Combatting the rise of bigotry and the anti-Muslim backlash

I agree wholeheartedly with Eric.

Five million people are starving in Afghanistan; they need food, not bombs. Yes, the anti-muslim backlash is extremely worrying. Some people need little excuse to express pubicly the hate that is already deep inside them. Ignorance is very dangerous.

I couldn't agree more with those comments. The worst thing that could happen would be anti-muslim sentiment rising. The islamic world doesn't have a very stable community and many of these countries need help from the western world. Unfortunately this whole situation is going to cause massive friction between cultures and there will be many people who react badly and form false opinions. We just have to hope that people think before they start to form unfair opinions. Although saying that it's going to take time for things to sink in and people to calm down.

As an American, I don't really know the extent to which anti-Muslim sentiments are rising in the UK. I know that here on my university campus, special measures have been taken to protect the safety of international students, many of whom come from middle-eastern countries. I myself am not aware of such high levels of broad anti-MUSLIM feelings. However, our entire nation is rocked by deep feelings of pain and anger against the parties reponsible for Tuesday's atrocities. My family was touched by the mayhem in NYC (thankfully not tragically, however), and although normally a pacifist, I support our government's resolve to collect retribution for these actions. I don't yet know how such responses will be carried out. I am confident, though, that we will not act without a specific target(s) in mind, and that all possible steps will be taken to minimize the number of innocent casualties (of which, I'm sad to say, I'm sure there will be at least a few). Incidentally, if SO many Afghans are under the thumbs of terrorists in their own country, would it necessarily be the worst idea in the world to go after said terrorists? Eric, while I appreciate your views and the idea for your petition, I know that I myself would not sign it because I'm sure that, while making the responsible parties pay for their crimes (something I wholeheartedly support), some innocent people will be harmed. The risk of this happening is high--probably guaranteed. That is the unfortunate reality of the situation. My only hope is that the number of innocents harmed in the process will be low. I of course am not speaking for every citizen of my community and nation--these views are purely my own. But the pain and rage felt by our country's collective conciousness makes me suspect that my opinions are not dissimilar from others'. (Incidentally, I noticed that someone else was mentioning "false" and "unfair" opinions. The nature of opinions is that they are one person's view; they can be based on false or misguided information, but the opinions themselves are inherently real to the people who hold them. Sorry to split hairs, but I have always hated it when people say "Your opinion is wrong." Or "false." Everyone has the right to believe as they do. Where problems arise is when people hold beliefs so adamantly and irrationally that it can be harmful to others.)

I do agree with not harming American Muslims. I don't live in the UK either and am not aware of the anti-Muslim behavior going on there. I do believe that we need to rid the world of terrorism. It's true innocents will be harmed in doing this. And yes, if the terrorist lived in my backyard I would want him eradicated. I believe in things being done for the good of the whole not protecting a few. The Taliban is a twisted backward religion. Women rank somewhere between dirt and dogs. Their beliefs are death to the Jewish, death to the Christians, and then death to all those who do not choose to follow their ways. I'm not saying Christianity or any other religion is above all disdain, however I don't know too many that subscribe to killing those who won't join in their beliefs. They see our trying to protect the innocents as a sign of weakness. Yet they will readily hide behind a woman or child to keep from being shot. I know solidiers who have told me of such. War is always a sad thing. There are no easy answers to this AT ALL. It is a very difficult situation. No solution is as simple as it might appear.

Amanda There is huge sympathy in the UK for what has happened in your country. It is truly beyond imagination. I suspect that your feelings are indeed not dissimilar to those of most Americans, or most Europeans either. My worry is that military action has never to my knowledge defeated terrorism. The bombs landed on Iraq and Libya didn’t harm Saddam or Qadaffi [apart from killing Qadaffi’s young daughter], and the harm done to innocent people there could only have made them more responsive to the manipulations of their terrorist leaders. Even if every known terrorist in the Middle East could be killed by American or NATO bombs, the very act of doing so would breed a new generation of them. Leaving aside any moral argument why America should not retaliate, the much stronger argument is that it will not work and that it will encourage further terrorism. In respect of Eric’s comments, I agree entirely. There is already BNP graffiti in Birmingham [UK] along the lines of “Moslems go home or die”. [I’m not sure where the BNP think this “home” is, but I doubt whether they mean Handsworth]. Incidentally, I read today about racist attacks across America too, though I don’t know how widely they have been reported in America itself.

