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| A week of racist words from Jeremy Clarkson and UKIP - just another day for many British Muslim women | A week of racist words from Jeremy Clarkson and UKIP - just another day for many British Muslim women |
| (4 months later) | |
| The last seven days were brought to you by the letter R for race, R for racist.The week a UKIP candidate was exposed for referring to Muslims as "scum", but as his father later explained to journalists, his son wasn't a racist because he enjoys a curry. In the old days you couldn't be a racist if your friend was black, so is this progress? Since UKIP launched their European election campaign two weeks ago, its proving hard to keep up with the parties candidates and their 'colourful' statements on race, Islam, immigration, women and homophobia. On Tuesday a UKIP candidate called for Lenny Henry to "go back to a black country". William Henwood resigned from the party a short while later. Two other members of the party were suspended following more 'colourful' comments. On Wednesday, UKIP financier and Greek shipping tycoon, Demetri Marchessini said he didn't believe rape could take place in a marriage because when "a woman accepts, she accepts." He also said gay people couldn't be in a loving relationship, as they are sexual predators incapable of fidelity. | |
| On Thursday, a neo Nazi from Birkenhead, Liverpool was jailed for 10 years for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. Ian Forman, 42, had made a list of mosques near his home, which he referred to as "dreck ziel" - a German phrase meaning "filth target." Police found chemicals and home made explosives at his home. Thankfully we will never how much carnage Forman could have unleashed. On the same day, BBC Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson did an abrupt 3 point turn and admitted he did use the N word while recording a TV programme - the clip was not aired. Clarkson begged for forgiveness and explained he had tried hard, very, very hard for the N word not to slip out. But slip out it did. Beyond the (mostly white, male dominated) London media bubble and and twitter sphere debating if and when one can use the N-word (*smacks head against wall*) and if its alright to call UKIP racists (*smacks head against the wall*) there has been next to no examination of how all of this is being played out in town and cities and across the UK? | On Thursday, a neo Nazi from Birkenhead, Liverpool was jailed for 10 years for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. Ian Forman, 42, had made a list of mosques near his home, which he referred to as "dreck ziel" - a German phrase meaning "filth target." Police found chemicals and home made explosives at his home. Thankfully we will never how much carnage Forman could have unleashed. On the same day, BBC Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson did an abrupt 3 point turn and admitted he did use the N word while recording a TV programme - the clip was not aired. Clarkson begged for forgiveness and explained he had tried hard, very, very hard for the N word not to slip out. But slip out it did. Beyond the (mostly white, male dominated) London media bubble and and twitter sphere debating if and when one can use the N-word (*smacks head against wall*) and if its alright to call UKIP racists (*smacks head against the wall*) there has been next to no examination of how all of this is being played out in town and cities and across the UK? |
| The events of last week are a microcosm of what many of us people of colour are subjected to on a daily, weekly basis. Why don't the media commentators and journalists ask us for our experience and then join up the dots ?On Friday evening I conducted a little experiment. I contacted a group of non white women friends to find out how their week had gone. Half responded to say all was well. The other half responded with the following.... | |
| British Muslim woman, barrister, lives in Kensington, London: "I was driving to a supermarket and was parked at the traffic lights when a white man walked into the road and stood in front of my car. He started pointing to his face, making circular gestures. He was referring to my hijab and then he started screaming "you fucking Taliban, you fucking Taliban" over and over again. My young daughters were in the car with me. They were confused and scared. That was a minor incident though! I don't go out very much anymore. In the past I've been spat at and called a 'fucking Muslim' and "one of those fucking Muslim pigs." | British Muslim woman, barrister, lives in Kensington, London: "I was driving to a supermarket and was parked at the traffic lights when a white man walked into the road and stood in front of my car. He started pointing to his face, making circular gestures. He was referring to my hijab and then he started screaming "you fucking Taliban, you fucking Taliban" over and over again. My young daughters were in the car with me. They were confused and scared. That was a minor incident though! I don't go out very much anymore. In the past I've been spat at and called a 'fucking Muslim' and "one of those fucking Muslim pigs." |
| British Muslim woman, social worker, Manchester: "I went to pick up the kids from school on Monday when one of the teachers, who happens to be white, started having a chat with me. The teacher told me she had been discussing religion with the class. Then she said. 'I said to the Muslim kids, you really don't know what you are missing out on. It's a such a shame you can't eat bacon, it tastes really great. You are missing out.' | |
| "I was shocked. I decided not to say anything as I didn't want her to think I was a difficult woman with a chip on my shoulder. | |
| "Oh by the way in the office someone asked me 'are we ever going to see your hair?'Does that count as a racist incident?"British Ghanaian mother from Bristol: "At the supermarket, I was with the kids, I was pulling into a parking space when a very aggressive man, in the car behind me, swung his car out and started flapping his arms around. He wound down his widow and shouted "You fucking black c***" and then drove off." | "Oh by the way in the office someone asked me 'are we ever going to see your hair?'Does that count as a racist incident?"British Ghanaian mother from Bristol: "At the supermarket, I was with the kids, I was pulling into a parking space when a very aggressive man, in the car behind me, swung his car out and started flapping his arms around. He wound down his widow and shouted "You fucking black c***" and then drove off." |
| British Muslim woman, teacher in Lancashire: "To be honest, I don't feel comfortable in all white areas anymore. I am open to admitting I could be paranoid, but I feel like white people look at me with contempt because I'm a Muslim woman. I have never felt like this before. Even after 9/11. There was a lot of racism around but a lot of solidarity too. I grew up in a middle class part of Lancashire and all my neighbours and friends were white. I never felt like this then. I am raising my children to be proud of being British, they are British and they are Muslim." | British Muslim woman, teacher in Lancashire: "To be honest, I don't feel comfortable in all white areas anymore. I am open to admitting I could be paranoid, but I feel like white people look at me with contempt because I'm a Muslim woman. I have never felt like this before. Even after 9/11. There was a lot of racism around but a lot of solidarity too. I grew up in a middle class part of Lancashire and all my neighbours and friends were white. I never felt like this then. I am raising my children to be proud of being British, they are British and they are Muslim." |
| @shaistaAziz | @shaistaAziz |