Warning! Contains some pretty foul language.
So, Tony & George's foreign policies have now brought the terrorist attacks to Glasgow. Can't say it's a big surprise.
I had a wee bet to myself to see just how long it would be on news reports before someone used the phrase 'fears of a backlash against Muslims' and even I underestimated it. Less than one minute into the first news report I saw. This morning I heard a call from a British Asian woman who had been stopped and searched by the police whilst driving in the vicinity of one of the attacks. By her own account the police were courteous, polite and even somewhat apologetic, yet she still claimed to have been traumatised by the incident. She said she was 'terrified' and left 'shaking' afterwards. By police officers who asked her permission for everything they did and were polite to her? How does she think those families at Glasgow Airport were left? Or the people who tried to help what they thought were victims of a car crash and who were attacked by terrorists?
Bashir Maan was quickly on TV condemning the attacks on behalf of Muslims, but as usual most of his comments were directed at making sure the rest of us don't blame his community. I agree that ordinary Muslims are every bit as outraged as the rest of us. I know that Moderate Islam is as contemptuous of these maniacs as the average Irishman was towards the paramilitaries operating from within their community. What doesn't help is when your representative thinks you're all doing your bit for national security by 'not listening' to the hate-mongers who attempted to spread their vileness in the mosques in Glasgow. Yep, that's right, the hard-line fanatics came to Glasgow and attempted to spread their hatred here. What did the Muslim community do? Asked them to leave the mosques.
Whilst I applaud that reaction, maybe the rest of us would feel more like they're doing something to counter this terrorism if they had called the police and had them arrested for spreading religious hatred.
The woman I mentioned earlier was complaining about how "all brown people are now suspects." Well, sorry, ma'am, but that's what happened to the Irish and to every group whose lunatic fringe began to attack the rest of society in this most cowardly and indiscriminate fashion. The biggest change in that perception of the Irish and, in my opinion, the biggest single contributing factor to the beginning of the peace process in Ireland was when two ordinary Irish mothers took a very public stance against the terrorists within their communities.
Until we see moderate Muslims do the same those outside the Islamic communities will continue to suspect them. All we see of our Muslim communities in Scotland is when they take to the streets in protest against something the UK government has done that they don't like. Maybe if they were as keen to take to the streets in protest (and I applaud their tendency to protest publicly and vocally as opposed to our apathy) at what is being done by fanatics in their name then the rest of us could feel that they are on our side.
In the meantime I got sent an email that shows the pragmatic way Scots deal with just about everything. Yes, it's mostly humorous, but again that's what we do here. If you're the type who's easily offended by humour related to actual incidents then don't read this. You should, though relate the humour to the actual quotes from witnesses listed at the end.
Eyewitness accounts.
American: "Oh my God! There was a man on fire! He was running about, I just ran for my life..I thought I was gonna die, he got so close to me."
Glaswegian "This cunt wis running aboot oan fire, so ah ran up n gave him a good boot, then decked him."
American:"I just wanna get home,away from here..I just wanna get home. I thought I was gonna die!"
Glaswegian: "Here Shug; ah'm no leavin' here tae ah'm oan a fuckin' plane!"
American: "There was pandemonium,people were running in all directions, we didn't know what was hapening. I thought I was gonna die!"
Glaswegian:"Fuck this fur a kerry oan; moan we'll get a pint in."
American: "We thought he was gonna blow us all up. He had a gas canister,and was trying to get into his trunk, I thought we were gonna die. I just ran for my life."
Glaswegian: "Ah swaggers by the motor that wis oan fire, and the dafty couldnae even open his boot! He wis in fire an a' so ah ran up an gave him a good boot to the baws."
American: There was this huge explosion, it sounded like war. I thought I was gonna die."
Glaswegian: "There wis this big bang, ye know? Like, when ye throw BO basher intae a fire? It wis like that."
American: "I'm too traumatised even to speak, I thought I was gonna die."
Glaswegian: "Here mate, gie's 2 minutes till ah phone ma auld dear, if am gauny be oan the telly ah waant her tae tape it"
Oh and if you want to hear a real hero have a look at www.johnsmeaton.com
So, Tony & George's foreign policies have now brought the terrorist attacks to Glasgow. Can't say it's a big surprise.
