Shabana Mahmood's comments

[ThisPeppyGreenCritic]

I am absolutely disgusted by both Shabana Mahmood describing anti-genocide protests in this way when far-right marches of people screaming fascist propaganda have been uncritically happening for months, and the BBC in this article, in particular quoting Ephraim Mirvis as if he is speaking for the entire Jewish community in the UK and uncritically quoting his allegations smearing anti-genocide protests as “antisemitic”.

A horrific antisemitic attack is sickening. Using it for political ends is morally bankrupt.

I'm interested in the stance of other MNetters on, broadly, this situation and, specifically, of Mahmood's comments.

Relevant link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgy8kvvkp3o

The attack was not only "a very dark time" for Jews in Britain "but for all of our society", he added.

And I agree with the above.

Yep. So now loads of people say they agree with the strong words. Now what? What happens on Saturday?

Ephraim Mirvis is the Chief Rabbi. Among individual Jews there will obviously be a range of opinions, but he is representative of the Jewish community in the UK, just like the Archbishop of Canterbury represents people who are CofE. It is completely reasonable to quote him as a representative of British Jews, that's literally what he is.

She said on the radio this morning that she can only take action to stop them if the police say that they can't actually police the march safely and effectively. And while the police have apparently asked the protesters to cancel because of the additional pressure that this will put on their resources, they have nonetheless confirmed to the Home Secretary that they will be able to cope if it does go ahead. So she can't actually do anything.

And while I do feel that the timing of the march this weekend is in bad taste, I think we also have to be a bit careful about giving our Home Secretary the power to just cancel protests because they don't personally agree with them. That could end up being a bit of a slippery slope.

If the protests do go ahead this weekend, I hope that a lot of people will think twice and decide not to attend. I also hope that the police will crack down hard on the expression of any antisemitic sentiments.

There had set off before 9.30 in the morning? I doubt it. Anyone attending these marches yesterday has nailed their antisemitic colours to the mast, pretending that they are doing so out of compassion for Gaza when in reality all they are doing is showing their hatred of Jews.

And while I do feel that the timing of the march this weekend is in bad taste, I think we also have to be a bit careful about giving our Home Secretary the power to just cancel protests because they don't personally agree with them. That could end up being a bit of a slippery slope.

agree

I don't think the march should go ahead, but I certainly hope that the Home Secretary can't just ban any march that she likes. That is giving way too much power to any one individual.

YABU.

@ThisPeppyGreenCritic far-right marches of people screaming fascist propaganda have been uncritically happening for months

If you actually believe this you need to get out of your personal echo chamber and read/watch more widely.

I heard someone on the radio yesterday recalling how Jewish people have shown up to support Muslim people when there have been attacks against them in the past and hoping Muslims would do the same for their Jewish neighbours this time. But no, as it turned out there was a loud, ugly, antisemitic and violent pro Gaza demo in the same city a murderous terrorist attack had happened hours earlier. 40 people arrested across the protests last night, more than a handful for assaulting the police.

There’s not a single word the Rabbi is quoted as saying in the BBC piece that’s wrong or at all unreasonable. I’m not sure what your problem is. After her own past protesting behaviour the Home Secretary needs to be seen to be clear and against antisemitism. She’s on a hiding to absolutely nothing hoping for compassion or human decency from the pro Hamas hate marches, they’ve shown themselves to be beyond contempt, but she’s got to show she’s trying.

This. ^

Yes - I was being a bit facetious there, because she slightly gives off the impression that it’s for someone else to sort out if the marchers don’t listen to her asking nicely.

I’m not giving her anything tbf but on optics alone people will pick up on the strong words about being ‘un-British and wrong’ re Saturday protests.

It might give her the warm glow of approval today but how will she square it when people question why Saturday is ok after all. Basically a political trip rope of her own making.

I am very much against the Government of Israel’s actions in Gaza and its war crimes against its innocent civilians.
I think her comments were spot on. It’s a question of respect and empathy.

Yes. That is exactly what they should have done if they'd had an ounce of decency.

The killings & maimings were in the morning: what time were the protests?

Finally, some balance from a key member of the Labour Party. Good for her.

To be fair, I have heard lots of Muslim voices expressing solidarity with the Jewish community in response to this attack. Let us not pretend that they're all out there shouting messages of hate, because that genuinely isn't the case.

You lost me at ‘far right’ and ‘fascist’… you’re obviously completely morally bankrupt if you think ordinary British people are the bad guys in this scenario.

I think she has tried to strike a balance between making her own views clear while simultaneously respecting the fact that people do have a legal right to protest even if the Home Secretary considers their protests to be inappropriate or distasteful.

I agree with Shabana Mahmood on this occasion.

Time to stop these marches imo. They don't achieve anything to bring peace to the middle east and serve only to fan the flames of an already difficult situation in the UK.

The Tommy Robinson march in London was a far right march. And I'm pretty sure that the Home Secretary considered that one to be inappropriate and distasteful too, but again, that wasn't a reason to stop it.

I would like to believe that decent people of all faiths and ethnicities would like to see an end to racist, islamophobic and and antisemitic marches of all flavours.

And if people don’t do as she asks what then?

If people think it’s ’time to stop the marches’ and they continue she’s in the spotlight on that.

I say Mahmood for president.. well PM.
She is amazing, a trail blazer.

So you want her to exercise powers that she doesn't actually have in order to ban the march, even though the advice from the police is that they can cope with it?

I don't know even what mechanism she could employ to do this? How would it work in your mind?

Do you not think that there would then be a massive outcry about the Home Secretary overstepping her remit?

There would and rightly so. Slippery slope and all that. She could be proposing banning something you agree with next, @EasternStandard .