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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you not to judge all Muslims by the actions of the men outside the school

240 replies

flashbac · 27/03/2021 09:23

Hi

It shouldn't need saying but...

Please don't judge us all by the actions of a vocal few.

Some have already acknowledged the protesters were mostly if not all angry young men with seemingly nothing better to do. They don't represent all Muslims.

As Batley's late former MP said:
"We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”

OP posts:
Redsquirrel5 · 27/03/2021 11:56

@RiojaRose

I think the teacher was highly insensitive and should have used different visual examples. I also think using those particular examples with school children indicates that the teacher has insufficient comprehension of the nuances, which isn’t good practice in teaching.
I agree completely. Either that or he hadn’t done his homework and hadn’t researched his lesson properly. Unfortunately too many teachers pull things off the internet without reading it properly. This happens more in RE and Art.

OP I certainly wouldn’t judge others by a few. Unfortunately whenever any issue arises some people like to go there to incite and not all of them will be from the area and may not even be Muslim.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 27/03/2021 12:02

@Ponoka7

Was there a counter protest in support of the school, or statements made by Imams calling for calm?
Yes. All over radio 2, bbc news, sky too!

Lots of very rational muslim individuals calling for restraint, for logical thinking and calm.

OppsUpsSide · 27/03/2021 12:02

It doesn’t help that there don’t seem to be my reports of people within the Muslim community rejecting the protestors assertion that they were speaking on behalf of the whole Muslim community, as that makes it appear as though the Muslim community are supportive of these men’s actions, which does fuel a bit of an Muslim v non Muslim division. Unfortunately the only parents from the school I have seen quoted in the media as speaking out against the protest have very Anglo sounding names, again, not particularly helpful.

DrManhattan · 27/03/2021 12:04

Not sure what the context was in which they showed the picture?
Maybe the teacher could have talked about it without showing the actual image.
There will probably be a law passed about it soon. So we all know exactly what to think.

Sometimeswinning · 27/03/2021 12:11

I'm still unsure how this is an issue. It should have been flagged. Parents apologised to and a lesson learnt. Suspension and the outrage caused over a religion. No laws have been broken. My sympathy is with the teacher!

Goleor · 27/03/2021 12:13

I would never judge anyone on their religion, ethnicity etc etc . My father has some lovely neighbours who are Muslim, they came from Syria and are kind and lovely people. They even had a baby at xmas and gave her an irish name. In every town and in every country there are lovely people of all kinds , there are also assholes too , who I think should be called out no matter who or what they are. That's the situation at this school, they are acting very inappropriately outside a school , nobody is saying they cant be offended but they cant do whatever they like to express that offence.

SpringTimeDream · 27/03/2021 12:14

@Ponoka7

Was there a counter protest in support of the school, or statements made by Imams calling for calm?
This 100%

The noisy protest made the news. Hopefully there was a counter protest to the ones who thing a cartoon merits threats of violence!

Unbelievable that some people in the UK think a silly cartoon demands this type of reaction - wrong and must never be allowed.

IEat · 27/03/2021 12:14

Really. Do you need to ask. Not everyone is bloody thick and blames all fir the actions of some

Mintjulia · 27/03/2021 12:17

No problem OP. Well said. The fact that it's mostly a bunch of loud mouthed aggressive men says it all.

There was no disrespect intended, I'm sure. Discussion and allowing different views to co-exist peacefully are signs of an educated and civilised society.

Oneweekleft · 27/03/2021 12:28

Im a muslim and when i first heard about cartoons of Muslims i thought its ok its just a drawing but when i actually looked at the cartoons which are from Charlie hebdo they were extremely offensive. One that particularly stood out for me was a muslim woman in hijab naked from waist down giving birth legs wide open. Think implying women are just baby making machines in Islam.Of course this is going to be offensive . Its hateful and unecessary. They should expect a reaction if they are going to mock people in this manner. Its wrong to show things like this in schools.

OppsUpsSide · 27/03/2021 12:29

@Oneweekleft are you claiming that image was used by this teacher?

Oneweekleft · 27/03/2021 12:32

No im not. Just sharing that when people hear cartoon they think what is the big deal its "just a cartoon " but there can actually be a huge amount of hateful implications behind them.

adviceseekingnamechanger · 27/03/2021 12:33

Absolutely OP. They don't represent Islam or Muslims any more than ISIS do. I think people need to remember there are hundreds of thousands of Muslims who would never behave this way. Similarly, I know there's no blasphemy laws but I don't think it was a sensible move to show an image that they know would be deeply offensive to some students and parents. Even if the teacher etc doesn't personally see the problem, I wouldn't offend people like that. The discussion can be had (and it is an important topic to discuss) without the images.

