Islamaphobia is getting out of control

The point is yet another war in the Middle East is bringing fear to UK citizens, conflict between groups, on our own soil.

I don't understand why people don't understand that there is fear in some communities.

Oh sorry, I’m still at the posts about people being fearful of people on the Gaza marches.

So far there has been an army officer and family man who are both marchers.

I have a friend whose husband goes regularly, and you couldn’t meet a more self effacing, kindly man, who tends his garden and watches birds.

I've vaguely heard of James O'Brien on GN, have never heard him and don't give a damn what he thinks, thank you.
I speak from experience not someone else's second-hand views.

Given the title of "is Islamaphobia getting out of control" It definitely is in these three countries India, Burma and China, where they are persecuted minorities, here not so much, because in the main we are a tolerant society, bu it is always appalling when isolated incidents happen. However, the operative word "getting" appears no longer to be the case within the Jewish community, hate crimes against them have risen exponentially, I'd say for their community, it is out of control. We now constantly hear they feel unsafe and given their history and their small numbers I can imagine they feel a constant onslaught. I witnessed flares being let off a couple of years ago and pro Palestinian agitators going in amongst the Orthodox Jewish population in Bournemouth when they were going to and from a synagogue on a Saturday, it was horrible to witness. Not that I think acts of racial hatred against any demographic is acceptable, but Jews are always in the wrong,! forever conflated with the worst acts of whatever the Israeli government are doing as if somehow to be Jewish is to be culpable of those crimes, but of course their persecution is historical and ongoing and somehow given previous acts of genocide it makes it so much worse.

Whitewavemark2

So, looking at the fear and panic emanating from some on this thread - and following James O’Brien - who do you think is the average person, going on one of the Gaza marches?

I think perhaps if you actually knew, your fear would I am sure dissipate.

Sorry?

We're discussing the actual fear we felt when our children were caught up in the London Tube bombings.

Why would my fear dissipate?
Why would James O’Brian make me feel differently.
Fear, and the need to protect our young is basic and genuine, and James O’Brian hasn’t got anything to do with it.

GrannyGravy13

Glorianny

I googled the closure of Tower Bridge to find that in the recent past, Extinction Rebellion, Stop the Oil and a group of ex-pat Israelis have all demonstrated there and closed the bridge. So the question is why has this pro-Palestinian march caused so much anger when the rest passed unnoticed? I think the reason is obvious.
As for the marches, I have viewed as much film of them as I can find. There are few, if any, people masked. Most people on them are not obviously Palestinian or Muslim. They are simply ordinary people sick of seeing the defenceless slaughtered.

I think you are wrong Glorianny

Any protest group closing any bridge or road receives vitriol.

When the QEII Bridge was closed for several days by Just Stop Oil it caused much anger and disruption (traffic was dreadful in this part of Essex)

Glorianny is wrong and has put a slant on that from her own perspective.

Protests are fine, people should be able to voice their concerns but any protests which deliberately upset the public, stopping people getting to hospital for life-saving treatment, stopping ordinary people getting to their place of work, climbing war memorials, disrupting life for ordinary citizens are wrong.

They should be escorted to Speaker's Corner, with its tradition of free speech and protest

It’s funny you mentioned Rochdale and the experience there Grantanow because last week, seeing there wasn’t much on television (as usual!) my husband and I looked at iPlayer for something to watch and we came across the mini series Three Girls. We did watch it when it was first released and I remember there being a thread about it on here, but we had forgotten much of what was portrayed and we were struck anew about the political correctness of the authorities in Rochdale and the bravery of the three girls and also the bravery of the government prosecutor who was himself Asian, but who was one of the main protagonists in getting those vile abusers prosecuted and sentenced.
For political correctness read fear!

So, looking at the fear and panic emanating from some on this thread - and following James O’Brien - who do you think is the average person, going on one of the Gaza marches?

I think perhaps if you actually knew, your fear would I am sure dissipate.

It's quite clear to me that both the Tories and Labour will virtue signal about Islamophobia and anti-Semitism but their underlying issue is not losing Moslem votes. The Moslems vastly outnumber the Jews in the UK so the parties are more worried about one rather than the other. Historically Labour benefited from the Jewish vote but the population balance has shifted and in the north very much so. It was said a few years ago that Labour candidates in northern towns had to tread carefully around anti-Semitism. Labour's experience of Rochdale seems to align with that.

