Why usually tolerant British people like myself are becoming more intolerant and xenophobic!

As everyone knows for weeks now there have been comments about the migration crisis in the EU, especially with regard to the fear of how many young, fit, muslim men are walking freely through Europe without anyone knowing where they have come from or what their intentions are. A lot of British people, like myself, are angry, resentful and distrusting. I didn't used to be like this. I have always accepted people for who they are regardless of ethnicity, culture, colour and on the whole I still do. I have black friends, Chinese friends, Indian friends and the list goes on. I have worked away from the UK for many years and so have mixed with lots of people but yesterday when another new articles was on Reuters showing the migrants stuck in Macedonia it bought a tear to my eye when I saw the children crying and people in wheelchairs stuck in the mud and that is really the true me, compassionate, empathic but then my heart hardened again when I saw all the fit, young men in the background and I sat and questioned myself why, when I have never been like this, when my upbringing was to tolerate all people, have I suddenly hardened so much.

When I sat and looked at it hasn't been a sudden change, the same with a lot of my friends, they have gradually started to feel like me, along with lots of other usually tolerant British people. I realised the change began in my after September 11.

That day I was working in Malta. Everywhere I went people were stood in front of televisions with their mouths wide open. At this point there hadn't been the war in Iraq for WMD. The only time we had been involved with Iraq was the Kuwait invasion. That day was one of those days when everyone remembers where they were. It was so frightening to see two huge planes flying into the towers. At that time I had never really thought of Islam or muslim people. I had never heard of Bin Laden etc. However, because of this we went into Iraq and I started to pay more attention.

Two or three years down the line I moved back to UK after working away for 8 years. I went back to work in Manchester and couldn't believe the amount of people I saw walking around with Burquas on. I felt like I had left Britian and come back to a foreign country. Again, though I was just took by surprise at the sudden change and it stood out to me because I had been away.

More and more stuff started coming on to the TV about people like Abu Hamza the hate preacher spewing his guts to all who would listen in London. Then when we tried to deport him our British justice system let us down. We were told it was freedom of speech why this was allowed. Then there was Anjem Choudhary as shown in Stacey Dooley's video here:-

www.youtube.com...

He has been free to spew his hatred for years with no apparent comeback for his actions until this year when he was arrested.

In between we had our own 9/11 in London when the tube was bombed. Again we were told this was by Muslim fanatics. In between we had the Boston Bombers and then finally Lee Rigby. A young soldier on a British street knocked over and beheaded by a lunatic with a machete. Perhaps this was the tipping point for me. However when I look back it was even before that. I think it started when I had my child in 2007. I was in and out of hospital and was witness to muslim women screaming, yelling at nurses. Nurses arguing with husbands who wouldn't let their wives be examined by a male doctor. Interpreters being bought in at the price of £600 an hour to calm the women and explain everything. This lady just had morning sickness however, there were really ill British women who couldn't get the care they needed because the nurses were so involved with dealing with the muslim patients. It was like this every time I went in. It was virtually impossible to get any attention. There was a lot of resentment from white and black British patients at the unfairness. Then there was the meal time standing in queues behind muslim women who were asking for Halal meals but then proceeded to fill their trays with sandwiches, yoghurts anything they could get their hands on for family members. The lady behind the food counter shrugged and said to us all it happens all the time but we are not allowed to say anything because it could be seen as racist. This is the crux of the matter it has gone on like this for years not allowed to say anything in case we upset muslims and that's how a lot of British people see it.

However, that doesn't seem to work both ways. We have hatred spewed on our streets day in day out, in the UK there are no go areas in muslim communities. We are not allowed to fly our English flag because it is seen as racist but then a man can walk down a London street with an ISIS flag wrapped round his holder shoulders

www.theguardian.com...

www.independent.co.uk...

and nothing was done. Freedom of speech apparently.

The final tipping point for me was when Alan Henning was beheaded. This was a good man, a man who had gone there to help muslim people. When I turned on the TV that night and saw that poor man I cried and somewhere around then my heart thought I have had enough of this. For a cohesive society there has to be fairness and people treated equally. All we hear these days is about xenophobia, racism, bigotry if we so much as question this unbalance, this need to keep protecting people of the muslim faith above all others.

