Speakers Corner: Woman attacked with a knife.

[Childrenofthestones]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57965251

A woman has been slashed with a knife at Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park, police have said.
The 39-year-old was taken to hospital after the attack on Sunday afternoon at the site, where people gather for public speeches and debates.
The Metropolitan Police said she received a minor slash injury to the head, which was not life-threatening.
Footage shared on social media shows someone dressed in black approaching a woman wearing a Charlie Hebdo T-shirt.

That is the ultimate "Shut up!" I suppose. People trying to silence women's voices wherever and whenever they are being heard.

Never mind, the police will surely be telling us it's an "isolated incident" shortly, and it will be put in a box with all the other isolated incidents. No risk to the general public at all unless you're a woman and open your mouth to say anything.

@NewlyGranny

That is the ultimate "Shut up!" I suppose. People trying to silence women's voices wherever and whenever they are being heard.

Never mind, the police will surely be telling us it's an "isolated incident" shortly, and it will be put in a box with all the other isolated incidents. No risk to the general public at all unless you're a woman and open your mouth to say anything.

I was just thinking that

How awful! Good to hear her injury wasn't life threatening but must have felt so scary at the time. Absolutely appalling the sort of violent reaction women get for speaking their minds.

How awful.

That poor woman.

Inevitable, given the constant barrage of anti-women abuse on social media and misogynist propaganda in the newspapers we used to read. I wonder if there was also a religious element in the sttack, as she’s a Charlie Hebdo supporter?

Isn't it odd that we immediately know this IS a woman?

I wonder if there was also a religious element in the sttack, as she’s a Charlie Hebdo supporter?

It's possible, although too early to tell at this stage. As I understand it, the woman attacked is an ex-muslim turned Christian. I don't know anything about her but she seems to be an outspoken critic of Islam. Many ex-muslims do get death threats and other kinds of intimidation. So it wouldn't necessarily be surprising if there was a connection to her attack.

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

Inevitable, given the constant barrage of anti-women abuse on social media and misogynist propaganda in the newspapers we used to read. I wonder if there was also a religious element in the sttack, as she’s a Charlie Hebdo supporter?

The woman who was stabbed is Hatun Tash. She's an ex Muslim turned Christian.

This is appalling. Hope Hatun is okay and safe and that the police will deal with this appropriately.

This has happened before. I know nothing about who this person is who has made the video, btw, just sharing as it contains footage of Hatun Tash being attacked at Speaker's corner last year.

Online there are videos and stills of the attack and Hatan lying on the ground, passed out with her face streaming with blood. It is a very striking image of violence against women.
The BBC decide to illustrate the story with a standard pleasant image of the cafe at speakers corner and the Guardian with a generic picture of people listening to a speaker on a stepladder.🤔

Just a warning, that video has the footage of Hatun being assaulted repeated a number of times in quite a distressing way. I wouldn't watch it beyond the first clip of her being struck by the man if you'd be upset by seeing a woman attacked interspersed with jokey puns.

Looking again at the video and where he slashed her she was lucky. He could easily have been going for her eye.

Now she is stunning and brave. I hope she recovers well.

Sorry, Floral, yes, I should have said.

I’m hoping that because so many people will have had their phones out to film the speakers, the culprit will be picked up very quickly.

Absolutely shocking though - I don’t go there often (usually just walking through) and it rarely feels unsafe or particularly controversial (usually just odd types preaching about religion or cats).

Yes, if you want an example of stunning and brave, she is it. How terrifying. I hope she makes a full recovery and I hope when she returns to speak her mind, she has a phalanx of friends with her.

But as a PP said, funny how this is not one of those stories where you wonder if the woman involved has not always "identified" as a woman.

Brendan O Neill writes on this here

www.spiked-online.com/2021/07/26/you-can-be-stabbed-for-criticising-islam/

Just like the silence from the woke brigade on the appalling treatment of JKR this needs to be called out loudly every time

Horrific. Hatun Tash is clearly a heroic woman and I hope she recovers quickly. I also hope her attacker gets a sentence that will deter others, not the usual 10 minutes community service.

Good grief, he wasn't joking when he stabbed her, was he?

Some men have such strength and speed. And anger towards women who speak.

I hope she is recovering well. And that they get that man who assaulted her so viciously.

There is backstory to this event.

The attacked woman has been removed from Speaker's Corner previously by the police.

Of course nobody should be going round stabbing anyone. Obviously.

I just watched this video which shows the woman being attacked (stabbed?) in the background. It happens very quickly and it is difficult to see what it going on.

Later on the woman can be seen with a bloody face and a group of concerned people surround her and try to help her. At least one of them appears to be Muslim. Other Muslims appear concerned for the woman's welfare and ask if she is OK.

The woman is accompanied by a group of Islamaphobic men who shout provocative statements at the Muslims in the immediate area, demanding that they leave.

The woman is a member of a church called Defend Christ, Critique Islam (DCCI) Ministries, who claim that

Our motivation is a love for Muslims to bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ in order to attain eternal life.

website here

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210125131236/www.dcciministries.com/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20210125131236/www.dcciministries.com/about/

sample page of interest

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210301043820/www.dcciministries.com/miracle-scandal-pregnant-4-years/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20210301043820/www.dcciministries.com/miracle-scandal-pregnant-4-years/

This appears to be an extremely divisive organisation whose activities include attending debates between Muslims at Speaker's Corner and behaving in a provocative and inciting manner.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not claiming that she should be stabbed.

I am concerned about the nature of the church she belongs to an its activities, which seem to be straight out of active measures.

The alt-right website Brietbart was quick to publish a piece on this assault
archived here
archive.is/ygX4f

It's an intra-religious dispute. So bloody what? I think both religions are total bunk, but it's Speaker's Corner and people are free to say what they want there within the usual bounds of free speech.

There is no caution necessary in saying I utterly condemn the violence this woman has faced at Speaker's Corner. I'm not a Christian, I'm not a Muslim, but I am a woman who believes that there is no possible justification for hitting or stabbing anyone just because you vehemently disagree with their beliefs or statements. I find any insinuation otherwise absolutely abhorrent.

I utterly condemn the violence this woman has faced at Speaker's Corner.

me too

I'm not a Christian, I'm not a Muslim

Me too

but I am a woman who believes that there is no possible justification for hitting or stabbing anyone just because you vehemently disagree with their beliefs or statements.

me too

I find any insinuation otherwise absolutely abhorrent.

me too

That is why I posted that there was no excuse for the assault twice in my post.

I am allowed to be curious about the backstory.

I am allowed to be concerned about controversial activist groups, whether faith based or based on "gender" issues, or based on conspiracy theories about SRA / coronavirus / whatever (they are often linked via networks of activists of course) or any other issues that provoke and incite public disorder.

Active measures involve inciting violence and discord between opposing activist groups (often using vulnerable adults as assets), lighting the blue touch-paper and standing back as the opposing groups fight.

This is why there is a need to be extremely cautious about what actualty happened and the context. IMO

I'm sorry, to be clear here, you utterly condemn the violence, but you think it's important we have the backstory that the victim is a Christian who wants to convert Muslims, just like all the Muslims there want to convert people to Islam, because that's the nature of proselytising religions, and passions run high when people are sharing deeply held beliefs?

You can see why that looks like you're minimizing that a man has just violently attacked a woman he disagreed with, right? Or are you suggesting it was a set up? Help me out here. I'm not really grasping why a man attacking a woman at Speaker's Corner needs context and backstory, and it does look like you're suggesting she provoked him. Be glad to hear you clarify that you're not.