did you personally do for Syria and Afganistan, Op? Were you leading by example? THIS

I have donate to action aid regularly which goes to help all refugees.

@BoreOfWhabylon

I see OP hasn't returned

Here I am

@emuloc

There is no racism in pointing out and decrying racism.

The poster I was replying to said that anti-slavic sentiment was justified because of the incidents of racism that had occured within Ukraine.

We can call out racism without sliding into racism and xenophobia.

I am sat here pondering how my position is controversial...

As a society we've become desensitised to news and images of 'brown' people dead and in war torn countries. It's not right but it's true. The media grant next to no dignity to victims in such countries and publish appalling pictures, I think that's partly to blame

I don't believe it is. It is the war in Europe that is affecting help. We all thinking about Ukrainian suffering from the perspective of WW1 and WW2.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Caw9DvAIUsg/?utmmedium=sharee_sheet

Green peace have just shared this on Instagram.

YANBU.

Syrian refugees needed new places to stay, because the war was so brutal that civilians were being slaughtered. The migration crisis was so terrible that toddlers were found drowned on the beach. And the wary conservative response to that need implied that fast-tracking their resettlement would let in swathes of terrorists and Islamofacists.

It has crossed my mind that there are other places in the world where invading armies have been just as unconcern with the "rules" of war. And we've been unconcerned with the humanitarian crisis.

It is probably only because we also feel potentially threatened by Putin's Russia that there is a change in the public dialogue. We understand we could be in the Ukrainian's position. The compassion is a little more self-serving than we'd like to admit.

@username99903

https://www.instagram.com/p/Caw9DvAIUsg/?utmmedium=sharee_sheet

Green peace have just shared this on Instagram.

Spot on.

Also indicative of just how little diversity there is within English-speaking media. "They're just like us". Us, who?

@Jacopo

Other countries which are far less diverse than the UK don’t beat themselves up about it, why is that? You never hear of China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Ghana, Nigeria saying that they need more people of different races in order to be a more diverse and successful society. Why?

Are you being serious? Off topic and England went out into the world and attempted to own 2/3 of it not so long ago. We are in the English soup, not just some seasoning to make English life diverse.

The War in Europe affects all citizens of Europe! Nuclear threat affects us all! Our help to Ukrainians is due to our personal goals keeping our citizens safe. It is not based on racism, although I believe that reporters are definitely using the language that is not acceptable. I also believe that all wars are devastating and unnecessary!

I think there are several factors at play, not least that in that this is not a civil war, whereas other examples are. It is, therefore, quite easy to see who the aggressor is, and who the victims are. When it's civil war, it's more complicated, and people find clear cut situations easier to understand.
Also, I think that for those of us who remember the 80s, and before, who remember the Cold War, we feel automatically sympathetic to those who suffer from Russian aggression. The nuclear element is worrying.
Finally, I think that it feels close, because it is, at least if you are in Europe. Ukraine is closer to us, significantly so. I live in France, you would only need to change trains twice to get from Kyiv to Paris.

You're right OP, I think England isn't even the worst tbh. Poland refusing to help some of the black peoples has been quite distressing to see. My friend came back from a stag do in Krakow and in some bars they were refused entry because they had a black friend. They said they could go but not their friend. It's disgusting.
The West definitely has an ongoing problem with racism.

The boy who fell down the well was Moroccan...

@Piggywaspushed

The boy who fell down the well was Moroccan...

There was an Afghani boy as well, a few weeks after the Moroccan boy. Sadly both died.