Glorianny

I googled the closure of Tower Bridge to find that in the recent past, Extinction Rebellion, Stop the Oil and a group of ex-pat Israelis have all demonstrated there and closed the bridge. So the question is why has this pro-Palestinian march caused so much anger when the rest passed unnoticed? I think the reason is obvious.
As for the marches, I have viewed as much film of them as I can find. There are few, if any, people masked. Most people on them are not obviously Palestinian or Muslim. They are simply ordinary people sick of seeing the defenceless slaughtered.

I think you are wrong Glorianny

Any protest group closing any bridge or road receives vitriol.

When the QEII Bridge was closed for several days by Just Stop Oil it caused much anger and disruption (traffic was dreadful in this part of Essex)

And all these children of ours are law abiding citizens - policemen, doctors, scientists, that I know of - doing their best to keep others safe, while some reprobates seek to disturb the peace and order with hostility and violence.

DD 7 a DF were working in London, and the mobile phone network was shut down, so that emergency services had no problems.

Every large demonstration has within it a capacity for violence and, lots of people marching with one cause are by definition a group act ofintimidation.

I often wonder how much extra oil each just Stop Oil event consumes. Firstly there is that used by the demonstrators to reach their destination. Can we be absolutely sure that none of them used a car or taxi at some point in their journey? and then there is all the extra fuel consumed by traffic stuck and idling, or moving slowly in traffic hold -ups, then there is all the fuel consumed by emergency vehicles attending the event.

My son was an officer in the Met told by his commander to phone home and tell us he was in the thick of it......truly scary times. Everyone else ran away from danger, my son ran towards it.

maddyone

I recall the day the bombs went off in the tube and on a bus. Two of my children - young adults at the time - were in central London that day, one at university, the other working. I didn’t know for several hours where they were or if they were safe. I was frightened that day, along with many others I imagine. That’s what I spoke about when I said fear.

I hadn't heard the news that day. One of my DD was working in Central London and phoned me, saying "I'm OK, I had to pop into the chemists so I missed the Tube". I didn't know what she meant until she told me. There was a news blackout.
Yes, fear.

And I’ve absolutely no time for Just Stop Oil either!

I recall the day the bombs went off in the tube and on a bus. Two of my children - young adults at the time - were in central London that day, one at university, the other working. I didn’t know for several hours where they were or if they were safe. I was frightened that day, along with many others I imagine. That’s what I spoke about when I said fear.

Of course 'Just Stop Oil' cause fear in people. Disrupting traffic so that emergency ambulances cannot get through, people miss medical appointments and are late for planned operations.

People afraid to make journeys for fear of hold ups. Vandalism, destroying paintings in art galleries, throwing paint at buildings, non-stop mindless vandalism. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63543307

I don't think any of those demonstrations resulted in tragedy though Glorianny? My mind goes to the awful London Bridge killings in summer 2017 by Islamic extremists. I think 10 people died. I know the date vividly because DS1's office is close by and he often goes for a drink after work in the area. The offices have since upped their security to protect staff in the building. People were scared for quite some time afterwards.

I googled the closure of Tower Bridge to find that in the recent past, Extinction Rebellion, Stop the Oil and a group of ex-pat Israelis have all demonstrated there and closed the bridge. So the question is why has this pro-Palestinian march caused so much anger when the rest passed unnoticed? I think the reason is obvious.
As for the marches, I have viewed as much film of them as I can find. There are few, if any, people masked. Most people on them are not obviously Palestinian or Muslim. They are simply ordinary people sick of seeing the defenceless slaughtered.

I see benefits not problems with our police (and other public services) being well informed about various cultural and faith based belief systems. I don’t want our police to behave like those in Dubais for example.
I attended an excellent course as a social worker alongside our local police and health teams. Knowledge can help diffuse situations. It can also identify potential safeguarding issues. FGM key during that training.
It isn’t about woke/p.c or whatever other offensive, dismissive words used to rubbish being well informed

Yes, but didn’t inflict fear

They have done a lot more than stop the traffic Anniebach. They set off flares at the Open Golf championship, they poured paint on a Chelsea Flower show garden, they disrupted the Snooker Championship, those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head so there are no doubt lots more.

Stop Oil protests delay traffic, not as frightening as thousands
walking through streets many covering their faces and waving flags, yes Stop Oil climb on the PM’s house thry are being charged, I cannot recall such fear and hate as experienced now.

Casdon totally agree, as a business we send vehicles into London and across the QEII bridge daily. Stop Oil protests caused a lot of problems for us.