Finally, why have I wrote this today because today I started to read a newspaper article about Germany building a fence on its borders. I went to look in the comments section on saw this:-

SwordOfIslam

We've got our flag ready for 10 Downing Street. When we prevail, you white chicken-sh*ts - who are so brave on a faceless website - will find out how sharp my sword is. Your children and grandchildren will be muslims tick tock.

This is what British people have had enough of. This is why I fear who we are letting in our midst. I fear for my child. A bigot no. There is no unreasonable fear here, so go on do-gooders tell us about how it is our fault because of the wars, I don't care any more I want to preserve the British way of life and above all I want to keep my child safe. Don't tell me this is just a random person, unless you live here in the UK and live this crap day in, day out.

What a succinct and honest post. I too am British and have lived away for years (in the U.S.) I have noticed how quickly the demographic of society here is changing, and how our British ways are being eroded before our eyes in the name of tolerance and "social cohesion". Well this is indeed supposed to work both ways but it doesn't pan out like that now does it?

It seems now, that those whose complaints and bad behaviour are the loudest, are the ones who are constantly placated. In schools, disruptive and violent students are rewarded disproportionately for "having a good day" or, "finishing their tests". The good kids are relegated to menial comments on their progress. The verbally abusive immigrants (not all, but I've seen this happen), are complaining about lack of interpreters, lack of flat screen tv's in their state provided homes, and lack of free transportation to local shopping centres. Like you said, there are a LOT of young men coming in from these countries who should remain there and fight for their own lands. Can you imagine what the UK would be like now, if all our young men fled during WWII? The whole world would brand us as cowards.

Nothing will get better, I'm afraid...I have been back since April and noticed that most young people only care about the latest music, fashion, and how to hold a large designer bag that contains several heavy school books. I am saddened at what has happened here over the last few years. I shockingly heard as I walked through the park, an 11 year old girl who knows my daughter, with her phone in one hand, and her hand bag in the other, saying "I wouldn't shag him anyway, he's too poor, I'd shag his mate though, go tell him" I was literally stopped in my tracks, mouth aghast. They've really got the young generation completely unaware of anything.

So, aside from seeing people in Burquas- if you didn't watch the news- you'd be pretty much none the wiser (except for maybe wondering why the local ninja craze?)

All of those things stand out in your memory because the media submerged you in the imagery.
What about all those days since 911 where none of those events or their consequences affected you or your happy life?

Because you are a moderate person (like the majority) who tends to go about their business without causing harm or suffering to others- you feel anger because you are being assaulted with a disproportionate amount of information relating to the negative actions of people in the minority.

Just stop watching mainstream news programs and get your own sources...the world is equally as grim but at least you get to see some of the bigger picture.

As in so many things, kipling knew a thing or two.


It was not part of their blood,
It came to them very late
With long arrears to make good,
When the English began to hate.

They were not easily moved,
They were icy-willing to wait
Till every count should be proved,
Ere the English began to hate.

Their voices were even and low,
Their eyes were level and straight.
There was neither sign nor show,
When the English began to hate.

It was not preached to the crowd,
It was not taught by the State.
No man spoke it aloud,
When the English began to hate.

It was not suddenly bred,
It will not swiftly abate,
Through the chill years ahead,
When Time shall count from the date
That the English began to hate.

Oh and another comment

SwordOfIslam

White people are already a minority in Coventry. In the long run you will be a minority in the UK..

Muslims will run this country and your children and grandchildren will be raised as Muslims (God Willing).

Obey us and we will show you mercy. Otherwise my sword will fall on your white neck.

This is in a centre-left paper the Independent so hasn't been wrote in some far right paper. It is because of stuff like this spewed on our streets all the time why the lady on the bus the other day (black lady) completely lost the plot. I don't condone her actions but I know where those feelings have come from. The problem is our MP's are mainly from the elite. They lives in their quiet villages in their gated properties and don't have to really live in normal British communities. Its about time we had MP's who don't just come from the private schools but who actually live amongst normal people and see what is going on from a first hand point of view.

a reply to: anxiouswens

It's quite simple really and I will liken it to inviting a guest into my house.

