Musings on a 'meaningless word'

One fellow Welsh blogger described it as "the most meaningless word of our age". I'm sure that for many non-Muslims it must be, just like racism must be pretty meaningless if you're part of the racial majority (or racial elite), like sexism must be pretty meaningless if you're a man (or an Amazon). To Europe's Muslim minorities, however, 'Islamophobia' is about as meaningless to us as the word 'Anti-Semitism' is to Europe's Jews.

We're only half way through July and already we've seen:

(A) The passing of the 14th anniversary of the Srebrenica Massacre (the largest single act of genocide against a faith minority in Europe since WWII)
(B) The bombing of the offices of the Muslim equivalent of Christian Aid, in Glasgow
(C) The seizure of what is believed to be the largest terrorist arsenal in England (belonging to Far Right extremists) since the IRA campaign of mainland bombings of the early 1990s and;
(D) The murder of a woman and her unborn child in a German courtroom for wearing a piece of cloth on her head.

So how to classify these hate crimes? Some of them are clearly not motivated by racial prejudices but rather by religious ones. Europe's Jews, despite being considered a racial minority group nonetheless have a distinctive word for the hatred, discrimination and assaults against their persons and property - simple 'racism' is too much of a catch all term in this instance that simply doesn't acknowledge the racial/religious distinction in motivation. Muslims are definitely not a single racial minority group and it is quite possible that a Muslim in Europe may find themselves on occasion targeted by someone of their own racial background (be that black, white or brown). Of course, if anyone would like to offer an alternative word to describe the act of religiously motivated hate crimes against Muslims I'll be happy to start using it, because one term like Anti-Semitism is agreed upon by Jews and Gentiles alike and we know it when we see it. Until then, Islamophobia, a word in circulation for at least 10 years, is the only one we have to categorize for example, the kind of pathological hate that drives a man into such a violent frenzy that he could stab a pregnant woman, a complete stranger, to death.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8136500.stm

A more accurate complaint against the word Islamophobia might be that it can be overused and also misapplied - but meaningless it certainly isn't.

Hug a Hooligan - They're S.A.D.

I read a report about a month back that football fans may suffer 'end of season blues' after almost 22 months of uninterrupted matches. It seems from the recent activity in Birmingham and Whitechapel that, if no-one else, the hooligan element at least may have found an outlet to preserve their delicate psychological health. However, early diagnosis may prove difficult for those close to members of this particular group as warning symptoms of '(end of ) Season Affective Disorder' include an inability to focus, lack of direction, irritability, lethargy and an inability to converse.

So presumably on doctor's orders, hooligans 'only hating for our health' turned out in Birmingham city centre last Saturday to distract themselves from the lack of football - a sort of diversionary activity for delinquents. Unfortunately, without the other team to start a fight with the only 'entertainment' for puzzled onlookers was a medley of bad 1980s football chants from the terraces - reason enough in my opinion for the police to baton charge them and give them a good dousing of water cannon. Anyway they were dispersed and Saturday shopping allowed to resume. Meanwhile in Whitechapel, a simultaneous protest had been organised and this time the English Defence League were dutifully supported by the originally titled Welsh Defence League belting out "In-gur-learned, In-gur-learned, In-gur-learned", "Rule Britannia", "I'm English till I die, I'm English till I die, I know I am, I'm sure I am, I'm English till I die"...and other well-known Welsh patriotic sporting anthems.

So if moonlighting as Neo-Nazi political storm troopers between seasons could safeguard the fragile mental health of England's football firms, what about the ordinary decent football supporters? As a rugby man I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I have relatives who are fanatics...about football, but nevertheless I asked them how they were managing to cope with the current absence of meaning in their lives. Their solution?

They're following the cricket.

Well desperate times, desperate measures.

Never Again v. All Over Again

What is it with white supremacists this week?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8094076.stm

First, a failed plot to launch biological warfare against minorities in the UK and now shooting up a Holocaust Museum in the US... this is exactly the sort of thing that loses elections.

