Suspected suicide bomber shot at Stockwell station.

[cori]

Have just heard an unconfirmed report on the radio. Anyone else?

my best friend is married to asian guy and ive just spoken to him and he's shit scared to go to london tomorrow he's shit scared ( his words ) of his fellow race!

Batters, people do embrace that. You can embrace all the multicultural brilliance of London and still say 'Actually this is scary and I'm jumpy'. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive.

What I'm finding sad about this thread is that some people who are clearly struggling with their own feelings in the wake of all this are being accused of racism or of 'whipping up fear'.

I agree Snafu - people are too ready to see a negative where there isn't one.

Batters, being scared does not mean that you don't embrace the different cultures and diversity that London offers. I love London for those same reasons.

this thread makes me feel unbelievably sad. it's so ironic that young asian men using public transport are as much at risk of dying as any of us.

it seems as if people are finding it really easy to justify looking at all asian men with suspicion. but it's nonsensical really isn't it? lots of white people murder people and beat people up, we don't get off trains if white young men get on do we?

it feels to me like people's latent prejudices are stirred up and fed by what is happening at the moment. it makes me like i say unbelievably sad.

if you're looking to suspect muslims then what they look like is neither here nor there: plenty of white and black muslims in london.

also all of this makes the assumption that the suicide bombers are muslim and they can't be: a devout muslim would never kill anyone.

Post crossed with Snafu's!

"I just am not convinced that if a 19year old Asian guy wearing a hoodie and baseball cap sat down next to you and your kids on the bus tomorrow with a big black rucksack on his lap and a nervous expression, that you'd all be so pleased to see him. "

sorry, but lol

But isn't this in itself a cultural thing? I was in South America at the weekend, and the people there couldn't believe that everything was going on as usual in London. They could not believe that we were not more emotional about it.

Which of us, QoQ?

Followed this thread early on but then got lost with the speed it's moving.

I'm not sure what I would do if on a train/tram/bus/tube if someone was acting oddly. I probably would get off but I very very rarely travel on any of them.

I understand everyone's concerns about muslim/men/rucksacks and I probably would be more aware and nervous of them and probably avoid them on any bus, tube etc BUT had these bombers been white I would still feel the same and would be aware/nervous/avoid around them.

Surely this isn't racism? I am white so can't see it as racism, just self preservation.

Am I naive to think it isn't?

QQ - On the piss already?

I LOVE that phrase
"I was in South America at the weekend"

One day I shall use it too

You just can't help dropping it in, can you Ladymuck?

great post QoQ...how lovely of you to comment on fellow posters in such a constructive way.

do you live in london btw?

sophable, I dont think aloha's posts have made any assumption about muslims?

Batters you can rest assured that I am trying hard not to be afraid. I also think I'm controlling my fear pretty well considering I'm sitting in my office in London right now having travelled here on public transport with my usual routine of reading my book and falling asleep.

But I do admit, rational or not, I am wary of the people around me. Its not stopping me going about my daily business, but it has affected me.

Snafu, you are right, I'm one of the people struggling with my own feelings.

As I said below, I'm white and married to a non-white Muslim guy and I am still feeling this way.

no need for that QOQ - everyone has a right to their opinion, and we can either agree or disagree. We are in no position to question that persons feelings or beliefs.

The only reason that I ever agreed to help my old workplace out on a project was so that I could drop that sort of line around!

Worked marvels at ds's pre-school outing last Wednesday "I'm just popping over to Rio tonight!".

you're still several million times more likely to get runover then hurt in a bomb, this scaremongering is out of all proportion with what is happening. we should be much much more concerned about the legislation that is now going to be 'rushed through'.

detainment without trail indefinitely, id cards for all etc etc. none of which does anything at all to protect us, just turns us into the kind of state that we're arguing we should invade as it sponsors terrorism.

that wasn't a direct hit at aloha tho, i'm talking about the massive generalising that is going on a little here but an awful lot in the wider world about muslims.

press conference now to be held at 14:45

I would be scared to go to London at the mo, infact am too scared to go into Birmingham at the mo so am avoiding it like the plague.

Anyone acting suspiciosly would make me jumpy though whatever their race or religion.

I feel sorry for the men that had to shoot that bloke today.

I applaud the new legislation and the sooner it's 'rushed through' the better!