Explosions at Brussels airport.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

2 explosions. Airport being evacuated. All flights cancelled.
On bbc at the moment.

[fourmummy]

Btw, I don't have any ideas, as of yet, as to what we can do right now before anyone asks. I do know that the slow anger burn is just starting and I will not sit around waiting for the next explosion. We have to think, and talk, and take action. They are taking action, so why can't we (this is not a call to arms. I am anti-war)?

[crappymummy]

i find your call to action sinister to say the least

Maybe you mean well but knee jerk reactions are unhelpful and even likely to make things worse

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I honestly don't know what we can do about it. Certainly we mustnt let an anti-islam backlash grow. Not only is that just plain not right, it will also feed the terrorists zeal even further and help create more.

[fourmummy]

Call to action is sinister? What do you mean? Action = thinking, talking, contemplating, deciding. 'Action' can be all of these things. I specifically ensured that the proviso that I was talking about non-violent action was in my sentence because I knew that someone would misinterpret). A protest march against terrorism? Grass - roots level insistence on policy changes? The Guardian has an article on 'how to make a perfect cup of tea and cut a cake' on its front page. Perhaps we do that?

[crappymummy]

There isn't anything the average person can do, apart from live their life as they see fit

Governments could stop selling arms to all and sundry, and subsidising companies who do. They could stop bankrolling oppressive regimes. They could stop drone bombing, which only ever kills terrorists except when bombs land on hospitals run by medecins sans frontieres.

None of that has been tried yet, I for one would be interested to see what effect these changes might have

[crappymummy]

What on earth will a protest march against terrorism do?

and yes, the we must act! Do something! Now if not sooner! attitude has given rise to all kinds of terrible things historically speaking, so forgive me if I'm not a fan

You may mean well, but what you propose is counterproductive

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I think that when everyone is upset, shocked and angry, its really easy for us to want to 'do something'. Important that we try not to snipe at each other if we can help it, I apologise for my sharp retorts earlier.

[fourmummy]

Well, out of talking may emerge some pointers to action. I don't know what a protest march against terrorism might do - but it might draw out an unprecedented number of people on to the streets, like the anti-Iraq war one, which may then lead to further grass-roots level actions.

[crappymummy]

I really doubt the efficacy of grass roots actions to a problem that has roots in foreign policy decisions, amongst others

This is a global structural issue, and individuals are not going to be able to fix it

Fwiw I was at the anti Iraq war demo, along with half a million other people. It was easily one of the largest demos ever. We still went to war.

[fourmummy]

Ditto. And we did still go to war. But our children are able to review the history of this conflict in the light of that march. They know that their parents' generation was against it, and can view any policy decisions which stemmed from it in that context. That alone is important. It changed history because it changed voting patterns, it changed behaviour. Can we seriously assimilate and integrate as 'just one of those things' random explosions throughout Europe for the foreseeable future?

[crappymummy]

how on earth did it change voting patterns? No major party was against the war

action as a form of self-exoneration doesn't interest me, I'm not performing for the historians of tomorrow

I would rather see the government implement some of the things I suggested tbh I think they would have an impact

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

reportedly an unexploded suicide vest has been found at the airport.

[crappymummy]

Interesting. I wonder who was wearing it? Did it not go off, or did someone change their mind?

[BillSykesDog]

An unexploded vest was found after Paris belonging to AS which is what signalled someone was on the run. I would guess that either it's some sort of reference to him, or a warning that there are more people out there who have not blown themselves up prepared to carry out more attacks and therefore spread fear.

[crappymummy]

jesus Murphy can you hear yourself

people do get attacked after these atrocities, especially if they are vulnerable- there will be woman spat at, sworn at, etc today

It is not their job to be out demonstrating that they aren't threats, or that they don't support murder

this isn't a demand made of anyone else, and it's gross, tbh

when were Irish people demonstrating that they weren't on the side of terrorists? When were Catholics out in force disavowing support for paedophile priests

Ffs this kind of cheap ass rhetoric does no good at all. Does it make you feel better though?

[BillSykesDog]

Actually, you might have noticed that the Catholic Church as a whole has been forced to face up to, deal with, apologise and take responsibility for the child sexual abuse scandal within their church. Their was that whole unprecendented Pope resigning thingy as a result. Remember that? While new safeguarding and reporting procedures. Funnily enough I don't remember any Catholic priests demonstrating about how unfair that was either or complaining that curtailing unfettered access to the main routes of abuse (in Rotherham taxis, in the Church, altar boys, choir boys) was discriminatory against priests.

As for the Irish not protesting, I can only speak for my own Irish family and I know that they would not have protested because their views were all on a scale from totally supporting them to thinking they had some justification to not entirely opposing them.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Is this really the day for spreading more hate?

[crappymummy]

apparently it is

I reiterate: there never has been any similar demand on any other group to perform innocence for others

to be honest, even if muslim people did hold a giant rally saying 'we don't like murder either' what difference would that make to your opinion? Do you think terrorist atrocities are done to impress them, so all they have to do is say quit it and it will stop?

just beyond gross to use people's murders to advance that kind of shitty ideology

[WannaBe]

Why should Muslims come out against the terrorists. These people aren't Muslims, they're terrorists. Just because they claim to do what they do in the name of Islam doesn't make them Muslims.

If a woman is convicted of child abuse should other women come out and declare themselves against child abuseing women? If a man beats up his partner should other men come out and declare themselves non wife beaters? Even in the case of sex abuse in the church, should all church goers have to declare their non abusive stance just because they were associated with said church? No of course not.

This idea that Muslims should be coming out and declaring their non terrorist stance is just bigoted rubbish designed to stir up more hatred.

[crappymummy]

wannabe

[PausingFlatly]

BillSykesDog, I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that in December there were hundreds of Muslims marching in London, denouncing terrorism: Muslim anti-Isis march not covered by mainstream media outlets, say organisers

[GobbolinoCat]

When were Catholics out in force disavowing support for paedophile priests

I don't want to get side tracked down this debate path However these sorts of comments really rile me.

There is NO comparison for so many reasons!

I think the words Protest and Islam go together because " Some " Members of the Islamic community do seem fond of protests. We have seen time and time again, many protests in the UK and globally when something upsets them, as trivial as a cartoon for instance.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4684652.stm 2006 - well before Hebdo.

I think the fact that SOME members of the community are so ready to protest, when it suits them, but not so ready on terrorist attacks committed in the name of their religion that attacks attention.

rightly or wrongly...I am pointing this out.

Catholics, are not really known for their marches, protests etc in the same way at all...but had they been - but then NOT marched over pedo priests I think the world would also be looking at catholics with a wary eye.

[PausingFlatly]

Agree that they shouldn't have to, but many Muslims have indeed held rallies to publicly state their opposition to terrorism.

A selection from across the world:

[GobbolinoCat]

Just because they claim to do what they do in the name of Islam doesn't make them Muslims

Its not quite as clear cut though is it as your making out!
Isis are very religious and very Islamic.
The texts they use to justify their behaviours can be interpreted in many ways, there is no one leader to come and out and condemn it all, there is no POPE to say - stop this is wrong, its basically one interpretation V another one. In America and in Saudi top scholars have been employed to rigorously go through texts to interpret them away from ISIS views! Its certainly not as easy as saying - this isn't Islam and they arn't Muslims. ( if only it was!)