

To be shocked and frustrated with the Islamophobia that's bursting out all over Facebook today?

(673 Posts)
Seekingsense Wed 22-May-13 21:38:56

Following the awful tragedy in Woolwich today.

I have seen everything from "We want our England back" to "Kick out all the foreigners" to "Islamic infiltration of the UK" etc. I have paraphrased as some of the stuff is so horrible I do not want to repeat it.

This is from normal everyday people and lots of them. Is this really what people think?

I, like most people am horrified by what has happened to this young soldier in Woolwich, but why is everyone so quick to blame an entire religion for it and to jump on the 'kick out all immigrants' bandwagon.

What can we do about it? Ignore, delete, post, report?

CelticPixie Wed 22-May-13 22:41:50

Yes I've unfriended two people this evening. There were not people I knew very well thankfully, but the usual crap. "If they don't like our way of life they can fuck off" and "Nuke all Muslims" etc.

WafflyVersatile Wed 22-May-13 22:41:55

Luckily I don't have any friends like this.

FunnysInLaJardin Wed 22-May-13 22:43:58

inevitable I am afraid. It angers me so much that the extremist islamic fringe plays into the hands of UKIP and such like. I haven't looked at FB but no doubt my MIL will have something stupid to say about it

flippinada Wed 22-May-13 22:44:06

I used that to illustrate the point that both religions contain widely diverse opinions. It's not really that hard to comprehend.

GrendelsMum Wed 22-May-13 22:45:02

Yes indeed, Salyingforth. If there's something that the 20th century showed us, it's that almost anything - religion, political views, a desire to make life better for ordinary people - taken to an extreme can result in horrifying and tragic consequences.

And the groups of people we like to lump together as one, will have a wide range of opinions on most subjects - as wide a range as Mumsnetters do, for example.

Methe Wed 22-May-13 22:45:43

Nanny you asked the question I wanted too. What is wrong with a candle?

flippinada Wed 22-May-13 22:46:42

Sorry, that last post to Tango, cross posts.

CelticPixie Wed 22-May-13 22:47:29

A lot of people in this country seem to be really soppy about soldiers. It would have been bad enough had this just been a random member of the public who was hacked to bits, but as soon as I heard it was one of "our brave boys/lads" I knew all hell would break lose. Don't get me wrong its a horrific way to die and I feel terrible for him and his family, but by condemning all Muslims these people are as filled with just much hate as the perpetrators.

picnicbasketcase Wed 22-May-13 22:50:12

So, the people on these FB pages saying things like 'If I see a Muslim tomorrow it's payback time' (like they can identify a person's religion by sight hmm) and using revolting racist language. Will anything be done about it? During the riots people ended up in court trying to spread the violence further, isn't this display of, ahem, 'patriotism' the same thing?

LastTangoInDevonshire Wed 22-May-13 22:51:34

Ok flippinada try this - the Archbishop of C has no control over any religious zealots in the USA.

The Muslim Council of GB does have. And, if they don't, they should have.

gwenniebee Wed 22-May-13 22:52:04

It's horrendous - both the crime and the responses. Fortunately none of my friends have posted anything, but one lady said how terrible it was and one of her friends wrote something unspeakable in the comments. She doesn't appear to have responded to him, but I am tempted to....

Celtic my brother is a soldier and I can assure you a lot of people in this country are far from soppy about them.

YokoUhOh Wed 22-May-13 22:52:55

A few people I know have changed their profile pic to that of a Union Flag. Not entirely sure what they're trying to say but I've got a good idea <hits defriend button>

qualitytoffee Wed 22-May-13 22:56:49

Celtic, i agree.
i've defriended friends as well, though i guess the media don't help either.
But it was a horrible cold blooded murder, to a young man.

Dawndonna Wed 22-May-13 22:56:58

The Archbishop of Canterbury has little control here,too. Otherwise we may well have women bishops. You can't expect Muslim clerics to police everybody, or Anglican priests.

FunnysInLaJardin Wed 22-May-13 22:57:43

just looked on FB and provided support to my lovely vicar friend of old who is very upset at the reaction and threatening to leave FB. She is a wonderful woman and is a lone voice amongst all the frothing.

Mimishimi Wed 22-May-13 23:00:08

Why was there no assistance from the barracks for the victim? They had no security posted? That sounds very odd to me. In their statement, the offenders said that women had to witness this kind of thing every day in their country (presumably somewhere in Africa). Yet that is usually Africans killing other Africans, not British soldiers. I do understand the concept of what goes around comes around but why not just say that Iraqi/Afghani women are witnessing this kind of thing every day? If they are doing it in the name of Allah, I think it's reasonable to expect Muslim leaders to condemn it just as you would expect that if someone did something like this in the name of Jesus (eg abortion clinic bombings), you would expect mainstream Christian leaders to condemn it.

Fakebook Wed 22-May-13 23:00:15

No one has mentioned anything on my newsfeed. I suspect one will write something tomorrow, but she's the same woman whose husband went on a "crusades" mission to India.

TSSDNCOP Wed 22-May-13 23:06:56

I've just deleted a frothing, racist family member. She's gone totally over the top. It's actually embarrassing that we share the same gene pool. Racist frothing "English" people inciting violence and unable to even spell patriotism.

I have absolute sympathy for the victim of this atrocity and their family.

But this is an act perpetrated by madmen. Possibly a terrorist act.

Inciting racism plays absolutely into their blood-covered hands and black souls.

LulaPalooza Wed 22-May-13 23:08:13

Mimi the man from the ITV footage who is one of the alleged perpetrators is South London through and through. He isn't "presumably" from Africa. He has been radicalised somewhere, somehow (I have views on that, as you can probably tell from my previous post).

He says "in our land". That could mean anywhere but possibly he is referring to Palestine.

thebody Wed 22-May-13 23:09:26

Lets forget Facebook..., just for once aye... Lets just grieve, all together on mumsnet for someone's son.

FunnysInLaJardin Wed 22-May-13 23:09:59

TSS well done! I don't have the guts to delete or even comment on the nutsters, there are too many!

EleanorFarjeon Wed 22-May-13 23:10:10

I have just hidden post (from a good friend) that was a complete racist rant concluding with 'time to take our country back!!'


qualitytoffee Wed 22-May-13 23:13:47

Its over the top reactionalist rubbish. I've deleted as well, and i agree with you thebody xxx

saintmerryweather Wed 22-May-13 23:16:26

my mum is the worst offender on my newsfeed for this however a colleague has posted saying that the murderers should be hung and their families with them. another has 'liked' the comment. i dont know that i can keep my mouth shut at work tomorrow

allinatizz Wed 22-May-13 23:17:26

One of my friends has reposted a comment on fb which has something to do with the Australian PM making a speech telling "Muslims" if they don't like Australia they can leave. The gist is that "immigrants need to adapt to our way of life". The reposting was (I assume) a response to today's tragic events.

But really.... white Australians spouting vitriol about immigrants? Irony on a stick, I'd say! hmm

Smacks of the Daily Mail and I had no idea that my friend held those kinds of racist views.

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