Yesterday I took the difficult decision to remove the long-standing thread on the ongoing Middle East conflict from NSC.
It’s been a trying thread to manage for obvious reasons, and caused more moderating actions to be undertaken than possibly any other thread in this site’s long history.
This included full site bans for those who expressed antisemitic views. NSC never has been, and never will be, a welcoming home for those who wish to air such beliefs.
The action was taken today because I have been notified that NSC has been reported to Sussex Police by a former member of this site who wants NSC to be shut down permanently.
This site is an online home for many. Beyond our discussions on Fabian Hurzeler’s tactics, NSC is a safe space to talk about sensitive concerns and seek help and advice on serious life-affecting matters.
This isn’t the first time the site has been threatened as a result of that thread. In the first instance, a local councillor made a direct threat to use his political and media connections to make life very difficult for both the site and myself.
I was told that football forums should not be host to such discussions, and no other club forum permitted them. Spurs, given their links to the Jewish community, was used as an example. By return I provided a long list of club forums with near-identical discussion threads on the conflict, including a Spurs forum.
Then, I stood firm. In fact, I countered that I would absolutely welcome being able to showcase the positivity that comes from a well-run, well-moderated social media platform, when so many are rife with hostility, abuse and all manner of unsavoury content.
Nothing came of that threat - maybe it was entirely hollow - made in the hope that carrying the weight of the name of a Brighton and Hove councillor would be sufficient to bring about the censorship demanded.
The conflict in the Middle East, sparked by the atrocities undertaken by Hamas and associates on October 7th, has been truly horrific. Countless innocent civilians on both sides have lost their lives.
Those with close connections to Palestine and Israel are very sensitive to discussions they feel favour “the other side”, and understandably so.
Most of us are fortunate in that we have never been directly impacted by a conflict like this, and don't have friends and family in harm’s way.
Most of us can live our lives and walk the streets safely in the knowledge that we won’t be abused or targeted because of how we look, dress or due to our chosen religion.
Antisemitism is an evil that can not be allowed to permeate our society.
However, those with genuine concerns about the actions of the state of Israel, and some of those connected to it, should also be free to air those views in a constructive manner without fear of being labelled antisemitic.
It strikes me that there are a number of people who strive to deny that criticism of Israel to be aired, and look to immediately shut it down with claims of antisemitism.
Particularly given the time I currently need to devote to caring for my mum, I have neither the time, the expertise nor the money required to ensure that each and every post made won’t be targeted by someone with the time and money to try and cause harm or closure to NSC.
Some people don’t “get” NSC and that is absolutely fine - as broad a church as we are, we don’t suit each and every taste.
Generally, when someone doesn’t fit in, they eventually move on or are asked to leave the community.
Occasionally someone who doesn’t get NSC won’t accept being asked to move on and seeks, repeatedly to get back in and, when asked to leave again, tries to destroy the community.
Yesterday someone was asked to leave NSC once again and, by way of response, has immediately tried to close the site down.
I’ll always try my hardest to keep this community alive - it continues to help so many people get through life.
With that in mind, and with outsiders watching and waiting to try and shut down our community, I politely request that, for now at least, members avoid discussion relating to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Also, please do not speculate on those who wish to shutter NSC.
I will, of course, keep the community fully informed of the police investigation I now anticipate is coming my way.
It’s been a trying thread to manage for obvious reasons, and caused more moderating actions to be undertaken than possibly any other thread in this site’s long history.
This included full site bans for those who expressed antisemitic views. NSC never has been, and never will be, a welcoming home for those who wish to air such beliefs.
The action was taken today because I have been notified that NSC has been reported to Sussex Police by a former member of this site who wants NSC to be shut down permanently.
This site is an online home for many. Beyond our discussions on Fabian Hurzeler’s tactics, NSC is a safe space to talk about sensitive concerns and seek help and advice on serious life-affecting matters.
This isn’t the first time the site has been threatened as a result of that thread. In the first instance, a local councillor made a direct threat to use his political and media connections to make life very difficult for both the site and myself.
I was told that football forums should not be host to such discussions, and no other club forum permitted them. Spurs, given their links to the Jewish community, was used as an example. By return I provided a long list of club forums with near-identical discussion threads on the conflict, including a Spurs forum.
Then, I stood firm. In fact, I countered that I would absolutely welcome being able to showcase the positivity that comes from a well-run, well-moderated social media platform, when so many are rife with hostility, abuse and all manner of unsavoury content.
Nothing came of that threat - maybe it was entirely hollow - made in the hope that carrying the weight of the name of a Brighton and Hove councillor would be sufficient to bring about the censorship demanded.
The conflict in the Middle East, sparked by the atrocities undertaken by Hamas and associates on October 7th, has been truly horrific. Countless innocent civilians on both sides have lost their lives.
Those with close connections to Palestine and Israel are very sensitive to discussions they feel favour “the other side”, and understandably so.
Most of us are fortunate in that we have never been directly impacted by a conflict like this, and don't have friends and family in harm’s way.
Most of us can live our lives and walk the streets safely in the knowledge that we won’t be abused or targeted because of how we look, dress or due to our chosen religion.
Antisemitism is an evil that can not be allowed to permeate our society.
However, those with genuine concerns about the actions of the state of Israel, and some of those connected to it, should also be free to air those views in a constructive manner without fear of being labelled antisemitic.
It strikes me that there are a number of people who strive to deny that criticism of Israel to be aired, and look to immediately shut it down with claims of antisemitism.
Particularly given the time I currently need to devote to caring for my mum, I have neither the time, the expertise nor the money required to ensure that each and every post made won’t be targeted by someone with the time and money to try and cause harm or closure to NSC.
Some people don’t “get” NSC and that is absolutely fine - as broad a church as we are, we don’t suit each and every taste.
Generally, when someone doesn’t fit in, they eventually move on or are asked to leave the community.
Occasionally someone who doesn’t get NSC won’t accept being asked to move on and seeks, repeatedly to get back in and, when asked to leave again, tries to destroy the community.
Yesterday someone was asked to leave NSC once again and, by way of response, has immediately tried to close the site down.
I’ll always try my hardest to keep this community alive - it continues to help so many people get through life.
With that in mind, and with outsiders watching and waiting to try and shut down our community, I politely request that, for now at least, members avoid discussion relating to the Israel/Palestine conflict. Also, please do not speculate on those who wish to shutter NSC.
I will, of course, keep the community fully informed of the police investigation I now anticipate is coming my way.