Compassion & media coverage towards Ukraine but not the Middle East/Africa

[babyhaha]

This is something that has been on my mind for a little while so hopefully I'm able to word it correctly.

Since the invasion in Ukraine there has been constant threads about this on MN. This is also something that is constantly spoken about and written about in the media as it rightly should be. This is a major thing that's going on and people should obviously be informed about this.

However, why is this not the case when there's constant wars happening in the Middle East and Africa? Iraq, Palastine, Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan etc the list really does go on. There's still innocent people in these countries that are getting killed for no reason. Now I've personally never seen threads about these countries on MN but as I don't spend too much time I'm on here, I could be wrong. What I am certain about, is these countries BARELY get any media attention from the West, if ever at all. Why is that?!

Is this because Ukraine is a European country and not a third world country where things like these are 'expected to happen?' Do people feel that as the people in these countries are minorities that they don't deserve the same sort of empathy that the Ukrainians are getting? I really am interested to know why there's such a massive difference in terms of media coverage and general compassion.

It's actually interesting because just a few days ago, supermodel Bella Hadid stated that Muslim suffering deserves the same level of outrage as Ukraine and she is absolutely right. And to those who may say I'm exaggerating or this isn't the case, I've linked a Twitter thread below which has clips of the most racist Ukraine coverage on TV and the wording used in each and every clip is very telling. I'd be very interested in hearing people's thoughts.

twitter.com/alanrmacleod/status/1497974245737050120?s=21

A person who has said some very anti-refugee things to me in the past organised a local collection for Ukrainian refugees. I understand that this ‘feels’ closer to home, but I it has highlighted how much of a racist I knew they were.

I think that unconsciously people perceive there to be a hierarchy of responsibility in these situations I.e. countries geographically, culturally and religiously close to the refugees should step up first.

A bit like when deciding who should look after a child. Ideally it should be their parents, but if not, then their family. If not their family, then someone from their community. A family from a different race, religion and culture would be lower down the list. I think this feeling is human nature.

I’m not sure why you’ve asked the question op @babyhaha when you have already decided you know what the answer is.

I’ll answer honestly how I feel.

I have massive sympathy wherever the conflict is when I see reports and videos of injured and frightened children (black or white- colour is irrelevant in this instance).

In General though, I probably feel more upset about the conflict in Ukraine because the whole thing seems so unfair and completely unprovoked. It feels with the media coverage that we have ring side seats and it is horrific. I can relate to these people as we are culturally more similar. They are trying to evacuate their women and children and their elderly relatives.

I cannot relate in the same way to young healthy for men who ditch their families and travel alone. That may be unfair of me but that is how I feel. Also these men often have a different attitude towards women than us in Europe. I have seen and experienced this first hand through my job so do feel I have some understanding.

I think firstly you are underestimating the coverage those other conflicts got just Ukraine is front and centre as the newest - certainly Syria and Afgahnistan were all over the news in the weeks immediately following with coverage similar to Ukraine and Palestine is often in the news.

But also, most of your examples are civil conficts. Russia invading Ukraine is one sovereign nation invading another with a clear and distinct aggressor and victims so it is easy to take a side and feel sympathy for the innocent victims. Longstanding civil conflicts are less clear cut and harder to distinguish who is right/wrong, where there was provocation and be certain of if would be refugees are victims or fleeing to avoid the consequence of being in an oppresive group etc.

@Lovingeveryrainbow

This. It’s clear as day.

There have been news reporters and politicians saying these aren’t “the usual” refugees- their whiteness affords them compassion where there is fury and contempt for those from the global south.

The same old same old.

My reaction exactly!! The 'usual refugees' what an actual joke

You can't police how people feel. It feels like you are actively discouraging kindness.

As people said… it’s culture, Eastern European ties and the fact it’s woman and children.

Why don’t you direct your outrage at the
UAE? Culturally similar and an abundance of resources yet take next to no refugees.

Here is an example …… you have a limited income and a family member is in financial distress, but there is also a family from down the road in distress. You can only help one -so who are you helping ?

You started this thread to make yourself feel better. To feel like you are doing something and recognising this injustice.

Bella Hadid’s Father is Palestinian so she does a lot for that cause, but I haven’t heard her talking about/helping other war torn nations.

What about the troubles in NI - why weren’t those in the Bahamas doing more for their plight?

@MissAmbrosia

I totally understand that this conflict has risks that others did not and people are afraid, for genuine reasons. But it does make me cross all the virtue signalling on here "it's breaking my heart" etc. about Ukraine when no-one gave a shit before. UK has actually been the agressor before and still supplies weapons that have destroyed cities and killed innocent civilians.

Yes this is exactly what I mean tbh. Due to some of the comments I can now see why media coverage may be so frequent as Ukraine is relatively closer to us. People have also mentioned nukes which isn't something I've thought too much about.

