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Conflict in the Middle East

School students marching in support of Palestine

373 replies

Sausagenbacon · 17/11/2023 09:35

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/palestine-march-tower-hamlets-east-london-israel-gaza-b1120876.html
Why are schools allowing/enabling students to do this?
Is it part of what schools should do, promoting frankly one-sided protest? And what will they decide to march about next? Just imagine being a Jewish student in the middle of this.
I find it sinister.

'Hundreds' of schoolchildren join pro-Palestine protest in Tower Hamlets

Thursday's march forms part of Friday's "National School Strike for Palestine" initiative

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/palestine-march-tower-hamlets-east-london-israel-gaza-b1120876.html

OP posts:
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Desertrose2023 · 18/11/2023 09:02

Desertrose2023 · 18/11/2023 08:59

Yes, tell that to the Jewish people who suffered two thousand years of religious persecution in Europe followed by a holocaust. or the current day hijabi woman who could never get a decent job in France.

please tell me again how Europe is free from hatred.

Sorry just to be clear my post above wasn’t directed at you you @ChickHenLittle , I completely agree with you !

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:05

@ChickHenLittle
Of course Macron isn't against the bombings, but of course he must voice the opposite, he's a politician.
My point was about France and Germany taking a tough line against protests

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:07

@Desertrose2023
Of course women who wear the hijab in France can get a decent job. Have you ever been to France?

ChickHenLittle · 18/11/2023 09:07

@Desertrose2023 It's okay, I've noticed we have the same overall stance and pretty much the same opinions on einioar threads. 😊

ChickHenLittle · 18/11/2023 09:08

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:05

@ChickHenLittle
Of course Macron isn't against the bombings, but of course he must voice the opposite, he's a politician.
My point was about France and Germany taking a tough line against protests

Of course? How do you know?

By the same logic, we could say that Biden is against them, but has to publicly support Israel. Or do we only assume those condemning the attacks on Gaza aren't being truthful?

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:09

@ChickHenLittle
If Macron were against the bombings, I'm sure there wouldn't be the rules there are about the protests..

Macron is afraid of terrorist retaliation in France

ChickHenLittle · 18/11/2023 09:12

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:09

@ChickHenLittle
If Macron were against the bombings, I'm sure there wouldn't be the rules there are about the protests..

Macron is afraid of terrorist retaliation in France

That doesn't really add up. The marches aren't anything to do with terrorism.
If anything, the UK protests show that while our PM meekly supports the Israeli government, the public very clearly does not.

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:22

Macron cannot publicly stand with Israel out of fear of provoking anger in the extremist community that is alive and well in France. As the European country that has experienced terrorism the most directly, I am sure you can see why he would be reluctant to publicly stand against Hamas, but what he can do is prevent marches.

The marches aren't anything to do with terrorism

So why have France and Germany banned them?

Desertrose2023 · 18/11/2023 09:22

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:07

@Desertrose2023
Of course women who wear the hijab in France can get a decent job. Have you ever been to France?

Yes I’ve been to France multiple times for holiday and for professional reasons and I work with colleagues who are based in France. I’ve seen the discrimination against hijabi women with my own eyes. People in France like to believe they’re so enlightened and above racial or religious hatred but it’s so obvious they’re not in the way that non-white French people are treated. You just need to look at their social economic status and job prospects. I knew one girl who worked in a client facing role that was strongly advised to change her ethnic sounding name to a more western one if she wanted to succeed/progress in the role.

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:28

People in France like to believe they’re so enlightened and above racial or religious hatred

I don't believe many people in France think that

ChickHenLittle · 18/11/2023 09:36

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:22

Macron cannot publicly stand with Israel out of fear of provoking anger in the extremist community that is alive and well in France. As the European country that has experienced terrorism the most directly, I am sure you can see why he would be reluctant to publicly stand against Hamas, but what he can do is prevent marches.

The marches aren't anything to do with terrorism

So why have France and Germany banned them?

I think National Front/Rally are the posing a serious threat of extremism in France. Le Pen is in a position of power, there was a time, not really all that long ago, when that would have been laughable.