I expect a guest that I accept into my house to respect the rules and order of my house. If the visitor asks for shelter, I will provide shelter. If the visitor asks for food, I will feed them.

If the visitor in my house decides they they no longer want to respect my rules and order and in fact start demanding that I change to suit them, if they become violent when I refuse to change for them - then it is war and there will be blood.

No visitor should ever confuse my kindness for weakness because I will protect my house, my rules and my order to the death.

Those who refuse to assimilate to my rules and order are not visitors - they are invaders and I will drive them out well before they have time to entrench themselves - as God is my witness - I am the greatest schemer of them all. A visitor gets one chance in my house to respect my rules and order - that chance is when I open the door and let them in, thereafter, the sword.

I know my rights in law, and I know them well, I also know my rights in life equally well - you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

I can understand how you feel.
in my opinion it's in large part the fault of the politically correct climate that exists right now.
The moment you express any concern about islam, you are labeled a bigot, a racist (?) and whatnot.
Being form the uk you probably already know about how rape crisis centers are almost a 1 to 1 match with places that have seen the most muslim immigration.
there IS a problem, but we are asked to not talk about it because someone might get a case of hurt feelings.
on a larger scale in the month of january alone more than 2000 people have died as the result of the actions of islam extremists (the people in paris and about 2000 people in a village in central Africa)
i understand full well you cannot lump all of them into one category, but a serious level of screening is needed. you MUST know who you let in, and if something seems strange, just send them back, whiny over dramatic people be damned.
It should be clear that our culture and theirs (when fundamentalists) is not compatible.
If they expect to be welcomed they have to open their minds and embrace our lifestyle, or they can go back and fix the mess their stupid ancient beliefs set up in the first place.

What, you don't want people coming in to your country, refusing to assimilate, instead insisting that you change your ways to fit them? that you feed them, house them and clothe them ahead of your own citizens who've been waiting for these services? That they come bringing violence, crime and their own brand of racism? That treat their women like dirt and think they have the right to treat all females that way?
Huh.
Be prepared to be called a racist, xenophobic and any other insult you can think of.

a reply to: JukiodoneI don't just watch mainstream news and a lot of my feelings haven't just come from main news as I tried to explain with regard to a personal experience in hospital. I could have gone on and on about personal things that have also led me to where I am now but I could have written a book.

I'll give you another example. I live in a small town. There is only two local shops now which are run by white people, the rest are run by Indians, Muslims etc. I go in all these shops. However, a shop across the road from me has been there 35 years, it is a family business and the owner are white. Just recently a muslim familhy took over the shop direcly opposite. Within a week of them moving there the shopkeeper who has been there 35 years was approached by a muslim guy, I was there at the time. He was rather intimidating and said he wanted to buy his shop. Kevin laughed an said we have been here 35 years and part of the community. The guy smiled and said "that won't be the case for much longer we will put you out of business and we will buy your shop". He has since been subjected to petrol bombs being putting through his letterbox, graffiti saying white trash etc. Police say nothing they can do as there is no proof.

And yes, I do follow current affairs, on lots of different media outlets, the alternative and the main stream but not to watch or read anything would just make me completely ignorant which I am not. I am intelligent enough to questions many things but I also question from both sides. Such as the propaganda shown on BBC/Sky showing the young children, sick etc when showing migrants when in fact that isn't the real story. The real stories are all over the internet, in foreign newspapers such as Sweden, Germany, Spain. The real news and not the mainstream is even more frightening because it is reality and isn't being hidden out of sight like the mainstream tend to do they portray what they want to portray for their own agendas. We have heard nothing on mainstream these past few weeks about the migrant crisis and yet daily there are reports and videos coming out showing riots in many German towns, Sweden is off the scale this is all hidden. I prefer to know the truth.

a reply to: anxiouswens

They can spout as much religious intolerant hatred as they wish, the day they manage to implement there notion of a 17th century caliphate over here will simply never come.

One has to wonder what would happen to the average U.K citizen should they enter into a Muslim Sharia law following nation and start mouthing off regarding us implementing our own set of laws or start stating we have the right to do as we please?

Tell you this it would end in tears. Probably lose there tongue, possibly even their head.

a reply to: anxiouswens

What do you mean you 'are not allowed to fly the English flag'? It's perfectly legal, the reason some people may frown on the George cross flag being flown is due to it being subverted by groups such as EDL - blame them if you want to blame anyone.

