Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Mo Farah isn’t who he says he is

343 replies

SnottyLottie · 11/07/2022 23:42

news.sky.com/story/sir-mo-farah-reveals-the-truth-about-how-he-came-to-the-uk-12650126

My mind is actual blown after reading that. Poor man to have to go through such an ordeal. I wonder what ever happened to the real Mohammad Farah? ☹️

Hope this doesn’t effect his citizenship or anything.

OP posts:
gogohmm · 12/07/2022 15:35

Officials knew about his situation back when he was a child - it's actually none of our business he didn't have to share. He's chosen to tell of his past now but I'm sure his wife already knew

Mammajay · 12/07/2022 15:37

How can the families that abuse children like this not be seen by family, friends and neighbours. At the very least they should be socially outcast.

phishy · 12/07/2022 15:37

Unfortunately the world is not conducive to hearing things like this.

I work in a very corporate job and I can't relay my experiences as a child immigrant to the UK from a developing country to my colleagues.

I can totally understand why Mo didn't tell anyone.

Another trafficked child that comes to mind is Victoria Climbie. The cruelty in that case us heart rending.

ancientgran · 12/07/2022 15:44

gogohmm · 12/07/2022 15:35

Officials knew about his situation back when he was a child - it's actually none of our business he didn't have to share. He's chosen to tell of his past now but I'm sure his wife already knew

You'd hope so.

ancientgran · 12/07/2022 15:47

phishy · 12/07/2022 15:06

What a load of bull. I don't believe a word of what you have said.

Why? Is it so far beyond your comprehension that some people didn't take to him for whatever reason. A previous poster said she didn't like him, I felt uncomfortable about him and it really doesn't matter if you believe it or not.

Bubblebubblebah · 12/07/2022 16:02

ancientgran · 12/07/2022 15:47

Why? Is it so far beyond your comprehension that some people didn't take to him for whatever reason. A previous poster said she didn't like him, I felt uncomfortable about him and it really doesn't matter if you believe it or not.

You should check MI5 portal if they are hiring, Hercule.

You just didn't like him. People just don't like people, that's just normal. Total BS with the aha moment. Totally agree with previous posters

Mrsjayy · 12/07/2022 16:09

I had to check out the DM comments section, they love a few of !!! Don't they just to emphasise their racisim I suppose. 🙄

RedCardigan · 12/07/2022 16:45

I hope the family who trafficked him get a leaked as to their identities.
whatever his name is, he is still who he is and what he has achieved.

CPL593H · 12/07/2022 17:02

The fact anyone doesn't/didn't like him/take to him/felt uncomfortable about him is utterly irrelevant and immaterial. He was an 8 year old trafficked child with no control over the situation he was put in. This is not some dirty secret of wrongdoing, because he did no wrong.

seemsikeaniceday · 12/07/2022 17:04

I completely understand why Sir Mo waited so long to tell his story. The racist comments show exactly why he chose to do this. I believe him, and am sure the BBC will have checked the evidence.

What I find shocking is that he was a child slave in England in the 1990s. Sadly he will not have been the only child bought to the UK this way and then treated so badly.

I genuinely don’t know what the answer is to asylum seekers and refugees. It is clear there are truly evil people making vast profits from trafficking desperate people around the globe. It is clear we still have slavery in the UK, not just domestic, labourers etc., but also sex slaves.

Personally I would like to see countries who want to be seen as civilised to work together to develop a global approach. This would see refugees who reach camps in “safe” countries being documented and then distributed globally to those countries based on %. They would be given asylum with a pathway to adopting a new nationality. This would reduce the number of people being trafficked and the illegal profits. The down side is distinguishing between refugees and economic migrants. Realistically I can never see this happening as countries would argue about their % plus they would face a racist, or is it xenophobic, backlash from voters.

strawberrylacey · 12/07/2022 17:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

strawberrylacey · 12/07/2022 17:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Mrsjayy · 12/07/2022 17:12

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Sure !

Bubblebubblebah · 12/07/2022 17:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Wow.
Because that's just something people go and make up to be relevant. He could just have an affair or something to get back in news😕

What makes you so sure it's made up and would you question the story if it wasn't Mo Farah, but Fatima Farah?