However the general emotional that the situation is provoking in people, yet nothing's felt for people in the Middle East/Africa? That's exactly what I mean

@Happylittlethoughts

If you think humans care about everyone and everything equally then you are surely naive. I agree with PPs. We surely seem to care more about issues /people with closer geographical or cultural connections . That is a very broad statement obviously. Many people care about Syria for example, but most dont see a reflection of themselves there on TV. I think they easily see that looking at Ukraine.

That's not what I'm saying at all. But it's interesting to see people admitting this is about race and caring more because there's a sense of familiarity. If you're white and seeing white people on the TV going through a bad situation such as war, you have emotion. If you're seeing people on the TV that aren't white, there's less emotion (if any) simply because they don't look like you. That's insane to me. People have to look a certain way to gain any sort of compassion but it makes sense as it's about race

I remember the Syrian conflict having similar constant coverage. All the footage from the white helmets, coverage of refugee camps, outrage as the violence escalated and became more and more extreme. I’m sure as time goes on the Ukrainian war won’t be constantly reported on. You can’t blame news outlets for reporting more on a war from their own region. I think there’s something about it being an invasion of an otherwise peaceful region rather than a civil war that really concerns people. Putin and the potential for it to turn nuclear. As for sympathy for refugees, I don’t think Britain is showing much, yet again. Absolutely failing to do our bit. No change there.

@Cheshirecatwoman

I cannot relate in the same way to young healthy for men who ditch their families and travel alone. That may be unfair of me but that is how I feel. Also these men often have a different attitude towards women than us in Europe. I have seen and experienced this first hand through my job so do feel I have some understanding.

This. ^ There's a startling difference between the Ukrainian men and the men that came from Syria/the middle east/Afghanistan...The Ukrainian men are staying to fight for their country, and have sent their women and children to safety. In the Middle East/Syria/Afghanistan etc, the men (mostly younger ones) seem to flee to safety and leave the women and children (and older generations) behind.

I wonder why that is?

@Ylvamoon

The Ukraine has the infrastructure to document the war via social media channels. We don't rely on journalists on the ground to document the plight of ordinary people... Then there are also the geographical implications and the fact that it is relatively easy to go to Poland to deliver aid = no visas or other travel restrictions.

I very much remember the the reports about families in Afghanistan having toselltheir daughters in order to survive the winter. Or how much women's & girls lives are getting worse.Where are the people from these reports now? Yet there is very little reporting now, because most journalists have left, thanks to the Taliban.

The same is happening in Russia, we will know very little about a possible opposition to Putin or how they are silenced due to media blocks and the journalists exodus.

I think people/ keyboard worriers need to put things into perspective. Saying that the help offered is about race is very simplistic. It is about geography, infrastructure and how & who reports about the suffering and displacements. And then there is politics...

Hmm this is a very interesting take, especially the last paragraph. Very interesting and valid points made that makes way more sense to me

@WeddingHangover

You can't police how people feel. It feels like you are actively discouraging kindness.

As people said… it’s culture, Eastern European ties and the fact it’s woman and children.

Why don’t you direct your outrage at the
UAE? Culturally similar and an abundance of resources yet take next to no refugees.

Here is an example …… you have a limited income and a family member is in financial distress, but there is also a family from down the road in distress. You can only help one -so who are you helping ?

You started this thread to make yourself feel better. To feel like you are doing something and recognising this injustice.

Bella Hadid’s Father is Palestinian so she does a lot for that cause, but I haven’t heard her talking about/helping other war torn nations.

What about the troubles in NI - why weren’t those in the Bahamas doing more for their plight?

Yes well said.

Racism is definitely the main reason. Journalists have been absolutely shocking and many aren't even trying to hide it.

Additional reasons as pp have said are proximity, threat of nuclear war, possible start of ww3, and global hatred of Putin and his dictatorship. On another thread, someone pointed out that all of the refugees coming from Ukraine are women and children. I wonder if the West would be more sympathetic to African and Middle Eastern refugees if they were all women and children and the men stayed behind.

@Cheshirecatwoman

I’m not sure why you’ve asked the question op *@babyhaha* when you have already decided you know what the answer is.

I’ll answer honestly how I feel.

I have massive sympathy wherever the conflict is when I see reports and videos of injured and frightened children (black or white- colour is irrelevant in this instance).

In General though, I probably feel more upset about the conflict in Ukraine because the whole thing seems so unfair and completely unprovoked. It feels with the media coverage that we have ring side seats and it is horrific. I can relate to these people as we are culturally more similar. They are trying to evacuate their women and children and their elderly relatives.

I cannot relate in the same way to young healthy for men who ditch their families and travel alone. That may be unfair of me but that is how I feel. Also these men often have a different attitude towards women than us in Europe. I have seen and experienced this first hand through my job so do feel I have some understanding.

Your whole post sounds judgemental and frankly unfair. You use the word "ditch" to talk about men, who could have very good reason for travelling alone. Who are you to judge them? Your post is very them and us, which is the whole problem. I wonder what these so called cultural similarities are, that you speak off.

*Also, in case you haven't noticed, the UK has done virtually fuck-all to help the Ukrainians anyway!

