One of your comments intrigues me granny, a Muslim state, a very correct statement, not so much a religion but a state, Islam, now that conjures up a terrifying prospect, if they are so proud of their religion or in what they believe why do they seek to disguise their motives or have a get out of jail card in the interpritation of the Quoran? criticising Allah can bring on jihad and condemn you to death, that is outrageous by any standards.
Hi Granny, i very often read your comments and find them insightful but on this occassion i feel i have to correct a couple of comments. Firstly, Islamophobia is a term for prejudice against, hatred towards, or fear of the religion of Islam, Muslims, or of ethnic groups perceived to be Muslim. This has been defined as racism. And secondly you state that the problems found elsewhere will undoubtedly happen here, I cannot perceive that to be correct because the UK has no more than 5% of Muslims living here and only a very small amount of them are involved in hatred. Its like saying all football supporters are thugs - it does not equate. Nor would the other 95% let it happen.
Geemeister, In my mind racism is still pertaining to nationality as opposed to religion, but I'm sure your point is correct. With globalisation the concept has changed and when we would speak about people from Turkey, they were referred to as Turks, Egypt.. Egyptians, Iraq.. Iraqis, Libya.. Libyans,etc., now in the West the people are most often seen and referred to a Muslims. There is 'activist Islam' and 'political Islam', who are also known as 'militant Islam' Where following any religion was once conceived to be spirituality, the dynamics have changed considerably. I will say, prior to 9/11 and going back to 1997/8,nationwide enquiries were regularly (weekly) coming from Iraq about transport systems, railway links, industry etc. and maps of our cities and towns requested. That has always made me wonder why. Supposedly students doing research ! You also know that there have been various attempts at terrorist acts which have failed in this country. Many of which we know nothing of, I'm sure. I think the warning that the Egyptian Prime Minister gave this week about only being 200 miles between Libya and Europe with the imminent prospect of thousands of Isis supporters setting sail, is not too far from the truth. They also know much more, as they could fly a sortie to bomb Isis training grounds and camps etc. in Libya the other night. We should never sit back and think it won't happen here. Complacency, has been the downfall of many !
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. ~Chief Seattle
The protracted armed struggle between military armed forces and Islamic groups in Egypt from 1970 to the mid 1990,s resulted in the exile of many Islamic atavists to Europe and the Americas, and led the way for many others to join the Afghan jihad.(I presume we took them in as asylum seekers). Anwar El-Saddat was assassinated for the 1979 peace treaty he made with Israel among other things.He also broke off relations with the Russians in the 1970s. To say it is about time the Egyptians got off the fence does them an injustice.
Geemeister,the definition of islamphobia is not as clearly defined as you state, academics are not in ageement over a clear definition, many say that there is a genuine fear or misunderstanding of Islam and therefore to stick the label of being predudiced or having a hatred of or racism is unfair,I read in one article that unlike other EU countries most predudices in the UK are about the preferential treatment that Muslims receive from government agencies and in workplaces, you also state that only a small amount of them are involved in hatred how do you know this? this alleged small amount has been bubbling beneath the surface for years instilling hate and fear into its youth peaching its hate against the Kafir, now there's a word that oozes hate, predudice and racism, oops sorry not allowed to say that are we ?
Bar-room politics is a wonderful thing as is the right to have an opinion. I think at this stage I will follow Rudeboxs' example and, for the same reasons, bow out of further comments. I am not complacent, burying my head in the sand, brainwashed etc. I just treat people as individuals and give each the respect that they deserve. Peace and goodwill to all that deserve it.
I think we all do that Geemeister on a personal basis, but the difference here is that we are talking about terrorists, extremists, Jihad, Isis or whatever one wishes to refer to the perpetrators committing the atrocities against humanity and their own.
Nobody is being bigoted or racist, other than discussing the issue of the possible threat to Europe by those mentioned above, and how history is repeating itself in a slightly different way. Beheading their own be they Muslims or Christians in my opinion, is no different from gassing Jews.
Rude, I fail to see why you even made that post, other than attempting to raise a rapid response !
Last edited by granny; 18th Feb 20159:11pm.
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. ~Chief Seattle
I find nothing offensive in anything that has been expressed in any of the posts.I have stepped up to the plate a few times to defend and demonstrate on behalf of people to have the same rights as me, free speech being one of them.This is a free country for all and long may it be so.Even for Alex McFadden TUC area organiser to demonstrate with his placard against our troops coming home, it made me baulk a bit but hey.
I find nothing offensive in anything that has been expressed in any of the posts.I have stepped up to the plate a few times to defend and demonstrate on behalf of people to have the same rights as me, free speech being one of them.This is a free country for all and long may it be so.Even for Alex McFadden TUC area organiser to demonstrate with his placard against our troops coming home, it made me baulk a bit but hey.
I have no time for champagne socialist nonentities whose name mattes not. It was the poster and the message that made me baulk. A cretin that stands behind a piece of cardboard with a different message of dissent year on year out in the name of the working class, paid by the working class, living a middle class lifestyle. Whats his name again? Shame on Him.
I see a representative of the three lasses that have allegedly gone out to join ISIS is attempting to blame the security service, the police, border control etc for allowing them to leave, of course it would have nothing to do with living a repressed lifestyle or having a certain religions values being drummed into them,I wonder if their parents warned them about the dangers of becoming involved or they just exsisted in their own little muslim world, most kids their age are interested in boys,music, pop stars and clothes,like all kids they crave adventure, if they had been stopped the cry no doubt would have been the opposite islamphobia, racism,etc,
exactly.
