Do we think they're all bombers?

[Father Jack]

You are not being racist at all. I think i would have done the same.

 

[Dandyman]

More bumpkin than racist I would have said.

I live in north London in an area with a large muslim (mainly Cypriot, Turkish and Kurdish) population. I also work on the fringes of Somers Town, near Euston & Kings Cross, which has a large Bangladeshi muslim population. If I am going to walk around in fear of my neighbours and the people that are my employers clients then the bombers really have won.

I can understand people being nervous in certain situations but the "London United" slogan is, I hope, more about the reality of the world in one city than just PR bullshit.

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

While I don't think you were being nescessarily racist, I do think you were being unecessarily paranoid.

 

[London Irish]

So, in answer to the original question, you'd say Oceanic has been racist? Irrational, maybe, but not racist.

Let me put it this way. You witness a situation where a group of white lads move away from a "Muslim" (ie. anyone from a Brazilian to an Eskimo) on a train.

My view is that you are a hundred-thousand times more likely to be looking at jumpy racists than a bomber, but, of course, you may well be looking at neither, who can tell?

 

[London Irish]

How many users of the tube would NEVER and I mean NEVER look at someone who could be a Muslim and is behaving oddly and think 'hang on, I don't like this'?

Oh, I'd say 100 per cent of Muslim users of the tube. Dunno about whitey, he's a bit thick on these matters

 

[Yoda]

Not rasist. I would have got out and waited for the next train.

 

[Safeway]

Let me put it this way. You witness a situation where a group of white lads move away from a "Muslim" (ie. anyone from a Brazilian to an Eskimo) on a train.

My view is that you are a hundred-thousand times more likely to be looking at jumpy racists than a bomber, but, of course, you may well be looking at neither, who can tell?

Jumpy yes, ignorant quite possibly, but what is making them racist?

I appreciate that racism is to predjuice on the grounds of someone's colour, but it's a pretty strong accusation and one that is used too frequently.

FACT: All of the suicide bombers in London were of Asian appearance.

FACT: All of the suicide bombers in London were carrying bags/rucksacks.

FACT: There have been specific warnings since that more attacks are imminent.

As has been said before with this in mind it is unfortunate, yet nonetheless inevitable, that people are going to behave differently when they see things that could be associated with terror.

It only becomes racism when the same people start to discriminate against 'Muslims' by way of boycotting businesses, personal attacks etc.

 

[DJ Leon]

Oh, I'd say 100 per cent of Muslim users of the tube.

I think you're probably wrong there.

 

[London Irish]

I think you're probably wrong there.

OK, I accept that. I'm sure some of your best friends are Muslims, so you speak with authority.

 

[sullyupthewing]

You all know this song so sing along, because it sums it up,it's just human nature.

This is the self preservation society.

 

[London Irish]

As has been said before with this in mind it is unfortunate, yet nonetheless inevitable, that people are going to behave differently when they see things that could be associated with terror.

It only becomes racism when the same people start to discriminate against 'Muslims' by way of boycotting businesses, personal attacks etc.

Go and convince a few Muslims of that and I'll be impressed. Getting whitey to agree with you ain't that difficult

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I and a few others got called racists (I'm not a racist) last weekend on the underground. Am I a racist for doing it or did I make the right decision? would you feel uncomfortable being in the same situation as I was last weekend?

Came back from Manchester and got the tube from Euston to London Victoria to catch my connecting train too Brighton.

I sat on the tube train and was reading the Sunday paper when a Muslim sat opposite me, he put his bag in between his legs and just stared ahead, more like into space, I couldn’t concentrate on my paper as I kept looking at him, really felt uneasy. After a bit we made eye contact so when we arrived at the next stop I got off and so did many others, we went into the next carriage. With this, he ranted and raved about us being racists as we didn’t want to sit next to a Muslim and the whole country are racists towards his countrymen/woman.

It wasn’t that we didn’t want to sit next to him, it was his bag, we all had the same idea but didn’t want to say anything otherwise we’d have been arrested for being racists. Am I a racist, over reacting or just being cautious?

What would you do if you was in a familiar situation as me?

There's no right and no wrong in your situation. You feel scared. Rightly so. The guy opposite you feels victimised. Rightly so. Nobody wants to be blown up on a tube train. Nobody wants to be made to feel like a leper on a tube train. Dunno, seems to me that everybody in the situation is reacting in an entirely understandable way. Human nature innit?

 

[Scotty Mac]

FACT: All of the suicide bombers in London were of Asian appearance.

FACT: All of the suicide bombers in London were carrying bags/rucksacks.

FACT: There have been specific warnings since that more attacks are imminent.

those sum it up - its not racism, its reacting to circumstances

 

[DJ Leon]

OK, I accept that. I'm sure some of your best friends are Muslims, so you speak with authority.

It's intersting that you assume that none of my friends are Muslim, care to explain why you seem pretty confident of that?

 

[DJ Leon]

Re: Re: Do we think they're all bombers?

There's no right and no wrong in your situation. You feel scared. Rightly so. The guy opposite you feels victimised. Rightly so. Nobody wants to be blown up on a tube train. Nobody wants to be made to feel like a leper on a tube train. Dunno, seems to me that everybody in the situation is reacting in an entirely understandable way. Human nature innit?

Well I agree, but London Irish doesn't. I really can't make out why.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Me too, and I agree with you as well. I get ever so slightly nervous each time I see a muslim looking person carrying a rucksack. It is irrational, it's not very nice, but you can't help yourself thinking what if.......

Its the same at airports - had a muslim on my flight in states - you feel bad but you just never know.

 

[London Irish]

It's intersting that you assume that none of my friends are Muslim, care to explain why you seem pretty confident of that?

I wasn't assuming anything. I'm just curious why you were suddenly speaking on behalf of Muslims rather than just paranoid whitey.

 

[DJ Leon]

I wasn't assuming anything. I'm just curious why you were suddenly speaking on behalf of Muslims rather than just paranoid whitey.

Well, you seem to think that it is only 'paranoid whitey' who has, in the current climate, an irrational fear of being blown up. I think that's a pretty strange assumption, shouldn't Muslims fear it as well? I'm not speaking on behalf of Muslims, but I have spoken to some Muslim friends and colleagues about the actions of the bombers and how they feel about working in London in today's climate. Strangely, they were none to keen on getting blown up and feared the actions of these extremists. Just like 'paranoid whitey'.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Re: Re: Re: Do we think they're all bombers?

Well I agree, but London Irish doesn't. I really can't make out why.

Seems to me it all depends how often you use the tube. I think most people who use it most days would agree that it's back to how it was before i.e. thrusting dynamic suits elbowing nuns out of the way to gain that all-important competitive edge of about, oh, twenty seconds. Which is good news. At least on one level. Once again busy-ness has taken the place of empathy. C'est la vie. Personally I really enjoyed having a quadruple seat all to meself all the way from Preston Park to London Victoria the day (Friday) after 7/7. I'll sit on the tube anywhere there's a seat. The race/faith of the person next to my is of no more importance than it ever was. At the same time a reasonable person of any race/faith would understand that somebody who doesn't use the tube very often is going to be a bit apprehensive.

 

[Safeway]

paranoid whitey.

And what about the thousands of tourists that will have avoided the capital since the attacks? Are they to be dismissed as "paranoid whitey"s as well?

Come on, LI, either stop playing devil's advocate or quit being so ultra PC.

The vast majority of people's adverse reaction to things they're not sure of is entirely natural, which is EXACTLY why the bombers did what they did. They prey on human nature, not the chance that Britain might suddenly become a nation of racists.