to be very cross with the people who are burning poppies?

[SparkleSoiree]

I was just flicking through tomorrow's front pages and the headlines talk about Muslims burning the Poppy today. This has made me really very angry. AIBU or is this just freedom of speech and I need to be tougher?

To thx1138 - sorry to hear your parents had to put up with that behaviour.

To Geruptasingh; yes i've read that there was even a volunteer Bosniak muslim SS battalion (fighting their own people). Just like some people in other occupied countries also collaborated. But my point is that people of all religions vary so greatly that it is annoying to hear people using the actions of a minority to justify abuse against the majority.
Sadly the poppy-burners were a) misguided i think, + b) played into the hands of racists.

Reality Not sure if you were taking the piss out of me there. Hope not, just saying that I like my protests peaceful and non-aggressive!

On that note, I'd like to shout HOUSE with, "honestly, I spent a month in Algeria during my gap year..." and "I actually studied the Qu'ran at university..."

'They' aren't British Muslims though. 'They' are a bunch of attention seeking twats.

LaraJade - No they weren't misguided or 'playing into the hands or racist'. This is exactly the response they wanted, and the aim was to inflame racism/islamophobia.

hmmm, of course people are going to be very angry and they have every right to be but I guess you can look at it this way, the protesters are entitles to their own beliefs and have the right to protest but while doing so the only people they are making look bad are themselves. Am sure most people, both muslims and non muslims are pretty disgusted by their behaviour but if they want to be known for fanatical idiots they are... prob best to ignore them rather than play into their hands

I have decided that I will protest against the Muslim Fanatics who did this, not by screaming and shouting and name calling but by donating more money than I would normally

I have already donated and wear my poppy with pride but as soon as I heard about this event I emptied my purse into a poppy sellers tin

i have approx 25 quid that I have taken from my piggy bank and change jars and am just off to the bank to change into notes which I will put into the first poppy sellers tin I see.

If everyone who is outraged and offended by the actions of the Militant Muslims did the same then maybe we could ensure this years poppy appeal had bumper donations

I personally cant think of a better way to shut these people up than for them to know that their actions had actually helped the appeal and not harmed it - in fact I think this is a very British way of counter protesting, quitely and with out fuss and putting our money where our mouths are.

If no one has already said it then I'd suggest muslims who either set fire to poppys or themselves for that matter should be charged with inciting racial hatred. They're going to make a hell of a lot more people hate muslims now.
Burning poppies is also a misguided action as the poppy commemorates all those who fell in war. I've always tried to explain this to my idiot irish catholic friends but they just don't have that depth of comprehension bless them.

why is setting fire to a poppy (or ourself) anything to do with race?

DuelingFanjo - Nothing. It is an attempt to stir up racial hatred against Muslims though.

I read a quote from Billy Bragg yesterday which was:

'There will doubtless be plenty in the paper about Poppy burning Muslims tomorrow. Those of us anti-fascists who oppose the racists of the EDL and the BNP must be just as determined to oppose Muslims Against Crusades when they deny the Holocaust and applaud the SS. Racism must be opposed no matter whose mouth it comes out of.'

Duh - I meant religious hatred. Doh.

Bigwelt - how could they be charged with that?

It's a shame that people decide to demonstrate their freedom of expression in such a crass and disrespectful way. But things like this do happen - let's not give them the column space.

'well the IRA bombers didn't make you hate all catholics did they?' which at least makes people think.

If only that were true. Some of my earliest memories (1970's) are of my Irish parents bearing insults from English neighbours, colleagues and friends, for this reason."

Are you saying therefore that all brits hated the Irish because of the IRA? REally - by that reasoning then all Irish hate mixed couples. My parents were given the shittiest time by rank strangers in the street living in an Irish area of London. My parents certainly don't suppose that all Irish are like this - and even in their 70's they still remember the treament they got when my mum was pregant with shock.

Thing is we live in a multicultural country and it's all swings and roundabouts. If a small group of people want to make arses of themselves and be despised, then so be it.

It's the responsbility for those 30 odd people - not an entire community. I really fight against the idea that the vast majority of muslims in this country need to stand up in be counted because of the actions of a few. Unfair.

I think the OP and others on this thread need to realise that they live in a free and democratic society.

Hypocritical to suggest burning poppys is bad but burning Quran etc is ok.

Islamophobia is rife on MN.

It is hugely disrespectful but the right to protest must be maintained.It is no worse than the hick cleric in the US.Agree though that the press love to stir up this sort of thing Better to ignore them they are a minority

RESPECT It works both ways....

I think the man who pissed on some poppies a while ago was pissing on a war memorial, they may have specific laws against that. Also if I remember correctly he was pissed and not making any sort of protest. Stand to be corrected though as I'm not sure.

I don't feel angry about this protest, kind of makes me laugh at what a bunch of dicks they are.

Could they be charged with arson though?

giveitago muslims burning poppies are bound to encourage more people to hate muslims therefore they are inciting racial hatred.

'I think the OP and others on this thread need to realise that they live in a free and democratic society' Yes, we know that, which is why whilst we deplore their protest, we maintain their right to make it.

However, it would be interesting to see if it cuts both ways, and I bet it wouldn't....Satanic Verses anyone? (as a crude exemplar of what I meant).

Just read this elsewhere. Is it possible the muslims are burning our poppys because we went over and burned all theirs?

BigWelt Firstly... They can not be charged for stupid people deciding to hate muslims as a whole. Do you really think that they can be?

Secondly idiot irish catholic friends

So we would be allowed to protest against the injustices being dealt the women in Afghanistan and burn the hijab or burkha and think the taliban would say "oh those silly white english ladies - they have a right to protest, let them do as they wish" ? Genuine question