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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be sick to death of being told to not confuse terrorists with Muslims on every social media/discussion site

134 replies

Elsmom · 13/01/2015 01:05

Erm yes... I'm not thick, I do know this. It's condescending, patronising and presumptuous. I actually think based on the lives of my Muslim neighbours and friends that there hasn't been this presumed outpouring of islamophobia and Muslims are not suffering due to the attacks in Paris at all? We, most of society can be trusted to make the distinction between terrorists and Muslims. Just sick of being lectured everytime I log onto anything!

OP posts:
fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 09:21

i havent actually shared any such memes or articles.

Don't tend to share memes but if I do share articles its more because i think they are good articles rather than that I want to educate people IYSWIM,.

TheChandler · 13/01/2015 09:42

Self - appointed liberal moral "police" tend to be among the most irritating people out. The internet is like fuel for them, as they tend I guess to post disproportionately so as to make their own viewpoint seem the norm.

They usually lack the ability to construct a proper argument, remain neutral, take other people's viewpoints into account or research the issue properly. They will happily announce that "you can't say that" or "think that" without providing any kind of justification as to why, other than they say its offensive, or racist, or sexist, or whatever bandwagon they've jumped on. Except they forget that unless the law actually agrees with them and makes it illegal, they are wrong.

I often get the impression that those who most active in this do it as a kind of compensation for failure in their own lives, whether that be lack of career progress, relationship failure, lack of control in general. They will usually be very virulent in most, if not all of the following: the current government, Margaret Thatcher, supporting Scottish independence, conspiracy theories, Palestine, and so on.

Mumsnet is becoming particularly preachy and some of the things you read on here are cringeworthy. You are left thinking if they are that interested in the topic - do something useful, at least starting with getting a university education in the subject you are trying to preach upon.

But at least that's one relevant parallel with the worst of Muslim religions - they tend to be partly enforced by unqualified, self appointed preachers who interpret the Koran to their own ends.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 09:44

That's a hell of an assumption to make about people who feel passionate about a subject!

PausingFlatly · 13/01/2015 09:53

That's rather condescending, patronising and presumptious, TheChandler...

Eltonjohnsflorist · 13/01/2015 09:59

There is a lot of slacktivism now- rather than actually doing something, preach/ argue on the Internet and feel like you've helped. But it's the way things are now I guess

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 10:00

this movement on MN towards fighting for the right to be offensive is getting really depressing IMO

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 10:00

and its not that I want to censor free speech. i just would love if people werent arseholes.

Eltonjohnsflorist · 13/01/2015 10:03

Me too fanjo. That would be fav

Eltonjohnsflorist · 13/01/2015 10:03

FAB. Dyac

FlowerFairy2014 · 13/01/2015 10:43

Well said, The Chandler.

On the topic yes most of us can distinguish. However there are lurking supporters of terrorism who might not appear to be radical muslims. My son asked his muslim school friend if he would fight for ISIS the other week and the boy said yes if he were called, whatever being called might mean. The boy apparently also thinks the Paris killings were "staged".

DrankSangriaInThePark · 13/01/2015 10:47

Why did your son ask his Muslim friend that?

brokenhearted55a · 13/01/2015 11:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 13/01/2015 11:15

Wow.

And that makes the KKK OK does it?

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 11:15

Did you unfriend them?

cleanmachine · 13/01/2015 11:22

Broken you need to unfriend them. My muslim friends were the first ones to condemn the paris attacks. Some, unlike me, even went to paris to attend the march.

TheChandler · 13/01/2015 11:26

There is a lot of slacktivism now- rather than actually doing something, preach/ argue on the Internet and feel like you've helped. But it's the way things are now I guess

Absolutely. Then getting all pretend-shocked when people aren't taken in by it and point out the difference. And using inappropriate words to try and make it seem something more than it is. Like "passionate". If you are "passionate", you are out doing something about it, or working in it, or doing something useful - not being the word police on the internet.

fanjoforthemammaries and its not that I want to censor free speech. i just would love if people werent arseholes.

One person's activist is another person's arsehole.

Theres very good reasons why we have governments and laws, not vigilantes and people able to censor other people.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 11:28

i am not an activist. i simply express my feelings if someone uses a word or expresses an opinion i dont believe in.

I said myself I don't post memes on the internet and i havent posted about this issue.

So not sure why you picked my expression "passionate" to have a go at. I assume you are trying to make this personal.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 11:29

saying "wow your opinion is grim" is not being a vigilante or censoring free speech, its an opinion.

TheChandler · 13/01/2015 11:34

You assume a little too much then Fanjo.

Not wishing to hurt your feelings, but why would anyone be particularly interested in you on an internet forum? As opposed to picking out a particularly good example to prove a point they are making?

Seriously, if you are as "passionate" as you claim to be about whatever issue it is, go off to Palestine and do some nursing. Or write some academic papers and try and influence government.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 11:34

There is a growing tide on MN that people post all sorts of stuff..i.e. "they do this" about Muslims. if you speak out against that you get hounded and called a lefty liberal or bleeding heart Guardian reader and totally shut down. people even get in there first and say that lefty liberals will flame them.

This by the people who are usually complaining that people are trying to shut down THEIR opinion and censor them.

like theChandlers post.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 11:36

TheChandler I didnt say I was passionate. i was discussing the people mentioned on this thread.

if you read my posts I say that I have not posted on this topic on FB. I am not an "activist."

i can address your post as i dislike the content without having assumed it is about me, or that I am important.

I do suffer from people following me around saying "fanjo always does this" etc though. It is depressing.

TheChandler · 13/01/2015 11:36

...usually followed by the shutting-down the argument attempt to have the final say. "If you dare reply to this, it means you are trying to do X".

Learn how to present your argument: cover all viewpoints, present your evidence and then come to a logical conclusion or balanced summary.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 11:37

i said THEy are passionate.

also you have no idea what i do in my spare time.

Theboodythatrocked · 13/01/2015 11:38

Well personally I think the way communities have come together over these attacks has been fantastic.

Muslims, Jews, Christians and those of no faith.

I don't know anyone who truly belives all Muslims are terrorists just like all people don't believe all Catholics support the killings of medical staff carrying out sbortions.

I think the vast majority of people are far more sophisticated than that.

Even shock horror those of us on mumsnet who don't have a university education.

Wink
fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 13/01/2015 11:39

"usually followed by" is an attempt to shut down arguments in advance.

hypocrisy.

usually accompanied by condescending sneering , as here.