Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be sat open mouthed at the Idiocy of Dave Camerons latest headline grabber

755 replies

penelopestitsdropped · 05/02/2011 11:59

Multiculturalism has failed

Now whilst i believe the debate itself has merit ( though think that DC has put a rather disturbing anti islamic slant on it)
I do not think it the wisest day to do so given that there is a planned march by the English Defence League (think BNP with more hair) today

march in Luton

OP posts:
chibi · 05/02/2011 17:37

You lost me at '2 dollar hooker', v misogynist Sad

I am much better placed than many immigrants to integrate, given that I am a professional, I come from a g7 nation, my first language is English... Nonetheless, it can be lonely

to have to struggle to fit in, acquire a language, struggle in a low paying job AND know that most people resent you, wish you weren't there and are convinced that you and your children will never belong, I can't imagine how isolating and depressing that must feel Sad

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:40

"And if you don't think Britain has huge rewards from living here, then why are you living here? Why not live in a less delveloped country that conforms with your values?".

I married a British guy and I write for a British publishing house :) Thankfully, I don't have to justify that to everyone who thinks I don't belong here-especially when I'm paying the dole for the kind of people (the majority of which) hold that opinion. My husband can't move due to his work type-again something else that needn't be justified.

I'd like to know what makes one of British culture and how on Earth you intend on enforcing that on other people...handing out flyers for high tea outside the mosque?

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:41

Oh and to the feminist who would like to complain about the hijab-regardless of what your literature says, the majority of women OUTSIDE of Arab countries CHOOSE to wear it and are no enforced, and as feminism is apparently all about a woman's right to choose, I presume you wouldn't impose on such rights-and attempt to ban a piece of head wear that makes no difference to your daily life what so ever.

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:42

LDN I refer to 14 year olds drinking in bus stations rather than city types having a few too many on a Friday evening!

StuckinTheMiddlewithYou · 05/02/2011 17:43

Ladyofthemanor.

You are playing straight into the hands of the BNP/EDL coming out with this stuff about prostitutes and people on the dole being bigoted. You're incrediably bigotted yourself.

I know quite a few people on the dole, none of whom I know to be as bigotted as you.

FairyMum · 05/02/2011 17:45

The majority of British people dress in tracksuits, don't they?

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:46

BNP? I'm Arabic, how does that work?

StarlightPrincess · 05/02/2011 17:47

I agree wholeheartedly with you, bringnbuy. I grew up in East London, in a majority Muslim area and experienced practically everything you have described in your post.

bringnbuy · 05/02/2011 17:48

i think the problem is that large numbers of people have come to live here with a totally different culture and live by their culture without needing to or wanting to have anything at all to do with the people who are from this country which is obviously going to cause problems. there are loads of ie irish etc people that came to this country, lots of west indians but everyone integrates, there is no feeling of 'us and them', no constant put downs about how english teenagers behave. the problem with muslims is that their culture is so incredibly different and there are so many of them that of course it has caused a problem and people like me are living bang smack in the thick of it. where i live is a hot bed for where potential terrorists are 'made'. i see it can easily happen here, the young and discouraged from mixing with white kids although the kind of white kids in this area i can see why their parents don't want them to mix with them. there are 'mni misques' in the back streets preaching lord knows what. i get treated pretty badly just going into a shop to do some shopping by the men and i dress conservatively and have a wedding ring on, they ooze racist hate towards me and yet i am a gentle moderate person, i have friends of so many cultures but feel so incredibly disliked just because i am a white female. whenever there are one of those terrorist swoops in the news and when the 7/7 shit when down, a fair new names ALWAYS come up from the area i live although i am never surprised as the feeling of not being inclusive and left out is rampant here

StuckinTheMiddlewithYou · 05/02/2011 17:49

It works, because the BNP would like to paint all muslims as bigots who think that all white working class kids drink in bus shelters and dress like prostitutes.

YOU are saying exactky what they (BNP/EDL) want you to say.

bringnbuy · 05/02/2011 17:50

starlight - i live in east london.....

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:51

Ha. You feel racism from ONE shop owner? Try turning the tables.

Ever since the 11th of September there has been a media frenzy about Muslims, and about 99% of it has been negative publicity.

I don't really think anyone need to mention the words "potential terrorist" on this thread-especially when you're all so hesitant to bring up the IRA but will launch straight into an attack on Muslim fundamentalists.

It also saddens me that people in Britain cannot hold a conversation about multi multiculturalism without bringing TERRORISM into it.

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:53

Stuck- I'm not saying "what they want me to say" I'm giving you a view from how people from the ME/North Africa view things and why some may want to abstain from throwing themselves whole heartedly into it-and it is for those reasons.

Thankfully not everyone has to act "British" (however that may be) in order to stay in Britain. You see no amount of poor journalism will change that.

