I am finding it very difficult to articulate my feelings around the Paris atrocities at the weekend and all of the guff that has followed it. On Saturday night I found myself very angry with Max and more so with my parents as he came in and asked "did you see what went on in Paris? And we are letting these people into our country", he was referring to first batch of Syrian refugees that are being welcomed to Scotland this week. Obviously my parents had been discussing this and they have adopted a Daily Hate (Mail) opinion on the matter , a state of affairs that is becoming increasingly more common with them and concerning me more than a little! I tried to tell Max that just like from the 70s until the peace process not every Northern Irish Christian was a catholic or protestant terrorist intent on blowing the shit out of the other side or the British State, not every Syrian was a member of Daesh. He replied to this that I was naive and would be sorry when Glasgow was bombed. I tried to explain to him that the western world was more than a little responsible for what was going on in the middle east and the feelings of hatred towards us. I also tried to get it through to him that 99.99% of the refugees were genuine and were afraid for their lives and fleeing terror and not intent on blowing up Britain. I think in the end I got through to him
I am concerned that the kind of views that Max expressed on Saturday night are being soaked up by a lot of people here not because these people are racist or Islamaphobic but who are frightened of different cultures that they don't understand because of the the kind of muck that they are reading on social media, the mainstream print media and are hearing on the TV. People who have an agenda and a bit of a profile are trying to scare and influence and I fear are beginning to be successful. We can't stand back and allow this to happen those of us who think that we should be an inclusive, tolerant country need to stand up to this agenda and show it for what it's worth at every opportunity that presents itself. The flaws and out and out hatred of these peoples views need to be pointed out and ridiculed. If we don't then Daesh and the right wing xenophobes will win and I really don't want to live in a world where these kind of scumbags prevail.
Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
5 comments:
Wise words Drew.
I have a degree of concern as to how the refugees will be treated.Public opinion seems to have turned full circle thanks to the likes of the Daily Mail and UKIP.
I was in a bar in Newton Stewart at the weeken when the barman was espousing similar views.I suspect he has not been exposed to the benefits of a multi cultural society.
You are right Drew we cannot let these scrotes infringe on our way of life.We must stay strong and tolerant
Well said Drew.
Great post - very well put.
Well said Drew.
We've got to keep repeating ourselves and saying what's right. the media and social media re full of untruths, half truths, rumours and bile. Reasonable conversation is the only way forward.
As the above comments - well said and thanks. I have been having awful vivid dreams lately about the whole situation, about being trapped in Syria alongside equally frightened locals, and feeling their fear - probably because I have thought so much lately about how horrific it must be to be a normal Syrian. Unimaginable.
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