Lots of media coverage is just lip service. Less than FIFTY refugees have come into the UK from Ukraine thus far! So the UK is hardly 'favouring' them over people from the middle east and Africa. *

Yes when I was looking into it, I'd seen the UK haven't actually done much and Priti Patel has just been waffling as usual.

Nowhere have I said the UK is favouring them but if all the UK has done is media coverage. They've done a hell of a lot more for Ukraine than other countries. As a pp has said, it's probably because what's happening in these countries has been going on for so long, it's no longer deemed as 'news.' Another point I hadn't actually considered

@Ohmnomnom

Racism is definitely the main reason. Journalists have been absolutely shocking and many aren't even trying to hide it.

Additional reasons as pp have said are proximity, threat of nuclear war, possible start of ww3, and global hatred of Putin and his dictatorship. On another thread, someone pointed out that all of the refugees coming from Ukraine are women and children. I wonder if the West would be more sympathetic to African and Middle Eastern refugees if they were all women and children and the men stayed behind.

Somehow I doubt it.

[quote MurmuratingStarling]@Cheshirecatwoman

I cannot relate in the same way to young healthy for men who ditch their families and travel alone. That may be unfair of me but that is how I feel. Also these men often have a different attitude towards women than us in Europe. I have seen and experienced this first hand through my job so do feel I have some understanding.

This. ^ There's a startling difference between the Ukrainian men and the men that came from Syria/the middle east/Afghanistan...The Ukrainian men are staying to fight for their country, and have sent their women and children to safety. In the Middle East/Syria/Afghanistan etc, the men (mostly younger ones) seem to flee to safety and leave the women and children (and older generations) behind.

I wonder why that is?[/quote]
The Ukrainian men of a certain age are not being allowed to leave. They have to stay, if they want to or not.

I wonder what these so called cultural similarities are, that you speak off.

I've been thinking the exact same thing but I don't think I have the energy to get into it!

Different, in that a lot of the refugees in boats are not fleeing war torn countries, but want a better life, whereby the Ukraine’s are clearly trying to escape war. There’s a difference. We can’t accommodate economic migrants here, because we already have insufficient housing, schooling and nhs facilities. Obviously the ukrainian situation is different. They want to remain in their homeland, but circumstances mean they have no choice. They have nowhere to go so we want to help them.

I get where you're coming from and it has crossed my mind too, but as has been said people tend to empathise more with those they can relate to. And those in Europe living similar looking lives to us means we can empathise more easily.

Evolutionarily, we're not designed to take on 7 billion people's woes, we are designed to live in tribes of 1-200 people, so our compassion has to have some limits (or we become easily overwhelmed as I'm sure many people have experienced when they feel deep empathy with ALL displaced people and every injustice).

That's why cancer and animal charities get many times over more money than malaria ones, which are literally capable of saving thousands of children's lives easily and cheaply in e.g. Africa.

“ But it's interesting to see people admitting this is about race and caring more”

@babyhaha

I haven’t seen anyone admit it is about race. Culture yes but race no.

You are putting forward your own agenda again.

Do you honestly, hand on heart have equal compassion for everyone and everything? I find that almost impossible to believe and feel that you are being a bit goady tbh.

When I say "similar looking lives" I mean western style lives, living in cities / blocks of flats, relative wealth, enjoying the same hobbies, experiences, culture Brits might enjoy. Sadly race probably does come into it as well.

Why do you think “nothing’s felt for the people of Middle East/Africa” ? I think that a great deal has been felt by a great many people over many years concerning the Middle East and Africa. I keep seeing people bring up the West’s response to the current war in Ukraine, but I don’t see them analyzing China or India’s response. Are those two countries providing assistance to refugees? Are their media outlets providing non stop coverage? If that’s not happening, is it because Chinese and Indian people are racist? Are we going to analyze which countries in Africa and the Middle East provided assistance to refugees from those areas? Why or why not?

@Livelovebehappy

Different, in that a lot of the refugees in boats are not fleeing war torn countries, but want a better life, whereby the Ukraine’s are clearly trying to escape war. There’s a difference. We can’t accommodate economic migrants here, because we already have insufficient housing, schooling and nhs facilities. Obviously the ukrainian situation is different. They want to remain in their homeland, but circumstances mean they have no choice. They have nowhere to go so we want to help them.

@Livelovebehappy how do you know these people aren't fleeing war torn countries though? Why do you get the impression that they're just here for a better life?

I don’t think it’s quite as simple as it being skin colour, though I don’t doubt that adds to it. I think the fact Ukraine was forging closer ties with the EU and NATO and becoming “one of us” is the clincher. If it’s Ukraine today, will it be us tomorrow?

People can see themselves as Ukrainians, where as they can’t really see themselves as, say, Syrians, or Yemenese.

What Russia is doing to Ukraine is not really different to what the UK and USA did to Iraq. Our compassion is bound up in the sharing of values and a similar world view, as much as it is in the colour of people’s skin.