Given that the marches do not support terrorism, it seems that Macron's logic is flawed if that is indeed his 'real' reason. However, all we can go on is his official stance.

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 09:44

Given Le Pens crew don't tend to go around slitting teachers throats and given they usually make it to the last round of elections, I don't think we can call them extremist to the minds of the French public, in the same way that given Brexit had a majority support, we might not like it's principles but that can't realistically be called extremist either.

But you didn't answer my question about why you think the marches have been banned, in a country where "freedom" is one of the three central pillars?

Kindatired · 18/11/2023 10:12

Trulywonderful · 18/11/2023 00:28

I would also suggest we each take a shot every time the word genocide is mentioned. However we would be unconscious before we got past the first couple of pages with a lot threads. What is it with the word genocide and some people. We all get what is going on and are watching the news, have our own perspective and opinions of events. It is like they are trying to convince us or else just like saying the word.

I know what a genocide is because I was in Rwanda in 1994.
Please suggest a better term to describe the killing and forced population transfer on this scale.
Your argument is based on relativism and smacks of Israeli government Public Diplomacy.
It is wrong to kill innocent children and it is right to bear witness.

watcherintherye · 18/11/2023 10:19

quantumbutterfly · 17/11/2023 21:39

I guess if you want to programme people into taking sides you've got to start them young before their passion is tempered by perspective.

Ok. Perspective on (for example) the Holocaust? I’d be very concerned about the moral compass of anyone who’s managed to achieve that. Some things don’t lend themselves to perspective. Genocide being one of them. If the Israelis aren’t stopped, the Palestinians are going to be wiped out. That’s enough perspective for me.

Kindatired · 18/11/2023 10:28

noblegiraffe · 18/11/2023 00:49

And the other question is why Hamas don't feature in these protests.

Hamas! Is!

Chorus: A Proscribed Terrorist Organisation!

This is deflecting the thread again.
Hamas is a brutal terrorist organisation and it’s actions on 7 October must be condemned.
People are marching to swing to put pressure on their government to stop supporting the bombing of Gaza so this is not about Hamas

noblegiraffe · 18/11/2023 10:28

Toothyfruity · 18/11/2023 08:57

I was talking about the genocide deniers on this thread. The several posters who repeatedly complain when I name what's happening in Gaza.

And "loser take" is quite funny. Maybe worry about the thousands of kids who have been blown to bits rather than those who attend marches with their parents. That might be a better take for you.

Anyway I have to get the kids ready for today's march. Have a nice day.

Edited

You said "I just don't agree with the pearl clutching genocide deniers on this thread that a bogeyman is brainwashing children and forcing them to go on marches. They went with their parents!"

Your post was not aimed at people disputing whether there is a genocide in Gaza, it was aimed at people who are concerned about political organisations targeting children to bunk off school.

It is totally a shit debate tactic to start whipping out phrases like 'pearl clutching genocide deniers' when people disagree with you about what is going on in England. In England, not in Gaza.

ChickHenLittle · 18/11/2023 10:32

Kindatired · 18/11/2023 10:28

This is deflecting the thread again.
Hamas is a brutal terrorist organisation and it’s actions on 7 October must be condemned.
People are marching to swing to put pressure on their government to stop supporting the bombing of Gaza so this is not about Hamas

Edited

Exactly. Why should people chant the obvious? These protests, as has been said many times, are not pro-Hamas.
Anyone supporting Hamas at them (if anyone even has) is not there for the right reason and is the tiniest minority who would be rightfully arrested for supporting terrorism.

noblegiraffe · 18/11/2023 10:35

Kindatired · 18/11/2023 10:28

This is deflecting the thread again.
Hamas is a brutal terrorist organisation and it’s actions on 7 October must be condemned.
People are marching to swing to put pressure on their government to stop supporting the bombing of Gaza so this is not about Hamas

Edited

And why is Gaza being bombed? What is the justification being given by the govt for allowing Israel to conduct its operation (Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism).

If Hamas are completely absent from any discussions with children about this conflict then they may well end up like those young people on the march the other weekend who didn't even know that the attack on October 7th happened, and that is what Israel is responding to.