You also seem to be making strange assumptions that lead me to think in your mind white skin = non muslim, brown skin = muslim. If that is the case that's really not clever in is just building up your own prejudice - sorry, needed saying.

Alan Henning, a terrible tragedy but also, and there's no way to shake this off, a totally avoidable one. Even the others travelling with him advised him to leave the vehicle prior to entering Syria - he chose not to. Call him a martyr, call him stupid, that's your call but he knew exactly what the risk was.

I'm not saying integration with other cultures is not an issue or potential issue, but then I am in the UK with white, English born tralier trash as one of my neighbours and they do a good enough job of making life somewhat stressed for me - would you agree with a rant about white single mothers of multiple children in their teens that get their rent paid? That makes me verging on intolerant.

a reply to: anxiouswens

So you'll agree that you are racist I guess ?

a reply to: anxiouswens

Middle East mentality brought in Europe, obviously the two cultures are very different... not meant to be mixed.

Here in Israel it's quite popular (yet still not encouraged) that whoever shouts the loudest gets what they wants. I can imagine how it may turn the politeness of the British people into soon to be rudeness and violence. With some mentalities you simply cannot reason, cause they are reasoning different than you are.

It's not racist to point out the facts... Right?

There is a reason why there are only dictatorships all over the Middle East.

Now let it sink in.

originally posted by: JukiodoneSo, aside from seeing people in Burquas- if you didn't watch the news- you'd be pretty much none the wiser (except for maybe wondering why the local ninja craze?)

Just stop watching mainstream news programs and get your own sources...the world is equally as grim but at least you get to see some of the bigger picture.

I spoke of this reaction in another post. I seems anytime anyone expresses a concern or complaint about the problems that have arisen among the asylum seekers, immediately someone comes along and completely dismisses them, berates them or accuses them. The tactic is getting old and very annoying, and unless your goal is to totally divide the people, then you are adding to the problem.

I add the link at the bottom for your convenience because we are not allowed to cross post.

It has become clear that the tactic is a passive aggressive attempt at attacking anyone that does not embrace Islam. The accusations of xenophobia and racist used to be rejected, and worked to make the individual become ashamed and self reflect.

Well after a lot of time, self reflection, and increased efforts at acceptance; the only results we see, are increased numbers, with increased demands, and hostile blatant disrespect, because many are taking acts of kindness as a sign of guilt and weakness.

I can't speak for anyone else, but this blatant disregard and disrespect for the people of the host countries,were they have come, supposedly to seek help, makes it clear they are not interested in working peacefully with the people who showed them kindness.

Before you go off on a tangent about it only being a few bad apples, remember a few bad apples is all it takes to ruin a whole barrel. The only way to save the barrel is to remove the bad apples and all that have been contaminated or remove the uncontaminated ones. You will only end up with a whole barrel of bad apples if you do nothing.

As far as being afraid, I am not, and that scares me more than being afraid. I don't fear snakes. I realize their benefit in keeping a well balanced environment, but I can tell you without a doubt, if I find one in my home, it will not be alive very long. That is not due to my having a phobia, that is just plain commonsense.

Being called a racist or a xenophobe is starting to take on a whole meaning. This has happened before in history, so we should know better. We have seen the results of what happens when people accept and embrace the monster that you have convinced them they are.


Islamophobia, is it even a thing?

I

a reply to: anxiouswens

Sounds like you are addicted to propaganda to me.

originally posted by: anxiouswens
... that is really the true me, compassionate, empathic but then my heart hardened again when I saw all the fit,

If you have allowed these experiences and stuff you read on a website to "harden your heart", then that's on YOU. Living in a world where there's so much hatred being fired back and forth makes it HARD to stay compassionate and empathetic, but you have to fight for your true self. Don't just give it up. Doing that just means you're easily convinced NOT to be your true self by circumstances.

It's TOTALLY your CHOICE to decide to hold firm to your true nature or give it up to the dark side. Don't blame it on the dark side.