I totally agree with you Eric. I would add that this is a time of love and prayer, not war and hatered. Pray and offer love to those that have died. Pray and offer love to those that have survied. Pray and offer love to those that search for the dead. But most of all, pray and offer love to those that planned this act, for they are in desperate need of love if they are to heal the hatered within their hearts. We can act like them and commit violence or we can turn from the predictable path and offer love. This will take far more courage, but it is the only way to heal the hatered and division in this world. Don't look to your leaders, don't expect others to change at your command. The only person you can be certain of changing is yourself - begin that change, find love in your heart and send it out to those that need it, yourself included. I have spoken this truth to many angry vengeful people this week and watched their anger transform to sorrow as they relise their own pain within. Please now stop reading, close your eyes and find that love. Be a creator of peace not war. Love, Simon Spoor. Scotland.

I just want to say I completely endorse what Robert and Simon have said. If a single innocent person is harmed in a reprisal then it is one too many and the cycle of violence will continue. Look at Israel and the Palestinians, look at Northern Ireland. We must gain the moral upper hand. That is the only hope. I sympathise hugely with what Americans are going through and I despise those who say that you had it coming to you, but the west is indirectly responsible for the Taliban taking over Afghanistan. Many millions of innocent people have suffered enormously at the hands of the Taliban - do you want to make them suffer more? The leaders of the USA profess to be Christians. That means following the new testament, not the old. An eye for an eye gets you nowhere. The best form of revenge is success. Success is a just society where the poorest and least powerful are cared for. The USA has a long way to go to achieve this and neo-liberal capitalism must learn to factor in human values.

http://rawasongs.fancymarketing.net/glossary.html Taliban (Religious students), an Afghan fundamentalist force supported by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the US. (USA=planning agency; Saudi Arabia=funding agency; Pakistan=implementing agency).

Here's an idea for a petition: While we, the undersigned, condemn the recent evil acts of terrorism directed against innocent people in the United States of America, and send our heartfelt sympathy to friends and relations of the victims, we urge our governments to ensure that no more innocent people suffer in any retaliatory actions. Specifically, we call upon them to make a gesture of solidarity with the population of Afghanistan, most of whom are equally victims of the oppressive Taliban regime, originally supported by the USA. We urge our governments to carpet-bomb Afghanistan - with food parcels, medical supplies and leaflets explaining: "The people of the west wish to extend a hand of friendship to the people of the east. We have no quarrel with Islam or with the citizens of Afghanistan who are also innocent victims. We apologise for our role in supporting the Taliban, and urge you to root out those who are taking the name of your religion in vain and attempting to provoke us into a violent response. Such a response would make you victims once more and perpetuate the cycle of violence. We send you love, food and medicine." If this were acted upon there would be real hope for ending terrorism. This is the only way to do it. A military response can never succeed against a diffuse and infiltrated enemy.

I am dreading what will happen...here in Prague, is a massive cultural mix of people from all over the world. I cant help thinking that all the news coverage I'm seeing (which is just CNN available to me) is all about "Lets get revenge" Shouldnt there be someone "in power" be sitting down and looking at why what happened, happened? It IS a tragedy..of horrendous proportions, thats an absolute certainty, and my heart bleeds. But I've heard people saying "Well, someone finally showed America that they can't push everyone else around" I am not sure that I feel comfortable with that sentiment at all, but I do think, that "going after the terrorists" is essentially just a revenge thing, rather than putting an end to all this disgusting and hopeless inability that people the world over have, of disallowing each other to live in a manner, to a religion or a culture that they wish. Maybe I'm naive in the extreme. I just know this is all a horrendous waste. And I can't stand to keep hearing these last phone calls etc. It doesnt help, it just whips up fury and grief, and thats evil in itself. *shrug*

