Wednesday, 2 June 2010

Great Timing, Chaps!

Robert Lambert and Jonathan Githens-Mazer picked a bad time to write their article:
The Guardian's brave and insightful undercover investigation into the activities of the EDL should finally persuade Westminster politicians to take the issue of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim violence seriously.
They say, just as the usual meaning of the word ‘peaceful’ gets a kicking from, well, who else..?

Any more ‘evidence’ you’d like to put forward, chaps?
… a cursory examination of the records of Islamophobia Watch over the last five years provides a sense of the extent of Islamophobia in the mainstream media.
Would that be the ‘Islamophobia Watch’ that is regularly hauled over the coals at ’Harry’s Place’ for hysteria and selective outrage?

Great sources, guys…
Similarly, Daily Mail commentator Peter Oborne is right to argue that it has become "permissible to fabricate malicious falsehoods and therefore foment hatred against Muslims in a way which would be regarded as immoral and illegal if perpetrated against any other vulnerable section of society".
No he’s not, and no it isn’t.

I’m not aware of any exceptions to the laws of libel and slander that are crafted specifically to exclude Muslims from their protection…
Prior to 9/11 we can find no record of a racist attack in the UK in which the victim is berated for being "a Muslim terrorist" or "Muslim extremist". During the last decade it has become commonplace.
Gosh. I wonder why that is?

Did something happen on 9/11?

10 comments:

Jiks said...

"Prior to 9/11 we can find no record of a racist attack in the UK in which the victim is berated for being "a Muslim terrorist" or "Muslim extremist". During the last decade it has become commonplace"

You know, I've checked back through the records too and I can find no convictions for dangerous driving before the invention of the car ... can they really be unable to see the connection?

*double facepalm*

Umbongo said...

Calling someone a "Muslim terrorist" on the grounds that s/he is or dresses as or is perceived to be a Muslim may be offensive but it is not "racist". It might be "religionist", but AFAIAA that is not (yet) illegal.

Quiet_Man said...

The EDL are an odd bunch, but as far as I'm aware are mostly vocal. Checking back on the records I have on them it's usually (strangely enough) the UAF and militant Islamists who cause trouble at their demo's.

g1lgam3sh said...

Well if the "Religion of Peace" cares to explain Taqiyya, Jizya and Dhimmitude then I might listen to them a little more.

As it is they have declared open war on me and mine and therefore sown the wind.

If that makes me 'Islamophobic', well, tough shit.

SadButMadLad said...

There used to be loads of occasions when people were called terrorists based purely on their accent.

Sterotyping and public ignorance about who actually are terrorists and who are just ordinary members of the public will always happen.

g1lgam3sh said...

"There used to be loads of occasions when people were called terrorists based purely on their accent.

Sterotyping and public ignorance about who actually are terrorists and who are just ordinary members of the public will always happen.

2 June 2010 18:27"

I take your general point, nevertheless I believe this case is different.

If you study the Quran and many Hadiths derived from it then it becomes apparent that whilst there may be such a thing as a moderate Muslim there is no such thing as moderate Islam.

Dar al Harb is not an idle concept.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Agreed, plus I second what everybody else says, apart from SBML who alludes (presumably) to the Irish being stereotyped as terrorists. Entirely undeservedly? I think not.

Anonymous said...

Of course if there were no Muslims in the UK, we wouldnt have to worry about any of this - and nor would Muslims.

JuliaM said...

"You know, I've checked back through the records too and I can find no convictions for dangerous driving before the invention of the car..."

Heh!

"It might be "religionist", but AFAIAA that is not (yet) illegal."

It might well be something that gets tested in court...

"Checking back on the records I have on them it's usually (strangely enough) the UAF and militant Islamists who cause trouble at their demo's."

It certainly was the case last time, when a senior UAF chap got himself nicked.

"Entirely undeservedly? I think not."

Agreed. And yet, we didn't hear so much about it in those days...

DJ said...

And, of course, the other factor is that Irish people who complained about being called terrorists weren't also demanding the right to walk round British streets wearing their traditional dress of fatigues and balaclavas.