To be shocked at casual open racism

[WanderingFairy]

Our having quiet dinner and some precious me time whilst DH spends bonding evening with DS. Greying couple in their 60s sitting next to me discussing all sorts of topics. Elderly gentleman makes casual disparaging comment about Muslims then brushes it over and starts talking about something else.

I'm shocked and saddened that racism is so acceptable and commonplace now. All muslims are evil, backwards etc and it's fine to make sweeping statements about an entire community. Has it come to this that we are so openly hostile and hateful?

[Perfectjob]

but I'm sure the taxi driver is buying his own house in Spain and living off his saved money so in his mind it's not the same at all. He's not going to be living off of benefits or getting a council house there which is probably what he's referencing too.

Of course some incomers need state help, but overall immigration accounts for a net boost to the income of this country. Not only its income, but in some sectors its functioning.

This is partly why it is shameful that the amendment seeking to guarantee the rights of EU citizens already living here failed yesterday . People who have lived and contributed here for decades, with children here, now about to be used as bargaining chips in the negotiations .

[SalemSaberhagen]

Yes bertrand, you were right.

[BusterGonad]

Perfect you've taken my post out of context, I wrote what I thought the TAXI driver was thinking....it is not what I WAS thinking.

[Perfectjob]

Yes sorry about that Buster - just went on a bit of a soapbox rant in case anybody agreed with the taxi driver.

[KatherineMumsnet]

Hi all,

We just wanted to hop on to say that even if indirect, and quoting someone else, that we don't allow racist terms to stand. Please do report these to us, and we'll remove.

Thanks everyone.

[BusterGonad]

Thanks Perfect.

[SleepOhHowIMissYou]

ShoutOut, is your sister in law intending to make Dubai her family's home? Are they emigrating or are one or both of the parents working a fixed term contract with the intention to return to the UK afterwards?

If they are emigrating and intending to make Dubai their permanent home then you're right, she's being very short sighted and is not giving her children the opportunity to integrate into their adopted culture which will harm their future prospects enormously.

If she is not emigrating and their time in Dubai is short term, then she is right to continue their schooling in the language and curriculum that will lead to the GCSEs and A-Levels that will shape their future careers, to do anything else will damage their future prospects.

For the record, I think all schooling should be secular. Children should have an education seperate to the dogma that their parents have chosen for them. How else will they decide which belief system is the correct one for them as free-thinking individuals?

As for the reasoning behind the 'rascist' targeting of Muslims in particular, this is because most Western countries are on red alert for the next fundamentalist Islamic terror attack. Note that you do not hear anything about Hinduphobia or Sikhphobia which would suggest that fear of terrorism is the driving force rather than latent British rascism bubbling beneath the surface for decades kept in check only by political correctness. Incidentally, Islam is a belief, not a race. Muslims can be any shade of skin colour.

[Perfectjob]

Buster

[ShoutOutToMyEx]

Sleep, as far as I know, they're there for the foreseeable. SIL's BIL has a permanent job out there - its oil and gas, but procurement so not on contract.

I don't disagree about secular education, in fact if I had my way I'd do away with religion in entirety.

I just think that SIL's view is actually one that's held implicitly by lots of people - that 'them coming over here' is wrong and a threat to our way of life, but 'us going over there' is just, well, the natural order of things.

[fakenamefornow]

I was in a taxi earlier and for the whole 15 minute journey the driver was going on and on about Brexit and how happy he was that those foreigners can't come here anymore to steal his houses and his jobs. Then finished by telling me he's retiring soon and planning to move to Spain with his wife!

You should have told him that because of Brexit he almost certainly won't benefit from any reciprocal health care agreement so you hope he can afford health insurance which for a pensioner will be £££. Also that his state pension will probably be frozen at the level it is when he leaves, as it is with retirees to Australia, instead of benefiting from annual increases as it would if still in the EU.

[BertrandRussell]

"Muslims make it easy for bigots when a majority of them are also bigoted against gay people."

So are a majority of Christians.

[brummiesue]

And do many christian countries still execute gay people betrand?

[BertrandRussell]

No.

[stevie69]

And if you've lived long enough to be grey haired, there's less excuse for being ignorant, not more. Often it's more deliberate by then. I've heard some elderly people still use the term coloured. Its not because they do not know differently. Its because they want to use it and no ones going to stop them 'at their age'

Just wondering ....... how do you know that it's because they want to and don't know differently? Have you asked any of these 'elderly' people?

For the record, I don't think it's true in every case. My mum, whom you may consider elderly (you may actually consider me elderly, never mind my mum ) tends to use the word 'coloured' when talking about a black person. That is purely because she thinks that that's appropriate. Indeed, there was a time when it was. She simply doesn't get out into the wide world enough to realise that things have moved on. I can absolutely guarantee, though, that she means no offence.

[Katy07]

For the record, I don't think it's true in every case. My mum, whom you may consider elderly (you may actually consider me elderly, never mind my mum shock) tends to use the word 'coloured' when talking about a black person. That is purely because she thinks that that's appropriate. Indeed, there was a time when it was. She simply doesn't get out into the wide world enough to realise that things have moved on. I can absolutely guarantee, though, that she means no offence.
Totally agree. My mum (70s) is the same. I keep reminding her, she keeps forgetting - probably because for her it comes up in conversation so infrequently (the few people she has conversations with are going to be discussing their families, holidays etc., not the world at large). Have to admit I'm not sure if we're still allowed to use 'mixed race' or whether it's now 'dual heritage' - but if people talk about the latter the heritage part makes me think of stately homes (I think there's an English Heritage organisation or something (like the National Trust) that's something to do with stately homes, or is posh old hotels??) so I'm like . It just doesn't come up on dog walks so it passes me by.... (but then it took me forever to work out that 24-7 meant 24 hours a day 7 days a week.....)

[Astoria7974]

Agreed. As a brown woman it's always assumed I'm Muslim & so when I go out in short dresses or wear revealing clothing I'll get called horrible names my Muslims and I'll also get told I'm not a real Asian by everyone else. Can't win.

[FlyMeToTheMoonLiterally]

v

[EnormousTiger]

Not round here Astoria though... we even have a state hindu primary school.