To think we should note how quickly the media suggests the causes of attrocities?

[JeremyCunt]

First, and above all, my thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible events in Belgium. I'm so very sorry this has happened.

I think it is notable how quickly the mainstream media suggests who is behind it (this started even before the event - "expect 'revenge attacks' " etc). Facts simply cannot be adequately known at this stage. Certainly there's been no time for any thorough/impartial investigation (not that the impartiality element is likely to ever happen). And yet we're being led quite quickly to certain conclusions ("The attacks come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main fugitive in the Paris attacks, was seized in Brussels" states the BBC). I'm making no comment about the veracity of these conclusions, but I think they're yet another demonstration of how easy we - the populus - are to lead.

I don't really find it interesting. I am too busy being physically sickened by the news, very sorry for my muslim friends who will find things even harder, furious with Blair and bush and all the previous historical politicians whose decisions and meddling led to the current middle Eastern situation, speechless at the sick twisted bastards who brainwash young men and women into this, raging at those parts of the communities who like to be isolated and thus allow their children to be vulnerable, incandescent with those who discriminate and yell "paki" to exacerbate the isolation, and consumed with terror for my family and my baby DD and what the future of the world holds for her.

Not sure if that makes me a lizard or the opposite of one.

Excellent to turn the loss of life into the opportunity to Islam bash, Apricot.

Very much with you about the sickening nature of all of this, noob.

Yep. I think that's an accurate word for the way man treats his/her fellow man in the name of money and/or religion. You are welcome to choose your own.

Come on OP this is AIBU, if you're on here enough to name-change daily then you know how this works. I could ask "AIBU to give £10 to the homeless person outside of my office?" and somebody will reply YES YOU BIG STUPID SHOWOFF on the 1st page.
Your "AIBU to think you're all manipulated idiots?" wasn't going to go any other way was it?

Very true, vind

There are many words, scared; none of them adequate.

Excellent to turn the loss of life into the opportunity to Islam bash, Apricot.

It's hardly surprising though is it Orwellschild.

Virtually all the terrorism in the West is Islamist inspired. Its supporters may only be a tiny fraction of Muslims, and the majority are genuinely peaceful. But the violent minority are making all the running at the moment, and the peaceful majority are seen to do very little to resist them.

Until the majority make a firm stand it's inevitable that the entire religion will be blamed. It's unfair, but quite understandable I'm afraid.

Jeremy I'm reading this and you just seem to be so unbearably smug but I'm not sure why? I think you're just enjoying al the attention and stirring it a bit. V odd.

Sure, but they didn't mention that it was Queen Latifah's birthday four days ago.

Unless she was in Brussels celebrating her birthday I don't understand what that's got to do with the price of fish?
Surely the arrest of terror suspects and then exploding bombs in two sites are are fair connection to make?!

"Well, there's plenty elsewhere on t'internet for you then, Tiny. grin
MN, for all its excellent qualities, is (IMHO) not the best place for that."

Let me guess. It was a false flag, perpetrated by...the Jews cough Zionists.

I feel anything but "smug", Durham. As you say, I have little to feel "smug" about

I find the situation deeply and horribly disturbing, as, I assume, we all do. I feel horrendous for the families affected.

I find it disturbing and perplexing the way in which we're encouraged to interpret and react to world events. I attempt to look at it as rationally as possible when I can because I think it is important that we all do.

If this is perceived as smug, so be it.

I definitely agree with you on the broader point that rolling news encourages speculation and that that can be dangerously misleading. I remember it being speculated that the Germanwings crash was perpetrated by Islamic terrorists before the pilot's name was released.

And FWIW plenty of terrorism is carried out by religions other than Islam. The vast majority of terrorism in the USA, for instance, is carried out by right-wing CHristian extremists.

Oh no, how terrible, I hadn't seen the news.

If it walks and quacks like a duck, chances are that it's a duck. I don't see how drawing highly probable conclusions is in anyway a demonstration of an easily-led populace, merely human beings and news channels trying quickly to make sense of a situation.

At about the time the OP started this thread, ISIS were making their responsibility claim (Kurdish media).

In the last hour or so, western media has begin to report this claim.

Media misleading = problem

But there is no sign that the reporting that has emerged so far has been leading in anything other than the correct direction.

First of all I'm assuming that the OP didn't mean anything so fatuous as to suggest that it is unjust of the media to suggest that the attacks were Islamist (what with the suicide bomber shouting in Arabic before blowing himself up etc.) but the connection with Abdeslam is probably unreasonable and only tenuously related, as even as "few" as three attacks like this are not just planned overnight.

It wasn''t as if Abdeslam was arrested on Friday and a bunch of guys said "next Tuesday morning, let's go for it then" - this would have been weeks in the planning. It was almost certainly just a coincidence that Abdeslam happened to be arrested in the meantime. In fact, he was supposedly INVOLVED in the planning of an imminent attack when he was arrested - www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/12197932/Fingerprints-of-Paris-attacks-fugitive-Salah-Abdeslam-found-in-raided-Brussels-flat.html

But the OP has been opaque.

Fucking hate these threads. The irony is painful.

Think what you like.

Sure, but they didn't mention that it was Queen Latifah's birthday four days ago

Why would they? 4 days ago a terror suspect was captured and now there has been a terror attack.

the peaceful majority are seen to do very little to resist them.

What on earth do you want your standard Muslim to do to stop IS?

What?

IS consider any Muslim who disagrees with them (aka 99.9% of Muslims) as scum worthy of death. They don't listen to us.

There are plenty of Muslims engaged in anti-extremism work with young people at grassroots level, but that tends not to make the news.

Muslims are people just like you. If national security services are struggling to stop IS, what makes you think that the average Ahmed or Aisha in the street has the ability to stop them?

I have heard it repeated by news commentators that UK Muslims have been instrumental in stopping attacks here.

Yabu.

Cant be arsed to say anymore to such an extremely naive OP.

I am just digging out my tinfoil hat.

On 9/11 Sky news was rolling in our office. After the first plane hit, it was breaking news. Twin towers, smoke pouring out. A colleague and I expressed sadness for the people in that part of the tower and what a terrible accident. We then watched live the second plane hit. Utter confusion. I couldn't understand it. Was the second plane confused by the smoke?? Was I watching a replay of the first plane hitting?? But there was already smoke. Then another colleague said the words terrorist attack. Before the media said it. Oh my god, the shock.
The world changed that day.
Now, any explosion anywhere and my first thought is terrorist attack.
It would be very remiss of those reporting not to make the supposition between the arrest four days ago and these explosions.
AFAIK no one has claimed responsibility yet and that is also being reported.
So I disagree with your post OP.

What on earth do you want your standard Muslim to do to stop IS?

For a start they could organise high profile demonstrations and marches to show that they are against the violence. It won't stop the terrorists of course but would show the general public that they really don't support them, and might discourage others here from joining in.

Hiding away and wringing hands in private is no answer.