To be shocked and frustrated with the Islamophobia that's bursting out all over Facebook today?

[Seekingsense]

Following the awful tragedy in Woolwich today.

I have seen everything from "We want our England back" to "Kick out all the foreigners" to "Islamic infiltration of the UK" etc. I have paraphrased as some of the stuff is so horrible I do not want to repeat it.

This is from normal everyday people and lots of them. Is this really what people think?

I, like most people am horrified by what has happened to this young soldier in Woolwich, but why is everyone so quick to blame an entire religion for it and to jump on the 'kick out all immigrants' bandwagon.

What can we do about it? Ignore, delete, post, report?

They think that way because they are inspired by fanaticism. No different from the Heavens Gate cult.

well none of my Muslim friends have ever tried to kill me alemci so I make my own judgements on that thanks

I don't think the majority of people in this country actually support the war though or ever really have. If they are trying to convince british people they are trying to convince the wrong people. If they are trying to get through to government they are going the wrong way about it because attacks like this make the government more determined and will always send out the "terrorism will always fail" message.

What I mean by that is that, with the exception of a very small minority of EDL morons, that isn't people's view of Muslims?

No Winealot - many people DO think like that - you see it here on a weekly basis

Yes, and Catholicism has never caused any problems has it?

Show me one person on here that thinks that all Muslims are "wife beating, child exploiting terrorists"

I'm genuinely interested.

People think Muslim women are oppressed and down trodden
People think Muslims see white children as easy prey
people think Muslims are more like to be terrorists than any other group

people think most Asians are Muslim

there are a lot of thick people out there

look at threads on MN - it's there

alemci I sort of agree with you about Islam. I have issues with the way it treats women (but then that's hardly a unique problem with organised religion) and I can see how it has values that do sometimes class with those of a western, supposedly christian, nation. God knows I don't know how to solve those issues, and I can't even marry up my own thoughts on wanting everyone to have freedom to practice their own religion and my thoughts on equal rights and feminism and the treatment of women and minority groups. But I do believe that the answer has to be in more communication and listening to what people are trying to say and not just saying 'well, they are extremists, you get them in all groups'. Because that's what's been happening and it doesn't seem to be working very well.

well I am betting the bloke on the link I posted does Winealot

So not "all Muslims are wife beating, child exploiting terrorists" then?

^Just to clarify, I don't think all muslim women are oppressed or down trodden, I just am uncomfortable with some of the rules and guidance about behaviour and dress that seem to be very anti-women in nature. I suppose it's up to personal interpretation how much those might actually oppress women really.

like nuns hopalong

stop being a pedant winenot

Well yes, exactly. As I said, it's hardly a situation unique to Islam. Though I suppose there is more choice about becoming a nun, you're pretty much stuck being a woman really.

I realise that Gordy. they wouldn't be very good friends would they.

Flippinada I hope that wasn't directed at me re transparent rasicsm. Read all my posts on this thread, none are in any way racist, I hope you are not alluding to me.

but Muslim women have the same choices - unless they are in totally trans cultural trans racial domestically oppressive/abusive situations

hopalong
phobia means fear, not hate, technically.

although fear can breed hate.

No alemci they wouldn't

When a female muslim dresses in that way why do men not? Genuine question

in what way? Men wear traditional clothes as well

my female Muslim friends wear jeans and tops

as do my Muslim male mates!

No, but you do get a choice over whether to become a nun. IF you're born a muslim woman, the choice to leave a situation you are not happy with, or defy the conventions of your community is a harder one. Being a nun is a calling I think, whereas opting out of the elements of a religion you are unahppy with, or opting out of the whole thing, under possibly huge pressure from your family, is not really the same? But I don't actually know any nuns, so I could be wrong.

But it can't be racism to hate muslims, as it's not a race. It's not an ethnic group either, is it? So is it racist to hate all members of a particular religion? People who hate gay people are called homophobes? Am confused by the terminology but I don't think it's much of stretch to say that people who hate Islam are possibly more likely to be of the 'I'm not racist but...' persuasion when it comes to other races and ethnic groups. So maybe racist is a broad enough term? It's semantics I guess.

In conclusion to my thoughts on this matter, the only issue which burns true is that a black man committed a murder and murdered a white soldier and the immediate reaction is 'send him back'. That would not have happened if the murderer was white, no matter his origin.

So underneath all the frothing racism is at work and is scorched deeply into a proportion of the White British mindset.

If the murderers had been white Islamics there would have been no call to 'send them back' no matter what their origin. Maybe to 'fuck off to Pakistan' or what ever, but not to 'send them back'