Islamophobia on Mumsnet

[namechangedME]

It is rampant.

Does @mumsnet notice? Where is the line on what stays up and what comes down?

Understand people are allowed their own opinions - even ill informed ones. But the constant tone of disdain for 'muslim men' as if they're all the same is really prevalent and I don't see any other form of racism tolerated by Mumsnet or it's users. I will start reporting if Mumsnet is unaware of the issue.

[CheshireCats]

I don't recall seeing a single post on "muslim men" on mumsnet and I am on it most days.
However, if you do see such posts and they are offensive, why are you not already reporting them?

[SirChenjins]

Absolutely you should report - why haven’t you already done that? MN doesn’t monitor the boards, it relies on people reporting individual posts. If you haven’t reported posts you perceive to be Islamophobic then they won’t be able to look and them and decide if they break talk guidelines.

Click on ‘report’ which appears under every post, it’s very easy to do.

[namechangedME]

Because often it's tone, implied, a generalisation - not hate speech. I don't know what can be done about it because it's often subtle, but it makes me squirm.

That's why I've asked what the line is.

[Westfacing]

@CheshireCats

I don't recall seeing a single post on "muslim men" on mumsnet and I am on it most days.
However, if you do see such posts and they are offensive, why are you not already reporting them?

It's usually more subtle on MN!

'Men of a certain culture' is often used; as was 'a certain East European country' when saying something bad about Romanian men/women back in the day. Since Brexit there's little reference to the Romanian bogeyman, hostilities have moved on.

[endofthelinefinally]

I agree that it is really important that we all report posts when appropriate. It only takes a few seconds and MN rely on us to do this. IME they always respond.

[SirChenjins]

You can check the talk guidelines which shows clearly when a post warrants deletion. MN is a broad church, so you’ll see all sorts of views which may be construed by some as subtle disdain - but when that crosses into clear bigotry, racism, sexism, ageism etc then MN is usually quick to respond.

[BeckyAMumsnet]

Hello @namechangedME please do report any posts you think are Islamophobic - we're always happy to take a look. We appreciate MNers reporting as we're unlikely to see it otherwise amid the 30,000 or so posts every day on Mumsnet.
In the main, we ask posters not to generalise about people based on their faith or background and to recognise that within most faiths there is a wide spectrum of perspectives. As a discussion site where the majority of users are women, we also recognise that it would be wrong for us to not allow discussions surrounding some interpretations of religious teachings and how that impacts women. We would take this view about all faiths and look at each post on a case-by-case basis and within the wider context of the discussion.
You're always more than welcome to discuss any moderation decision directly with our mod team at [email protected] should you have specific concerns. Thanks.

[CatCatCatCatCatCat]

Im guessing this is about the thread on the relationship board

[namechangedME]

Yes it is @CatCatCatCatCatCat but it's only the straw that broke the camels back in terms of me making this thread.

I will be sure to report ( and have done before) anything I see to be islamophobic but I do think a lot of it just falls under 'opinion' - it's just sad and worrying that people have those opinions.

I'm sure no one will be surprised to hear that I am a British woman, married to a man from a Muslim country - a GCC country. I did not have to convert! We are happily married, with two children.

[MCOut]

@CheshireCats

I don't recall seeing a single post on "muslim men" on mumsnet and I am on it most days.
However, if you do see such posts and they are offensive, why are you not already reporting them?

Gaslighting Post 1.

You’re right OP Islamophobia is rampant. There’s a few deleted threads a week but truthfully there’s a massive prejudice and racism problem in general.

[CheshireCats]

@MCOut Definitely not gaslighting. Just a statement of fact- I do not recall any posts about Muslim men of this nature and indeed at all. That is my opinion and experience of Mumsnet. It is not gaslighting to state your opinion/experience. Otherwise there could never be any discussion on any topic where people had different experiences and points of view.

[Simonjt]

@Westfacing

It's usually more subtle on MN!

'Men of a certain culture' is often used; as was 'a certain East European country' when saying something bad about Romanian men/women back in the day. Since Brexit there's little reference to the Romanian bogeyman, hostilities have moved on.

Yep, I had a few posters sending me abusive islamaphobic PMs a while ago, one even started a reddit thread saying I was abusing my son and our animals just like all of ‘his type do’. Thick obviously, wrong religion. MN wasn’t bothered, they also didn’t delete threads where a poster called me a P*, but delete my own post asking the poster not to use that word, sadly not a surprise that a racist poster was prioritised.

[CurlsnSunshinetime4tea]

be happy your not catholic or have any musings of christianity.
mn is brutal, a whole tread on how those with religious beliefs (although easily could be muslim or judaisim) are less intelligent than athiests.
thread upon thread about how ridiculous it is to believe anything other than the current weather.

[Garlicking]

If this is about the disappointed phone sex post, I think his religion is a consideration. Someone from his background is highly likely to devalue a woman behaving like that, wouldn't you agree?

To my mind, there were excessive xenophobic posts - MNers are often too eager to assume visa-hunting, even when the overseas lover has no reason for it! Sadly, I don't think you can get rid of 'foreigner fear' though.

[ChanelNo19EDT]

Exactly @Garlicking Are we all wrong then? Is there actually a good chance that a muslim man raised in Morocco is serious in his intentions towards a 'normal' (western) single mother living in the Uk??

[namechangedME]

@CurlsnSunshinetime4tea

be happy your not catholic or have any musings of christianity.
mn is brutal, a whole tread on how those with religious beliefs (although easily could be muslim or judaisim) are less intelligent than athiests.
thread upon thread about how ridiculous it is to believe anything other than the current weather.

Also, awful!

[namechangedME]

@ChanelNo19EDT

Exactly @Garlicking Are we all wrong then? Is there actually a good chance that a muslim man raised in Morocco is serious in his intentions towards a 'normal' (western) single mother living in the Uk??

Sorry I replied in regards to that thread but I actually don't want to talk about the ins and outs of it - there's enough of that on the thread itself. It doesn't need to come here.

[namechangedME]

Actually, no sorry @ChanelNo19EDT - your post is offensive.

What makes you think that western = normal? This is literally Orientalism 101.

You have illustrated my point perfectly.

[ChanelNo19EDT]

Western is normal in the West

Context is important. This woman on the other thread was doing online dating. Many other people besides me thought she was naive about what his views of her would be.

[MuggedByReality]

Islam isn’t a race. It’s a religion. Therefore criticism of Islam ≠ racism.

Furthermore, criticism of religions is perfectly legitimate because many people take the view that they are divisive do far more harm than good.

[SirChenjins]

Agree @MuggedByReality

Religion has always been a way of controlling the masses, especially women. MN’s reply which includes “As a discussion site where the majority of users are women, we also recognise that it would be wrong for us to not allow discussions surrounding some interpretations of religious teachings and how that impacts women” is spot on.

[MuggedByReality]

@SirChenjins Agreed.

And @MNHQ is absolutely correct to allow discussion & criticism of religious misogyny & subjugation of women on a primarily female forum.

[namechangedME]

@MuggedByReality

@SirChenjins Agreed.

And @MNHQ is absolutely correct to allow discussion & criticism of religious misogyny & subjugation of women on a primarily female forum.

Of course.

That is not my gripe.

[SirChenjins]

Can you say a little bit more about your gripe to help clarify it?

[namechangedME]

Allowing discussion & criticism of religious misogyny & subjugation of women on a primarily female forum is totally different than making sweeping generalisations, assumptions, and derogatory stereotypes about 'muslim men'.

If people want to be specific in their criticism that's completely different - and welcome.