NEVERQUIT3331 · 27/03/2021 12:33

@Oneweekleft

Im a muslim and when i first heard about cartoons of Muslims i thought its ok its just a drawing but when i actually looked at the cartoons which are from Charlie hebdo they were extremely offensive. One that particularly stood out for me was a muslim woman in hijab naked from waist down giving birth legs wide open. Think implying women are just baby making machines in Islam.Of course this is going to be offensive . Its hateful and unecessary. They should expect a reaction if they are going to mock people in this manner. Its wrong to show things like this in schools.
Nothing new with Charlie Hebdo they done so many bad things. Laughing at the women kidnapped by Boko Haram, calling the dead Syrian refugee child a groper in Germany if he was alive, making fun of those who died in the Malaysia Airlines crash etc...

But some people call it "satire" disgusting that people can't call out both murdering innocent people and racist, sexist magazines.

OppsUpsSide · 27/03/2021 12:36

Well it was a Charlie Hedoe one so the inference is it wasn’t akin to something off CBeebies, but I think commenting about a separate image of a woman naked from the waist down is a bit disingenuous, it’s actually irrelevant in this context.

Drawingablank · 27/03/2021 12:39

I’m so sorry that you feel you need to say this in the first place.

I know the detail can start to get more complicated/divisive, but while some of the responses (on both sides) seem unnecessary, I don’t think that being respectful of other people’s beliefs is so much to ask.

Oneweekleft · 27/03/2021 12:43

Ok it was a bit irrelevant but the point is all these cartoons are highly offensive in one way or another so why do people continue to show them and not expect a reaction?

Wishitsnows · 27/03/2021 12:45

Well the men there are ridiculous and I doubt many Muslims would support them. Shame they don't have jobs to go to. Its awful that the children in that school are missing more of their education after they have lost enough already because of their views.

dontsaveusername · 27/03/2021 12:52

Labelling all Muslims for the actions of a few is just part of the racism endemic in much of the UK. Not all people of course, and hopefully not many, as saying that is as bad as saying all Muslims are outraged with this.

I don't know why this teacher acted this way. Has he been under a rock for 20 years?

grassisjeweled · 27/03/2021 12:56

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KurtWilde · 27/03/2021 13:03

@Susie477

Of course I don’t judge all Muslims by the actions of these men. That would be ridiculous.

I only judge the ones who want to censor free speech and reintroduce blasphemy laws into this country by means of malicious, spurious allegations of racism (Islam isn’t a race), intimidation and threats of violence.

I agree with this. And can we please stop referring to islam as a race? It's not a race. It's a religion. And it's ok to not like a religion. I don't like any religion. It doesn't make me racist.

It's a sad state of affairs when a cartoon causes such outrage and offence, as if our children haven't already lost enough of their education during covid.

callmeH · 27/03/2021 13:03

@Fatladyslim

I have missed something, what is this about?

Of course you shouldn't judge all Muslims by the actions of a few idiots.

Totally agree yet we judge men by the actions of some, we judge white people by the actions of some etc etc. Maybe we need a wider discussion about judging everyone by the actions of a few.
KurtWilde · 27/03/2021 13:05

Well said @callmeH totally agree.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 27/03/2021 13:06

This reply has been deleted

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moochingtothepub · 27/03/2021 13:07

I agree we should never blame the majority for the actions of a few but if a group associating themselves with your organisation, religion, ethnicity etc persistently advocates violence, not adhering the rule of law and states they follow another set of rules over those in the land they live in, they the majority need to speak out publicly and unequivocally against them, no excuses.

The cartoon thing is stupid because it was deliberately provocative in my opinion, but I've been personally sidelined, ignored and verbally abused for being female by Muslim client, and it's inexcusable - I don't deal with women I was told, unacceptable behaviour and when I complained to the iman at the mosque he attended they said it was because he was religious! 7 years later I'm still fuming (plus numerous smaller incidents like everyone having hands shook but me, refusing to look at me and the client inviting us to a dinner and me not being invited (my colleagues refused to go) and more. Sorry personal beef here.

I respect the no images but would appreciate being treated as an equal as a female