It is entirely possible to argue that Israel has gone far too far in its efforts to rout Hamas and is killing civilians at an alarming rate, rather than simply ignoring Hamas and pretending that there's only one side that needs to cease fire.

Certainfailure · 18/11/2023 10:36

watcherintherye · 18/11/2023 10:19

Ok. Perspective on (for example) the Holocaust? I’d be very concerned about the moral compass of anyone who’s managed to achieve that. Some things don’t lend themselves to perspective. Genocide being one of them. If the Israelis aren’t stopped, the Palestinians are going to be wiped out. That’s enough perspective for me.

Like the six year old Asian kids in a local supermarket made to wear ‘Free Palestine’ hoodies by their mothers. No doubt they received a totally unbiased nuanced explanation of a very complex conflict. And I’m not just referring to the children either.
Equally the young teens a la Shamima Begum being influenced by hate spewing clerics in certain mosques and subsequently being radicalised by online Jihadists.
The idea that an organisation like Stop the War has an influence over school age kids is actually frightening. Nor for that matter any kind of religious teaching either.

Certainfailure · 18/11/2023 10:39

Wrong quote there for some reason.

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 10:41

@ChickHenLittle
These protests, as has been said many times, are not pro-Hamas
You are still avoiding the question: why do you think other European countries have banned them?

Oliotya · 18/11/2023 10:44

Certainfailure · 18/11/2023 10:36

Like the six year old Asian kids in a local supermarket made to wear ‘Free Palestine’ hoodies by their mothers. No doubt they received a totally unbiased nuanced explanation of a very complex conflict. And I’m not just referring to the children either.
Equally the young teens a la Shamima Begum being influenced by hate spewing clerics in certain mosques and subsequently being radicalised by online Jihadists.
The idea that an organisation like Stop the War has an influence over school age kids is actually frightening. Nor for that matter any kind of religious teaching either.

It's funny how when it's minority kids, they're being indoctrinated and forced. When it's white parents, teaching their kids about white peoples wars (Ukraine), its just parenting.
Unbelievable amount of racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia on this thread.

ChickHenLittle · 18/11/2023 10:45

Loulou599 · 18/11/2023 10:41

@ChickHenLittle
These protests, as has been said many times, are not pro-Hamas
You are still avoiding the question: why do you think other European countries have banned them?

I didn't realise I had. As France made a statement, I'm sure those other countries have too. If you're implying it's a misguided assumption that the marches will encourage terrorism, no, I don't believe they will. They certainly haven't in the UK.

Merrymouse · 18/11/2023 10:46

noblegiraffe · 18/11/2023 10:35

And why is Gaza being bombed? What is the justification being given by the govt for allowing Israel to conduct its operation (Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism).

If Hamas are completely absent from any discussions with children about this conflict then they may well end up like those young people on the march the other weekend who didn't even know that the attack on October 7th happened, and that is what Israel is responding to.

It is entirely possible to argue that Israel has gone far too far in its efforts to rout Hamas and is killing civilians at an alarming rate, rather than simply ignoring Hamas and pretending that there's only one side that needs to cease fire.

Edited

I think it’s also worth mentioning the reasons why Israel might not listen to ‘Stop the War’, why the Labour Party has had to distance itself from some of its key figures, why Israel feels particularly vulnerable, and why it is so sensitive to the idea that it does not have the right to defend itself.

Leaving aside terrorists, nobody wants the killing of children to continue. It’s easy to ask for the impossible if you don’t care about or feel responsibility for the outcome. People with real responsibility have to work with what is possible.

I believe that most people asking for a ceasefire are genuinely just horrified by what they see happening in Gaza. I don’t think this is true of ‘Stop the War’.

HaveALaff · 18/11/2023 10:46

Maddy70 · 18/11/2023 08:34

Because many of them are from that area, their parents are asking for their children to be allowed to participate

It's a protest against the British government supporting the war which is killing their families

If anyone can argue with this then I have very little faith in the world.

Don't protest to the government who is killing your family. It is offensive. 🤦‍♀️

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