Better warn the International Reich Minister (in waiting) of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda that somebody's off message.

Eggs...and other bio-weapons

Someone is subjected to a near fatal salmonella attack using an ingenious weaponized egg-shaped capsule and it's all over the news and so many of us (myself included) have commented on it.

Meanwhile a less news worthy story broke...

It seems, democratic elections or not, the promised 'voluntary' repatriation of non-whites from Britain will not come quick enough for some people:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1191148/Police-smash-global-plot-poison-non-whites-lethal-toxin.html

I blogged about the planned Scottish beheadings a little while back and how 'breach of the peace' might not be the charge one would have expected. Given that a non-white got 17 years back in 2005 for planning an attack with the same toxin (without said toxin ever being found), these guys will surely get an ASBO for this...at the very least.

Don't waste a good egg on a bad egg

He's not the first 'politician' to have something from a chicken's bum thrown at him by an angry member of the public, and won't be the last, but due to who he is it has become a freedom of speech issue. Perhaps if he was egged while just walking down the street, rather than trying to hold a press conference people wouldn't be so bothered. It's a bit like burning a book you don't like - sort of jars with our core values really and hard to justify no matter who the individual (speaking) or what the content (of the book).

If the intention of the protestors was to prevent him from speaking - and it undoubtedly was (though I think they were more keen to just deny him the freedom to stand on a single square foot of cosmopolitian London soil) - then it is they who have been left with the egg on their faces. He got to say his piece anyway, even if it was only with a photo of Westminster in the background rather than the real thing, and no doubt enjoyed more airtime as a result than perhaps he would have otherwise.

If I were a Cambridge egghead I might even consider using my own rent-a-mob in future to follow me around and (right on cue as the media pack assembles into place) begin hurling abuse and dairy products and waving banners about to create the stir of publicity that only I benefit from.

Democracy in action or Democracy inaction?

I attended my first European count on Sunday. A chance to see democracy in action and, as a member of the volunteer ballot paper police, to keep those vote counters honest...

For most of the evening I had a 'gentleman' from the BNP hovering around behind me standing on his tippy toes trying to look over my shoulder at the paper I was writing on and muttering a question to his mate about what exactly was I tallying up. Probably his first time at a count too. I didn't need a third eye in the back of my head to detect his presence each time he crept up on me, and it was not because such people radiate evil, he simply had that rank odour which always emanates from the habitual drunk - the alcohol was positively oozing from his pores. On reflection, perhaps he was just celebrating early. Fortunately (debatable), with the introduction of the smoking ban in public places there were no naked flames or something tragic might have happened with all that vapour in the air.

Aside from trying to work out the way the percentages were going and trying to stay sober by keeping at a respectable distance from my inebriated stalker, watching the Returning Officer sifting the spoilt ballot papers was probably the most interesting part of an otherwise monotonous evening (for both counters and party faithful alike):

- Most spoilt ballots accused the parties of being on the take and on the make.

- One voter had crossed out all the names and stated that they were voting for Joanna Lumley.

- Another chose to use his ballot to claim £54.32 expenses for a new toy train and assorted items for his model railway set.

- One voter had placed his/her X in the box of their choice and neatly torn out the section with the BNP candidates on it - the ballot was passed (the voter's intention was clear) with one of the invigilators commenting 'Yes, we've heard this sort of thing has been happening all over the country...'

Not nearly quite enough as it turns out.

A Gorsedd for Guardian's Green Man?

HT to Cynical Dragon for this one:

George Monbiot's announcement on which way he is voting tomorrow:

Living in Wales, the choice isn't hard for me. Plaid Cymru, in its present incarnation, is a green, progressive, effective political force. I see little point in splitting the vote between parties with politics like mine, and while the Green candidates appear to be likeable people, they are always going to be playing catch up here.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/jun/03/george-monbiot-european-elections

How about the bardic name George 'Hwfa Mon' Boyo to complete his Cymrification? :)