If we were to imagine, being generous, that there is a conflict with very sad losses of life going on somewhere in the world. Let’s imagine such a situation might arouse anger for the innocent victims involved, then let’s look at a comparative scenario.
Say it was after the Manchester Bombings, and say as a result of those bombings, people had taken to the streets behaving in overtly and open ways to demonstrate hatred and bigotry towards Muslims. Let’s say this had been going on for months on end, and was very extreme. Imagine Muslim business being targeted around the world. Imagine teens on campuses holding up signs saying they wanted Muslims off Campus. Imagine Muslim students having eggs thrown at them or having their Muslim clothing ripped off them (both these things have actually happened at my child's university).
Let’s say a Muslims started a thread on Mumsnet to express how upsetting they found it that the Met police were justifying such actions on the streets of London, and denying that signs or symbols of hatred to Muslims were offensive.
Then let’s say a Muslim posted how sad it was that they could not discuss the hatred and bigotry they were experiencing because each time they tried they were told to shut up because of the victims of the bombing, and let’s say another Muslim posted to agree that people died every day and it never meant it was not possible to discuss racism.
Then let’s imagine someone replied to that, out of nowhere, with “Take your claims of Islamophobia and fuck off” and then posted a link to the victims of the bombings underneath. Quite rightly, such a post would be removed for breaking the Mumsnet guidelines. Because it's a totally disgusting thing to do.
Then imagine that person didn't accept what they'd done as disgusting, and instead attacked the Muslim poster for pages claiming they were “heartless” and didn’t care about dead children because they had asked for this foul personal abuse to be removed.
Imagine other posters joined in telling that Muslim woman that she was dismissing dead children and agreeing that she was heartless. Imagine deciding between yourselves that a Muslim can have a choice: Shut up about racist abuse, and allow people to direct foul language and personal abuse at them, or, face yet more abuse for refusing to accept that.
Imagine that.
You would see that at think “wow, those are racist bullies, WTF has that woman got to do with the Manchester bombings, she is entitled to discuss her pain and fear at the racism she’s experiencing without getting this kind of abuse”. And that would be the right thing to think.
And that is exactly what occurred here this evening.
Just to Jews, and not Muslims, which is why those doing it do not feel the instinctive “ick” that they should feel when behaving in such ways.
Bloody shame on you. Now do not speak to me again. I will be ignoring you.