Van mows down pedestrians near London mosque

[999tigger]

Where did you grow up? The IRA attacked Britain weekly pretty much for years.

 

This is entirely correct. I was looking at a a chart showing fatalities from terrorism western Europe since the 60's and it shows how peaceful its been since the mid 90's. Even with the recent attacks its still below an average year in the 70s and 80's.

[top4718]

Your mask has slipped.

 

Not in the slightest. I deplore the idiot who did this act as much as any other terrorist /hate crime, neither have any place in society but we have to face facts that the current approach is not working.

[Pinkman]

This is entirely correct. I was looking at a a chart showing fatalities from terrorism western Europe since the 60's and it shows how peaceful its been since the mid 90's. Even with the recent attacks its still below an average year in the 70s and 80's.

 

Indeed the Balcombe Street Siege was the culmination of an IRA campaign that saw 40 bombs explode in London in 14 months, an assassination and gunfire aimed at Scott's which had already been bombed earlier.

[sgtkate]

Yep, demonising things wholesale doesn't help anyone...

 

Just like when any criticism of Islam (not matter how valid / justified) is branded 'Islamophobia' in an attempt to silence it. That's how 'Islamophobia' is used, it is a device that seeks to silence and ridicule *ALL* criticism of Islam.

 

I have to say I agree. The word racist has also taken on a far wider meaning than it should have. It doesn't meant someone who questions immigration for example unless they treat the immigrants differently simply because they were't born here.

 

I think it's without a doubt that this man decided to take 'revenge' on the most public mosques in the UK, I suspect most people have heard of Finsbury Park mosque as sadly it's had it's links in the past to some Muslim extremists, even though the mosque itself worked hard to stop indoctrination. So he almost certainly was carrying out an islamophobic attack. However, people trying to turn this into a 'this was the muslims fault, if they hadn't done the first attacks this wouldn't have happened' are doing as much wholesale grouping of muslims as those using the phrase islamophobia are accused of.

[Guest sibon]

Not in the slightest. I deplore the idiot who did this act as much as any other terrorist /hate crime, neither have any place in society but we have to face facts that the current approach is not working.

 

It's ok Toppy. You don't have to apologise just because a white xenophobe committed a terrorist act. You weren't driving the van, so don't beat yourself up about it.

 

I do agree that the current approach isn't working. We do need to change the way that we deal with right wing bigots. We've tolerated them for far too long.

[top4718]

I have to say I agree. The word racist has also taken on a far wider meaning than it should have. It doesn't meant someone who questions immigration for example unless they treat the immigrants differently simply because they were't born here.

 

I think it's without a doubt that this man decided to take 'revenge' on the most public mosques in the UK, I suspect most people have heard of Finsbury Park mosque as sadly it's had it's links in the past to some Muslim extremists, even though the mosque itself worked hard to stop indoctrination. So he almost certainly was carrying out an islamophobic attack. However, people trying to turn this into a 'this was the muslims fault, if they hadn't done the first attacks this wouldn't have happened' are doing as much wholesale grouping of muslims as those using the phrase islamophobia are accused of.

 

I don't think its quite that simple though, I haven't grouped anybody I stated that this was a tit for tat attack after recent atrocities, I doubt the guy has been indoctrinated over a period of time into doing this but commited a knee jerk reaction, people are trying to tie the two together but they are very different.

[sgtkate]

I don't think its quite that simple though, I haven't grouped anybody I stated that this was a tit for tat attack after recent atrocities, I doubt the guy has been indoctrinated over a period of time into doing this but commited a knee jerk reaction, people are trying to tie the two together but they are very different.

 

I was saying the people who are saying it's the muslims fault are wrong. You've not said that and thankfully neither has anyone on the forum although one poster has strongly implied it (usual suspect who buys dodgy fags).

 

I have no issue with people discussing immigration and other strategies to try to fix the problem as long as stays factual and doesn't go off into hatred which I don't think is an issue with you really. If the guy did actually shout 'I've done my bit' when he ran those people over, then we do again have an indoctrination issue of white Brits thinking that the way to stop the terror attacks or the way to get muslims to leave the country (or something) is to kill them, and that sounds very much like ISIS policy to me.

[Branyy]

I do agree that the current approach isn't working. We do need to change the way that we deal with right wing bigots. We've tolerated them for far too long.

 

Don't you think we also need to change the way that we deal with muslim extremists? I guess we've also tolerated them for far too long.

[Supertramp]

Indeed the Balcombe Street Siege was the culmination of an IRA campaign that saw 40 bombs explode in London in 14 months, an assassination and gunfire aimed at Scott's which had already been bombed earlier.

 

There was no 24 hour news then so maybe that's the difference?

 

I rememeber a mortar attack on John Major and the massive Manchester attack that demolished half the city.

[top4718]

There was no 24 hour news then so maybe that's the difference?

 

I rememeber a mortar attack on John Major and the massive Manchester attack that demolished half the city.

 

One major difference with the IRA (as bad as they were) they did give prior warning of attacks and didn't use suicide bombers, to my knowledge there were no casualties of the Manchester bombing.