Hi Eric & friends, ================ Amanda wrote: (Incidentally, I noticed that someone else was mentioning "false" and "unfair" opinions. ... Everyone has the right to believe as they do. Where problems arise is when people hold beliefs so adamantly and irrationally that it can be harmful to others.) ================ I wouldn't have put that in brackets; I'd have put it first and foremost. It's easy to be indignant when something doesn't affect you personally. It's easy to rationalise when you have that luxury. (On this occasion, I am bathing in that luxury as I did not know any of the casualties.) Yes, I am concerned that some people might *irrationally* target Muslims, out of fear of the unknown. But prejudice is never counteracted by telling its adherents that they are wrong! Wouldn't it be great if everyone stopped to listen to how other people feel, and why? Not only would we avoid misguided backlashes; we'd avoid warfare. It's not impossible to buck the trend. Recently, an asylum seeker in Glasgow was murdered. Many of the local, already disadvantaged residents responded by marching *with*, not against, protesting asylum seekers. They agreed that they all needed better standards of living, and that if the "global economy" meant anything, it should mean justice for *all* of them. (Incidentally: a crash of the "global economy" might free us all to consider what anything is worth. In particular, life itself.) Other consequences of Tuesday's tragedy: 1) Comedy was slashed from [UK] media schedules. People keep bringing up the Blitz; having conversed with many people who went through that, I'd suggest that humour kept them going! Censoring humour can depress everyone. Without it, we are left with too much time and impetus for fear and loathing, and whatever happens, laughter (however wincing) can still be medicinal. If you think that being funny at a time like this is tasteless, please tell me: what's so tasteful about endless re-runs of collapsing buildings and people falling to their deaths? It's not as if anyone's not been shocked enough yet, is it? 2) While I would not suggest that mourning is inappropriate at this time, I do not know anyone who has just died, so am not personally bereft. I did not observe the three-minute silence. I forgot about it, as I was busy with someone who is undergoing everyday, work-related stress. Even if I had remembered, I think it would have been insulting to have lapsed into silence in the middle of that. So I do not apologise. Tuesday's events were indisputably shocking, and the prospect of the final World War is as terrifying as ever. But your life does not become any easier just because something worse has happened to other people, nor because something even worse could happen to us all. Nor does life become any less meaningful. If you really want to show respect for those who died, get on with your own life (which is what most of them were trying to do at the time). 3) I am now concerned that stock exchanges are likely to pump my money into guns. I do not have massive savings, but I have a mortgage, a pension scheme and a bank account. Although I keep checking the ethical companies in which I choose to invest, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be sure that our own priorities come before those of the "global economists". In that capacity, Tuesday has affected us all. I don't have any more to say that has not already been said. Except that if the likes of you and I ran the world, none of this would have happened. So: you busy for the rest of your life? RSVP SJ PS: I just thought. If I had been shopping on Friday morning, I would have had to observe the silence, as so many Aberdeen outlets had apparently enforced it. Then again: the shoplifting equivalent of Supermarket Sweep, and I missed it! Damn, damn, damn! (Sorry)

I too worry about the endless barrage of footage. There are people for whom it could seriously do a great deal of harm. The clinically depressed for example, the mentally ill and elderly, lonely people who are fearful and alone. A little warmth and gentle humour would not be disrespectful; it would simply lighten the incredible weight on a lot of people's shoulders. Comedy and music are two of the most universally comforting gifts we have. Listening just soothes and makes silence of all the twisted, sad images that keep invading our thoughts. I do think that the amount of dialogue opened about this, particularly Eric's compassionate and intelligent plea for common sense, is a wonderful thing. If the whole world could talk a little more, they wouldn't be so quick to stab one another in the eye. Once you know your enemy, he softens and humanises. Or am I just a typically softy, lefty, liberal?