StuckinTheMiddlewithYou · 05/02/2011 17:55

Of course it's negative.

Muslims are the bogey men. The government wants everyone to be scared so that they can control us. The threat of islamic terrorism is also a nice distraction to all the crappy things Cameron is doing.

StuckinTheMiddlewithYou · 05/02/2011 17:56

So, you don't really think those things then?

I'm sure there are people who think like that - in fact I've met them. Every culture has it's fair share of tossers, so what?

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:57

It's clearly working, people are wandering about how to go about banning the hijab while the PM is pulling the rug out from under their feet.

There'll be more problems in a few years and those who don't wish to be "hoorah Henrys" can quietly slip under the radar and enjoy the lifestyle they choose :o

StuckinTheMiddlewithYou · 05/02/2011 17:58

Yes it is Lady.

The sheeple are falling for the bogey man idea - the real enemy is in westminster.

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 17:59

I have elder relatives here-female and they are like that.

They see British girls as being corruptive, but it's their age, their generation will pass and will be replaced and it'll go on and on.

Egypt making an attempt for democracy will have an domino effect on the other Arab nations.

LittleMissHissyFit · 05/02/2011 18:01

You need to move somewhere nicer, there are plenty of places were the mothers are well above their 20s, and wearing normal day wear.

Oh and "Multiculturalism has failed" is double-speak for "Muslims are scary". Utter crap.

I actually heard the speech word for word from start to finish, at no point did it come across as "Muslims are scary". If anything it was about trying to close the gap between muslims in our country by removing intolerance and inequality unilaterally.

The 'timing' of the speech is owing to the Security Meeting I dare say has been scheduled for some time. I would expect the events in Egypt have made both Merkle and DC think differently, and rightly so. There has been a seachange out there and it's definitely making a lot of people think very differently to how they thought about things even a few weeks ago. These events could be a turning point for the world potentially, we ought not to let this opportunity go to waste.

To be oppressed, either by others or self-imposed makes one think very differently, you rage against faceless things that you CAN rage against. Once that oppression lifts, the individual will feel lighter and will start to see that the object of their anger is not as deserving of that bile as they originally thought.

Egypt has shown that now that the fear of the oppressive regime has gone, the citizens are experiencing feelings they never had before, inclusion, patriotism, community and society. There is no reason why we can't foster the same in our society.

By punishing one section of the community for saying/doing things that are perceived as intolerant to other, but allowing other sections of society to continue with practises totally at odds with a free, open society without any reproach at all is nonsensical. To turn a blind eye to practices such as forced marriage or honour crime for fear of offending a non-native culture is only ever going to be destined for failure.

As in everything, a little common sense goes a long way.

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 18:05

Oh I don't live in a horrific place at all, but I have visited relatives who do, and of course I live only a town away from civilisation (I live in the sticks) and I see all sorts of people there.

It's just slightly patronising when the good ol' West comes to put a end to traditions and practices that have been around forever. I don't agree with all of them but if the West think they're doing the ME/North Africans a favour, they're highly mistaken.

StarlightPrincess · 05/02/2011 18:06

bringnbuy8- Why am I not surprised! Grin

LadyOfTheManor- So your husband is British. You're going to go out of your way to protect your son from British culture. Basically, that to me sounds like you're going to deny your son one half of his heritage. Incredible racist from where I'm standing.

StarlightPrincess · 05/02/2011 18:07

*Incredibly

bringnbuy · 05/02/2011 18:07

it was not 'just one shop keeper', it is ANY muslim male run shop that i go into, the look from muslim men when you walk past them down the street, i could go on making a long list. muslims don't help themselves by keeping so much to themselves. other cultures mix totally. it frustrates me no end the brush off i have always had from other muslim mothers ad dd's school, i have given up trying to befriend any of them now and they certainly never make any attempt to chat to me, let alone the possibility of any kind of friendship. seems to me that other cultures are more open to wanting to mix with other cultures. and as for the 'terrorism' thing, you can;t blame english people feeling nervous, some english people who live ie outside of london only know of muslims as people they may have seen on the tv on the news at 10 holding up placards saying 'kill the pope' or 'kill christians', this is not assosiated with ie hindu's or jehovahs witness's. you should be angry with the people who do the martrying in the name of your religion instead of being pissed off with people who are angry about the constant threat of being blown up

LadyOfTheManor · 05/02/2011 18:08

IF you define "heritage" I shall give you an answer...do you mean eating roast beef on a Sunday?

StarlightPrincess · 05/02/2011 18:08

Oh, and with regards to the Hijab- I don't give a flying fuck what anyone chooses to wear. Yet you have a problem with how us 'two dollar hookers' in the West dress? Hmm

Swipe left for the next trending thread