Terror attacks in France and Tunisia/now

Easy to get paranoid about what you think might be going on behind your back on here, Annie!

I'm with soontobe in that I'd be glad to know what you mean by 'little Englander' so the rest of us on this thread can be in no doubt.

Click on 'Forums' under the GN banner up there. Then find 'Other subjects', or whatever. Click on that, and take it from there. Easy peasy.

I'm not disputing that it goes on. Just no way of knowing really.

"Other subjects" is a good fall-back forum.

I am glad you wrote your post Anniebach.

I did look back at what you wrote, and couldnt see how it could mean anything other than what others think it means too.

But I am the first to say and admit that there are different sayings in different parts of the country.

So I am wrong.
And also would welcome hearing what it means to yourself. Or the Welsh.

I dont think that you need to start a new thread though. Say it here?

Then will someone explain how ' and most of us know this' can be said in honesty ? Was there a poll which I missed jingle ? Even a pea brain realises it had to be discussed before anyone could step forward as spokesperson

I don't know how to start a thread or where it would belong

PM-ing of that kind is the black side of GN - if it does go on.

Go on Annie - start the thread. Would be interesting. You don't need to be brave.

Hell bells, we have so often had discussions on this forum how different parts of the country have different sayings. I have explained several times little englander does not mean to me what it means to some here. I do imagine groups frantically contacting each other privately because of the ' we ' which have been used several times on this thread. So rosesarered, for you to claim 'most of us know this ' you must have had cosy little off thread chats. How sad grown women working in bully gangs . I am not brave enough to start a thread but I would very much like to explain what a little englander is to me , useless because like a coven some would attack and tell me I was in the wrong no matter it would be my experience, my explanation , my opinion.

Anniebach, I will just say this and then 'move on' but calling somebody a 'little Englander' only has one connotation in a thread like this, and most of us know this, whatever you say about meanings.If you did not know this, then you do now!

Penstemmon

Sorry?

My question was to Anniebach not you.

POGS in response to your query re friends etc. and diversity of the community where people live..not offended at all. I used to live in Sth London and neighbours included families of various faiths, with origins in all continents. I have had work colleagues from a variety of ethnic/religious backgrounds. My friends reflect the variety in the community in which I lived and they have a range of skin colour and religious heritage. I have moved to an area that has less diversity (in terms of % of population but probably similar number of individuals locally with roots in as many different countries of the world.)

My own family is multi-racial, some of my cousins are Muslim, my Sis i L is Christian /Pakistani, my grandmother was Palestinian & my dad only came to England in 1947. My mum was from NE England and I have mostly, lived in Sth London with a brief spell in E Africa and NE England! I have worked in primary schools in highly socially and racially diverse areas of South London. My DH is white British and has no particular diversity in his family but was brought up in 'working class' and racially mixed Sth London, taught in schools that had mainly non-white pupils etc etc.

Not sure how this contributes to the debate about the atrocity in Tunisia. All my friends & family, of all faiths & none, of different ethnicities to my own are outraged, shocked and saddened by acts of terrorism, racism and bigotry.

you must have felt like saying to her ( in both cases)" you do know that you said that out loud, don't you?"

Yes mine too Anya, on telling her I was having a small facial mole removed she said something along the lines of "that's good dear, why did you wait so long, it isn't attractive" I would hasten to add that she wasn't nasty I got on with her very well, but she did say the first thing that popped into her head sometimes.

Ooops way off subject.

My late MiL was a terrible one for saying exactly what popped into her head without thought to anyone's feelings. I remember her asking some parents what their little boy was called. When they replied 'Xavier' she came out with 'Xaviour? What a stupid name! Who on earth called him Xaviour?'

I wanted to crawl under the nearest table. I doubt she had a clue about how rude she sounded.

She was also a great one for uttering totally unPC and racially sensitive words without any clue they were offensive. When I once told her she shouldn't call the Asian man who ran her corner shop a p**i she was totally at a loss to know what she'd said wrong and asked 'what should I call him then?'

and then live to regret it.

Old folk are like that - say the first thing that pops into my their head.

POGS I think you did exactly the right thing in awkward circumstances for the Diwali party. it sounds as if the old man was well known for saying whatever popped into his head.

The shootings in America, in church were a matter of race, Muslim terrorists/extremists do it all in the name of religion and feel justified in killing not only non Muslims but Muslims of a different sect.They aim to take over as much territory as they can while they are doing this and impose their own twisted deadly version of Islam on the population.

That's all very well, POGS but can you imagine the reaction if a white man had shouted, 'What's that black woman doing here?'

I don't agree AB simply because the same conversations and points raised on here DO get discussed between friends etc.

I don't see that there is anything posted that is offensive or racially abusive, (not your words AB but words that could describe why a muslim GN could feel uncomfortable to join in) .

I will give an example of how different views can cause issues that are not intended to be offensive.

I joined a friends family for Diwali. The grandad said loudly "What's that white woman doing here". The room went sent silent thinking I would be offended. I just laughed and said something like "Your beautiful granddaughter invited me to share Diwali with you sir". He replied "She is beautiful isn't, have you tried Yasmin's samosas". We all laughed and you could feel the tension drop like a stone.

It's all about context as I keep trying to point out. Another person could have felt offended, considered it a racially motivated remark, I simply saw it as a question and the description was correct I am a white woman.

Would I be impolite to ask, do you live in a high ethnic /immigration area and do you have ethnic friends. Please feel free to say you are not comfortable with my question it could be a step too far.

Comfortable on this forum not comfortable in this country

Agreed.

S2B when a terrorists is filmed shouting 'Allah Akbar' one is entitled to assume the killing is being carried out in the name of Allah and religion.

Killing of black people by a white supremists is nothing to do with their religion only the colour of their skin.

Is that the point you are trying to make?

I thought that many Muslims feel comfortable here too. They would leave otherwise, wouldnt they?

* When a far right fundamentalist murders we read he was a far right extremist,never is the persons faith mentioned, the man who shot those poor people in a church in America was described a racist, a white supremacist, no faith mentioned, not so when the murderer is of the Muslim faith, he is a Muslim terrorist . This must be so distressing for peace loving Muslims*

[I will leave out the bit about the use of the word fundamentalist there].

There is a difference between the shooter in America, and the terrorist in Tunisia.
In that the American boy was not acting to do with religion as far as I know.

AB many of my Muslim friends do feel comfortable here. They are indistinguishable from other Asians because they wear modern clothes, so they could be any religion from Sikh to Hindu to none. They have good jobs or businesses and integrate into our community. I know this is not true if all Muslims but you did say 'any'.

One does make me smile though as she will wear the hijab to important meetings in the afternoon if she's been out running in her lunch hour and her hair is a mess