I think Wolfgirl makes a very good point. It is only because the terrorists have the ability to detach from empathy with their potential victims that they can go through with their deeds. To be honest, what retaliatory action would work ? Bombing just creates more hostility, kills innocents and breeds another generation of terrorists. You can hunt the people down and bring them to trial - but they are prepared to die for their beliefs, what possible punishment could deter in those circumstances ? The human instinct is to strike back and strike hard, but I really think it will be counterproductive. Let's not forget that it was the West's decision following WWII about Israel that utterly destabilised an entire region. Jerusalem is a holy city for three religions, and as such perhaps it is time for a radical solution of having it owned by nobody and open to all - a sort of Vatican City, not part of Israel at all. I also think that the press could be more responsible and report on the truth behind Islam, that 99% of it is a peaceful, tolerant religion. The fundamentalists are not people who take Islamic tradition too far, they are people who distort religion for their own ends, no more related to the average Muslim than the average white person has in common with the Klu Klux Klan. Racism towards Muslims is the quasi-acceptable face of racism. I sat in the Pakistan end for the recent one-day match against Australia and about fifty very young, foolish people wanted to run on the pitch at the end. If they had been English, they would have been exhuberantly celebrating their victory against the best side in the world. As Pakistanis, it was okay for the media to report them as unruly trouble-makers, with no respect for tradition. People will say things about asians that they would never dream of saying about black people. It is still racism.

Robert I agree with every word you write . Terrorism is invincible to any action on the part of the victim . Amanda says that she is normally a pacifist . It has to be all or nothing in my eyes . The tragedy of Tues 11th must not lead to war . There will be no winners ; there never are .

No, Jonathan, there will be no winners - but it is the American government's - in fact, every democratic government's - responsibility to ensure that such acts of barbarity against its citizens are kept to an absolute minimum. They rightly demand nothing less. No student of military history or counter-terrorism would realistically assert that global terrorism will ever be eliminated in its entirety - it's too attractive and easy an option for the blinkered fanatic and the downright criminal alike. It grants a status to the criminally insane that they'd never achieve by any other means, except possibly by murdering well-known personalities. What can be done, and must be done, is to hunt and harry these groups, often inter-linked at various levels, and eliminate them whenever possible. Not to do so simply encourages yet more atrocities. No, I'm not a bloodthirsty racist baying for revenge at any cost; simply an ordinary family man who wants nothing more than security and peace for everyone. If it was up to me, there'd never be a terrorist act again - but unfortunately not everyone thinks as I do. Finally, perhaps we should get away from treating all these groups as separate entities, condemning some while condoning other, equally reptilian, organisations? If I see that smarmy weasel Blair on his feet again, droning on about terrorism being the most evil force in the world (which it is) while happily granting ministerial status to the likes of Martin McGuinness and freedom to his convicted henchmen, I'll be severely tempted to commit an uncharacteristic act of violence by kicking my TV in.

I feel sorry for any muslim person out there or any one that looks like that man. Bush to me has started a race war. Every Muslim person now has to watch there backs because of there religion. 'a war with muslims' should have never been spoken. It gives the right for any ingorant person out there to cause some destruction. As far as I am concerned man has truely lost the being of man, to grow and prosper in life. Bush is a d*** head and soon he shall be the biggest d*** head of all time, oh yeah not forget our countrys leading man Blair. I agree with you all. One love!!!

I like Eric's idea best. It seems to me, too, that it's the only one that has even the slightest chance of success.

Thanks, Andrea I sent the idea to several newspapers. I know of one that's published it so far - the local Aberdeen paper the Press and Journal, in which it appeared today. However I shall also be jointly organising a fundraising musical event in aid of the women of Afghanistan, particularly appropriate as music is banned by the Taliban. This wasn't my idea but when I was approached by someone else I was very enthusiastic. Will Aberdeen by leading the way on this? Anyone want to organise related events elsewhere? Please get in touch!

An excellent idea, Eric! Pity I live so far away...

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