I wont look back in anger...a response to Peter from Northfield
Read the comment that Peter left in the previous entry. This is my repsonse:
Goodness. But I understand what you mean....
I used to feel the same in Sutton and Mere Green at home time coming back from school. The NF boys were often out and about hurling insults at me trying to provoke a reaction. Unitl one day, that wasnt enough for them. So a chap by the name of Peter Goodman decided to surprise me and attack me from behind. Gotta give it to him though. It was a good clean shot that knocked me right out. I came to about 30 seconds later but not a soul came to my defence. The parade was full of people, white people, just standing there, waiting for their bus, old and young, and no one came to help me up or ask me if I was OK. Actually, thinking back, no one would even look at me.
I hated white people for a while. How could they ignore someone who needed help. Was it really just because of my colour or my faith?
I dont know why nobody saw fit to help me and I dont too much care now either. What I do know is this:
I have met many beautiful Muslims, Christians, athiests, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus and Rastarfaris in my time, but equally, I have also met some of the most horrid Muslims, Christians, athiests, jews, Sikhs, Hindus and Rastas as well.
Peter. I have always been at the forefront of criticising the Muslim Community. Perhaps too much sometimes. But dont let your anger towards a small but horid group of people who want to do terrible things, prevent you from being just. remember - Indiscriminate killing starts with indiscriminate hate.
I used to be a street trader on Northfields high st when I was 16...I got used to the abuse but I didnt let myself hate...If you want to meet up sometime to talk...the offer is there...
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Faraz Yousufzai - Birmingham’s leading voice on Muslim youth.
Faraz: I cannot believe you restraint here. Your reposnse makes me want to cry. Peter should be ashamed
As editor of the Mail, I'm very proud of Faraz's blog entry. He's a young, modern thinker who reflects the sentiment in so many Muslims. 'Peter' makes me frustrated too, but I hope he is fair enough to reflecton the response to his diatribe. I've blogged on this very subject myself here http://blogs.birminghammail.net/editorschair/
Hey Salaam Faraz...
Peter's comments were very strong and harsh...for some the blood would boil (i say some!), however you can also understand his point....we've all been victims of racism at some point in our lives...irrespective of colour and race, in fact as we all know racism is a universal issue...its affected all of us around the globe at some point...but it can’t be stressed enough that not everyone is the same...it really is a small minority of people...and sometimes its also down to youth culture...the young lads n girls in gangs, wanting to be part of something...so we have to understand that part also...but why blame everything on ‘Muslims’? a group of youth go along, attack someone, they are wearing hoodies (no disrespect to hoodies, as I quite like my hoodies), so all of a sudden they are Muslims? How many cases have been reported in the media that state that young white females have been assaulted or attacked by ‘Muslim men’? statistics please….so all ‘brown’ faces now become Muslim? And another point Muslims are not intolerant to other religions…we respect all religions and cultures and infact almost all of us have close friends and relatives who are also ‘white/english’, whichever you wish to refer to…I think the issue here is lack of understanding, and Peter there are many organizations/conferences which you can attend to gain a broader understanding of Muslims and Islam…if you want…but please don’t label everyone the same….turn the table and read what you said….now imagine if some Asian said that about a white person? Doesn’t sound nice does it? But what puts a smile on my face is that I know not everyone’s thinking is like Peter’s either….what I always say….’you can’t understand something/someone if you don’t want to understand’…..Peter, someday (hopefully…I’m an optimist)…you’ll learn the art of understanding…and when you do…the world will be a different place….
W’salaam… (peace)
Faraz,
Keep up the good work. Is there any chance of getting your email address? Alternatively please send a (blank) message to: midlands@khuddam.org.uk
Waqar
All well and good but I too was occasionally chased and harassed on the way home from school in Handsworth. I am white and the atttackers were Asians so do I get a big clap for showing restraint too. Or is that just expected of whites.
Do we geniunely expect the same standards of all races in the UK these days? I would say not. You may not recollect the story about the a young girl being taken from the street in Kings Heath in 1997 and raped by a car load of Asians some of whom were helped to 'Nip back Pakistan awhile innit?' to escape justice
Did the 'White / Chrisitan Community get big accolades for not rioting and attacking Asian businesses? No -. Restraint is expected of us and better yet, is interpreted as either guilt or weakness
Compare this with the behaviour that ensued when there was a report that a young West Indian illegal immigrant had been sexually assaulted by Asians in Lozells.No vicitim was ever brought forward but the mere suggestion was enough to launch a frenzy of mutual burning and murder.