I had a wee bet to myself to see just how long it would be on news reports before someone used the phrase 'fears of a backlash against Muslims' and even I underestimated it. Less than one minute into the first news report I saw. This morning I heard a call from a British Asian woman who had been stopped and searched by the police whilst driving in the vicinity of one of the attacks. By her own account the police were courteous, polite and even somewhat apologetic, yet she still claimed to have been traumatised by the incident. She said she was 'terrified' and left 'shaking' afterwards. By police officers who asked her permission for everything they did and were polite to her? How does she think those families at Glasgow Airport were left? Or the people who tried to help what they thought were victims of a car crash and who were attacked by terrorists?
Bashir Maan was quickly on TV condemning the attacks on behalf of Muslims, but as usual most of his comments were directed at making sure the rest of us don't blame his community. I agree that ordinary Muslims are every bit as outraged as the rest of us. I know that Moderate Islam is as contemptuous of these maniacs as the average Irishman was towards the paramilitaries operating from within their community. What doesn't help is when your representative thinks you're all doing your bit for national security by 'not listening' to the hate-mongers who attempted to spread their vileness in the mosques in Glasgow. Yep, that's right, the hard-line fanatics came to Glasgow and attempted to spread their hatred here. What did the Muslim community do? Asked them to leave the mosques.
Whilst I applaud that reaction, maybe the rest of us would feel more like they're doing something to counter this terrorism if they had called the police and had them arrested for spreading religious hatred.
The woman I mentioned earlier was complaining about how "all brown people are now suspects." Well, sorry, ma'am, but that's what happened to the Irish and to every group whose lunatic fringe began to attack the rest of society in this most cowardly and indiscriminate fashion. The biggest change in that perception of the Irish and, in my opinion, the biggest single contributing factor to the beginning of the peace process in Ireland was when two ordinary Irish mothers took a very public stance against the terrorists within their communities.
Until we see moderate Muslims do the same those outside the Islamic communities will continue to suspect them. All we see of our Muslim communities in Scotland is when they take to the streets in protest against something the UK government has done that they don't like. Maybe if they were as keen to take to the streets in protest (and I applaud their tendency to protest publicly and vocally as opposed to our apathy) at what is being done by fanatics in their name then the rest of us could feel that they are on our side.
In the meantime I got sent an email that shows the pragmatic way Scots deal with just about everything. Yes, it's mostly humorous, but again that's what we do here. If you're the type who's easily offended by humour related to actual incidents then don't read this. You should, though relate the humour to the actual quotes from witnesses listed at the end.
Eyewitness accounts.
American: "Oh my God! There was a man on fire! He was running about, I just ran for my life..I thought I was gonna die, he got so close to me."
Glaswegian "This cunt wis running aboot oan fire, so ah ran up n gave him a good boot, then decked him."
American:"I just wanna get home,away from here..I just wanna get home. I thought I was gonna die!"
Glaswegian: "Here Shug; ah'm no leavin' here tae ah'm oan a fuckin' plane!"
American: "There was pandemonium,people were running in all directions, we didn't know what was hapening. I thought I was gonna die!"
Glaswegian:"Fuck this fur a kerry oan; moan we'll get a pint in."
American: "We thought he was gonna blow us all up. He had a gas canister,and was trying to get into his trunk, I thought we were gonna die. I just ran for my life."
Glaswegian: "Ah swaggers by the motor that wis oan fire, and the dafty couldnae even open his boot! He wis in fire an a' so ah ran up an gave him a good boot to the baws."
American: There was this huge explosion, it sounded like war. I thought I was gonna die."
Glaswegian: "There wis this big bang, ye know? Like, when ye throw BO basher intae a fire? It wis like that."
American: "I'm too traumatised even to speak, I thought I was gonna die."
Glaswegian: "Here mate, gie's 2 minutes till ah phone ma auld dear, if am gauny be oan the telly ah waant her tae tape it"
Oh and if you want to hear a real hero have a look at www.johnsmeaton.com
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