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 12/07/2022 17:24

I'm really struggling to understand the viewpoint of anyone saying that His story makes them feel uncomfortable about him now.

He didn't do anything wrong.

He was a young child, taken from his country, forced into slavery, having to work for his food, neglected and uncared for.

Would you feel 'uncomfortable' if a celebrity 'confessed' that they had been sexually abused as a child and hadn't told you before, would you feel they had been hiding something or lying?

Everyone had the right to privacy, especially with something so sensitive and personal, there is no obligation on anyone to publicly share how they have been mistreated.

CPL593H · 12/07/2022 17:27

This reply has been withdrawn

withdrawn at poster's request

phishy · 12/07/2022 17:33

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 12/07/2022 17:24

I'm really struggling to understand the viewpoint of anyone saying that His story makes them feel uncomfortable about him now.

He didn't do anything wrong.

He was a young child, taken from his country, forced into slavery, having to work for his food, neglected and uncared for.

Would you feel 'uncomfortable' if a celebrity 'confessed' that they had been sexually abused as a child and hadn't told you before, would you feel they had been hiding something or lying?

Everyone had the right to privacy, especially with something so sensitive and personal, there is no obligation on anyone to publicly share how they have been mistreated.

Brown / black people are always held to higher standards, hence the victim blaming of Mo Farah from those who say they 'didn't take to him' because he was dishonest.

ClaudineClare · 12/07/2022 17:34

God, there is some nastiness on this thread, acting as if he has done something wrong or that he is somehow "dodgy". No wonder he has not wanted to reveal his trauma.

As for the poster who accused him of making it up... Given he told his teacher about it when he was about 12, he is either telling the truth or he had a long term cunning plan to become a world class olympian athlete, be knighted and then reveal a horrendous story about being exploited as a child. Which seems most likely🤔

Anothernamechangeplease · 12/07/2022 17:37

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 12/07/2022 17:24

I'm really struggling to understand the viewpoint of anyone saying that His story makes them feel uncomfortable about him now.

He didn't do anything wrong.

He was a young child, taken from his country, forced into slavery, having to work for his food, neglected and uncared for.

Would you feel 'uncomfortable' if a celebrity 'confessed' that they had been sexually abused as a child and hadn't told you before, would you feel they had been hiding something or lying?

Everyone had the right to privacy, especially with something so sensitive and personal, there is no obligation on anyone to publicly share how they have been mistreated.

It's utterly bewildering, isn't it, @FatAgainItsLettuceTime, that a situation in which Sir Mo was so evidently and undoubtedly a completely innocent victim, could be held against him in any way at all. Can't get my head around what's wrong with people!

Anothernamechangeplease · 12/07/2022 17:39

What I find shocking is that he was a child slave in England in the 1990s. Sadly he will not have been the only child bought to the UK this way and then treated so badly.

Sadly, @seemsikeaniceday , it's still happening right now in the 2020s. Sad

iklboo · 12/07/2022 17:46

I feel like I've gone "Aah" and it all makes sense now. No judgement of him, he did what he had to do and it was obviously horrible but if you have that feeling that someone isn't being honest with you it does put up a barrier.

Words fail me. You're talking like he'd planned it as a child to get where he is. 'Obviously horrible' is understatement of the century.

blackgreywhite · 12/07/2022 17:50

ClaudineClare · 12/07/2022 17:34

God, there is some nastiness on this thread, acting as if he has done something wrong or that he is somehow "dodgy". No wonder he has not wanted to reveal his trauma.

As for the poster who accused him of making it up... Given he told his teacher about it when he was about 12, he is either telling the truth or he had a long term cunning plan to become a world class olympian athlete, be knighted and then reveal a horrendous story about being exploited as a child. Which seems most likely🤔

Completely agree.
Racism plain and simple.

KurriKawari · 12/07/2022 18:10

All makes sense now? She says, as though she lives with him herself.

ParanoidGynodroid · 12/07/2022 18:10

I am absolutely agog at the posters who are saying, in effect, "I never liked him, always felt there was something dodgy or off about him, and now I see I was right" as if their prejudice is now justified.
Yes, because trafficked children are dodgy and dislikeable, aren't they?
Have a word with yourselves, FFS.

KurriKawari · 12/07/2022 18:12

So much vile privilege her on mumsnet.