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?

Thank you Dawn x

Tis funny. You can spot the racist attitudes so easily on this thread under the guise of being liberal and understanding.

Its the feeling and expression of separateness. Of otherness.
Us and them.
The bogeyman.

Behaviours like these are insidious and trickle down to what we teach our children.

'What a crock of shite, so the people of this country have to take the blame for this'

The people responsible for this crime are the people who did it. They are not real muslims.

I agree Masai you certainly can read between the lines and spot the real racists under the guise of being liberal and understanding.

Chipstick I sincerely hope that's not a dig at Masai. You have been pretty fucking outrageous on this thread and are treading a mighty thin line.

What are your thoughts on Uk and US foreign policy Chips?

The east india company?

Jallianwala Bagh massacre... Where my mothers family were slaughtered by british soldiers?

Shall we discuss the Crusades even sweetie?

Its best to be fully informed as to why people behave the way they do before you make ill informed ignorant remarks.

I am as far from being a radical muslim as you can imagine. But people like you...

I beg your pardon dawndonna. Please don't swear at me and make threats. I have been nothing of the sort. I have done nothing to Warrent your words. Please read my posts. What are you accusing me of?

Oh, I wasn't expecting an apology Chips. Thank you.

MNHQ is aware of the posters who are treading a thin line -I emailed them about this thread and they've said they are keeping an eye.

Chipstick - don't be ridiculous - threatening you?

Your posts sound racist, and I think people who post stuff like you have should be told in no uncertain terms that that attitude comes across as quite offensive.

People have been banned for racist comments in the past - UCM for one.

I think hoppinmad's posts have been the most helpful on this entire thread. I'm so sorry you have felt as though you cannot go out :(

I really don't understand the Islamic extremists angle. I can see that they clearly want to get a message across, but that message seems to be anger about treatment of other Muslims in 'their land' (despite being from London ). They must know that there will be the (completely unfair) backlash on muslims in this country because they are committing a horrific crime apparently on your behalf/in the name of your religion. This gives the wrong impression that all Muslims feel as they do. Surely this is counter productive and is as much an act of terror against you as it is to the rest of the uk? What are they hoping to achieve?

I've been shouted at three times today from people driving by me as I walked, all men driving trucks with the flag flying out both sides. I am not even a Muslim but I look suspiciously like one with my dark hair/eyes and olive skin. I'd like to pretend they are wolf-whistles but given that all the stopped about four years ago, I have an awful feeling they were obscenities... I am not even in England

Thank you for your intelligent and thoughtful posts on this thread Hoppin.

masai sorry to read that about your mother, really sad.

And Masai I think you have hit on something there, regarding the way people talk about Muslims as if they are "other". I find that very disturbing.

I just watched a video about a protest in Luton - I am guessing that you have seen it . I found it disturbing and upsetting to be honest. I no longer ' live' in the Uk but I still found it upsetting.

Yes the Luton video is upsetting, but I don't see why it is relevant to this thread?

Why is it any more upsetting than the EDL protests?

Of course many of have seen it. Luton is a fairly small town those people do not speak for the majority. It was deliberately filmed to look intimidatory.

Oh, and whilst you're at it, why don't you check out some of the EDL footage, there's some oh so delightful stuff on youtube of them attacking Muslim women and children.

Ty Winter. Yes its horrible. Shes the most adorable gutsy tiny granny.

This is her country. Shes very proud to be British.

And shes f scared now

there are alot of british people that would stand up for someone if they were being racially picked on. i know i would unelss the bullies were the really violent type in which case i would summon help from elsewhere. i am a jew and i clearly remember being chased/threatened by skinheads in the 80's and other people on the tube would just sit there, literally and pretend to not have noticed. we used to get the shit kicked out of us. i was just in the post office only an hour or so ago and was sticking up for an old west indian gentlemen who was being accused of pushign in the queue (he wasn't) by an old english geezer who may well have been doing it in a racial way, that was the feeling i got and another bloke standing behind me in the queue. we have to stick together and help one another :)

Thank you heffalump and flippinada, reading this thread past couple of days has really helped me too, I know many racist bigots exist but when people stand up to them when they could quietly ignore and choose the easy life, it proves my faith in humanity and in this society.

It saddens me that we can try and try to be as British as best we can, but its never enough for some people. Mimis post jumps out at me. We cant change the colour of our skin, nor would I want to to make the bigots happy, yet they will target anybody foreign looking when incidents such as these happen. (After 9/11 many many sikhs were attacked due to turban).

Heffa in reply to your question. You are right, its hard to understand. And if we understood what's going on in their heads perhaps we could make some sense of why it happened. The reason they were saying 'our land' and 'our people' etc is because a Muslim automatically develops a bond with other Muslims through the faith. So if a Muslim (or non muslim really) is being oppressed or persecuted somewhere it is a collective duty of the muslims to stop that persecution and set things right. We can see evidence on this thread and peoples fb even, of a 'us' and 'them' mentality, and its no different to those men really. They are angry at the atrocities being committed in Muslim lands due to western meddling and foreign policies, and instead of doing something positive through rational and the right means they went crazy. I guess like the anger being displayed on fb about burning mosques and killing muslims in revenge when 'one of theirs' is murdered, these nutters actually went and did it. I am not justifying it in anyway, let me make it clear, simply giving a suggestion as to why they possibly did what they did. But its wrong Islamically plain and simple. In fact it angers me that they can be so selfish as to try and seek revenge for muslims worldwide, how has this act helped them in anyway, in fact its done the opposite.

That's good to hear Hoppin. I will hold my hands up and admit I used to be one of the keep quiet even though I don't agree sorts, but I've come to realise that racists and their ilk take silence as approval so now I speak up.

I also like to think that a lot of racism is grounded in ignorance and fear of people who appear to be different so challenging and educating has to be a good thing.

Masai, I'm a Christian and generally don't get involved with multifaith/racist issues, just keep my beliefs and neither preach, nor wanted to be preached to.

but I wish I could walk down the street today hand in hand with you and your mum to make a statement that we don't have to convert to each other's faith to accept each other!

I don't know if people will ever learn to just agree to disagree and get on with each other, but it is high time they started....

I send you and your mum my love and God's peace ( mine or yours I don't really care)

Its the same God we pray to amazing. The exact same one. We just call Him by different names.

Much love back to you x

and I have just deleted my first ever person from FB as a direct result of this situation. Sadly brought out the neo nazi in him!

I don't like the notion that if you are British white = Christian. I think only a small number of British white people, especailly English, are Christian now and an even smalled number are practicing Christians.

It isn't always about religion in the sense of people spitting at muslims in the street (how vile) to prove Christians rule. It's more about a hatered towards religions, especailly with people of a different skin colour, than it is about "defending Christianalitly." In fact i cannot see real Christians behaving in that way just like real Muslims don't.

Personally i don't want to be "educated" about anything, i am wise enough to know that not all Muslims are raving loonies and those who think they are won't lisen even if you did try and eductate them. If i come across openly religious people i just treat them as human beings, they are free to practice their faith in a peaceful way as long as i am not preached to or have any faith forced upon me.

As long as that happens i am happy to go about my daily life normally.