"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances."
~Mahatma Gandhi

What are you guys talking about? Whites becoming a minority? 87% of UK population is white! Whites will become a minority maybe 500 years in the future and by then most people on Earth will be mixed race anyways.

a reply to: uncommittedI have never at any point in my post said that muslims are all non-whites. It is you who has made an assumption there. The only point when colour has been mentioned is when I was talking about a white family across the road from me and the words "white trash" being wrote on his shop and the comment I saw in Independent refers to "white". I didn't write that. Just to clear up I have friends who are muslim. They are white! My child's best friend is muslim, his mum is white and his dad is from Somalia! So I don't really know where you have got the idea from that I am saying all muslims are non-white! There are lots of moderate muslims and I know this because there are lots of mixed marriages where I live where a partner has converted to Islam. My friend married a muslim guy originally from Iraq and they have three children. She hasn't converted to Islam but allows her children to be taken to mosque with their dad. However, her husband gives the children the choice, sometimes they want to go to mosque and sometimes they don't, he is a moderate. My fear is more with the radical muslims and the ones who appear moderate but aren't really. There is a guy at a shop near my mum's house and I have shopped there for a long time. However, when the shooting at Charlie Hebdo happened I saw a change in him. He was really upset when I went in the shop. He said to me and a few of the customers "but they made fun of our prophet". He said he agreed it was the correct punishment. We all had a debate in the shop about how we could understand his upset but could he not see how irrational the reaction was. He really couldn't and it is that what concerns me. When questions were raised in the UK a couple of years ago there were a lot of moderate muslims who sympathised with ISIS. I think what concerns me the more radical muslims we let in, the louder their voices will become, and I fear there may come a time when moderate muslims will have to choose which side they are on. I just have a feeling they won't choose the British side. I hope I am proven wrong. Only time will tell.

The point I was trying to make with regards to the flag is there have been many news stories in past couple of years where people have been pulled up for flying English flag in case it is offensive, even where Councils have made the decision not to fly it because of causing offence as in this case

www.telegraph.co.uk...

As well as this there have been lots of mad decisions made in recent times all to do with causing offence :

www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk...

www.dailymail.co.uk...

It is just PC gone mad and yet someone can walk down the street with an ISIS flag and we are told it is not an offence!!

If you choose to not to see the imbalance that is up to you.

As far as white single mothers etc. Yes there are many things in Britain that I don't agree with but then the single white mothers aren't threatening to take over my way of life or chop my head off are they!

a reply to: Krazysh0twhich propaganda are you talking about. The propaganda where a child is shown on a beach and we are told how terrible it all is only to find out the father has worked and lived in Turkey and been perfectly safe for 3 years. Are the propaganda where we are shown the crying children and disabled and the hundreds of thousands of fit, young, men are hidden away in the background. Or are you talking about the propaganda telling us that there are riots in Germany, rapes in Sweden, messages being wrote on restaurants in Sweden telling people to convert to Islam or die. Not all news is propaganda. However, I have noticed although people say don't look at the mainstream it is all propaganda this only when anything bad is said, but is used such as the child in Turkey when it suits. Then when the other side is shown it is far right propaganda. Somewhere in the middle is the real news. Some things are facts. It isn't all propaganda. Alan Henning being beheaded wasn't propaganda. Lee Rigby being beheaded wasn't propaganda. People being shot on a Tunisian beach wasn't propaganda.

a reply to: IamnotadoctorThis is just such a ridiculous post. Islam isn't a race. People of all cultures and colour follow Islam. If I was racist I wouldn't have the friends I have, but then you don't really know anything about me do you? I don't think I am superior to another person, I also don't think anyone is superior to me, which is my exact point there is an imbalance in British society. British people are beginning to be treated like second class citizens, people coming into our country have more rights than people born here. There are British people of all colours, cultures and religions waiting on waiting lists for houses and have been for years and yet people are coming into country and being pushed to the front of the queue. Its the same with school places. Priority is given to people entering the Country so again British school children are put to the back of the queue. We have thousands of homeless people who desperately need housing but there are no houses, but people coming into the Country are put home in 3 star hotels. How can that be right. British people are being told they are having their tax credits cut, this cut and that cut and yet we have headlines telling us people here illegally are being transported in limos to their accommodation. I am not superior but I expect to be treated the same within my own Country as people coming into the Country.