The final verdict on this barbaric third world behaviour? That it was the understandable result of cross community frustration with underinvestment, disenfranchisement and indeed once again the fault of the indiginous population in any one of a number of ways.
This excuse was trotted out again in Alum Rock recently to explain why the 'unemployed charity worker' wanted to kill loads of non Muslims ( or as we call them, Whites). Sadly the 7th of July graduate tube bomber and Glasgow Airport attacking doctors show that throwing money at an area will not deminsh their hatred and contempt for us, which we seem happy to nuture
When the half wit Anglicans wrapped themselves in chains and put big 'SORRY' signs around their necks to apologise for slavery outside Birmingham Cathederal , where were the Muslim representatives? Islam smiles on slavery to the extent that it is still practiced today in Islamic countries on the Saharan cusp and is so enshorened in Islam that you even get timeless 'celestial' Koranic advice on how to manage your slaves justly.
I find it frustrating that we are constantly assured how relatively racist and bigoted we are in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Immigrants - you should know that you are lucky enough to live in one of the most tolerant and open societies on this planet.If you don't believe me, try a few months in Saudi Arabia and follow it up with a holiday to Zimbabwe
Sorry to bring in a commercial aspect to this blog which I think is wonderful and which is doing a great job to promote inter-community communication. I am working on a book called Human Being to Human Bomb: Inside the Mind of a Suicide Bomber by Dr Russell Razzaque (Icon Books). I am keen to share the book with Faraz because it deals with extremism of the Muslim community from a psychological angle and tries to understand what it is that makes young men and women kill themselves and others in the name of religion. Written by a Myslim psychiatrist, it offers a psychological profiling in an attempt to understand and prevent those drawn towards extremism. Faraz - can I send you a copy?
Best Najma
Interesting Najma should mention this book - recently I had a piece printed in the Birmingham Post on this very issue:
http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/tm_headline=politicians-need-intelligence-lessons-on-terrorism&method=full&objectid=20505871&siteid=65233-name_page.html
Would welcome any comments.
I was also hoping to hear back from Faraz since my posting on Feb 21st - does any one know if he's around?
Faraz: What do you think about this pledge of allegiance to the queen stuff? I'm in two minds, but part of me thinks you and others with your background might think the state is trying to get at you?
Faraz, have you seen any of the programme 'White' at all? Do you think that the average white working class man is being failed and neglected in Britain because of political correctness and people falling over themselves not to offend Asians and Muslims, allowing them to form ghettos and not integrate into society? When extremists start blowing up fellow Brits, that's perhaps when it starts becoming a problem for the millions of people who have been tolerant of first second and third generation immigrant families.
oh i have just noticed steve dyson the patronising editor of the evening mail must be sharing the same computer as rachel,hes says hes (frustrated at peter comments that me?) why is he frustrated explain steve dyson,and hes say i went on a diatribe,well sorry to upset you steve dyson but your just another middle class out of touch politacaly correct media type that dont live in the real world who are scared of working class people like me raising issues that concern me and my community , the problem with people like you steve dyson you dont live in the real world as i do, and you dont face the same issues as i do, but if you want to silence me fair enough you do that it sounds like your idea of democracy is say as i think and think as i say now that kind of attitude has all the hallmarks of fascism now i am not suggesting your a fascist steve dyson but something worrys me about your comments about me in faraz blog, i suggest to you steve dyson you as the editor of the evening mail you should be impartial and not show bias but i add your comments about me are very worrying so i hope faraz you pass this on to steve dyson the editor.....peter from northfield
sorry Nadia Yunis but i find that it's usualy white youths I'm from chelmsley wood probley one of the roughest areas in birmingham and i find that its whites that get the blame posted all over the news and as we all no the steriotypical hoody is white. and In many cases this is true asian youths are usaually innocent and don't get up to much but i think sometimes they're trying to be white by wearing the clothes that white youths do and tryin to be in the same culture and this is were some of them go wrong.
not nice about the violence and from behind is pathetic. But one thing I will say is that this is nothing to get worried about, you should try and put up with the NF in liverpool, I lived there for 20 odd years and that prepares you for anything.