ACNS has posted the response of Dr. Idris Jones, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, to the Glasgow airport terrorist attack.
ACNS has posted the response of Dr. Idris Jones, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, to the Glasgow airport terrorist attack.
“we wish to voice our concern that the public reaction to such acts is not mis-directed against others by association of race or religious belief, and in particular against the Asian community.”
Why would he be so concerned about members of the Asian community when it was Muslims with Middle Eastern roots who carried out these terrorist acts? And, why shouldn’t a certain race or religious belief not be targeted in our reaction when those who carried out the very acts are driven by their would-be victims race and religious beliefs?
Political Correctness demands that you check your brains at the door.
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And, why shouldn’t a certain race or religious belief not be targeted in our reaction when those who carried out the very acts are driven by their would-be victims race and religious beliefs?
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Do you expect to be assaulted when you travel to a Muslim country because certain other white Americans look at and promote pornography?
“Do you expect to be assaulted when you travel to a Muslim country because certain other white Americans look at and promote pornography?”
Oh, don’t be silly. No one is advocating assaulting Muslims on sight on the street. However, beating around the bush, like calling these people “Asians” isn’t helping anything. There’s nothing wrong about being honest about what’s going on here. If it hurts some peoples feelings to call a spade a spade, then so be it. BUT, it’s not the same thing as assaulting someone. Again, checking one’s brains at the door…
Re: #1,
In the UK, the term “Asian” typically refers to people of South Asian (India, Pakistan, etc.) descent as opposed to East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, etc) as it does here. I’d imagine that for some people it might also take in southwest Asia (i.e. the Middle East). Also, given that the Muslim population of the UK is probably of south Asian descent, it’s likely that any backlash would be directed against them.
It would’ve been better if the statement read (addition in bold):
This is consistent with the third paragraph:
By failing to identify the ideology of the perpatrators, the statement does seem to imply political correctness at best.
Asain, used in the context of UK population, generally refers to people whose families were originally from the subcontinent – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.
Kevin, thanks for the explanation. However, I still see it as an attempt to white-wash what is really going on by using vague terminology. When one refers to an “Asia” and “Middle East”, one typically gets different ideas of what one is talking about.
For example, “semitic” can refer to Jews, or those of middle eastern descent. However, it’s never used that way anymore. Semitic is regularly referred to only as Jewish in modern usage. IE: Anti-semitic.
I didn’t really see it as white-washing. Rather, I read this statement (by several Scottish religious leaders: Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Baha’i) as a plea for people not to start striking out against people of Asian (incl. Middle Eastern) communities. As far as making a distinction between Middle Easterners and, say, Pakistanis, many of those reacting violently aren’t going to make a difference. It happened several times in this country aft 9/11. Someone would see another person, darker skinned and dressed differently, possibly a Sikh man with a turban, and attacks because he thinks that’s one of “those” Muslims.
If you know for a fact that terrorists come almost exclusively from a single religion, is it discrimination to look with more suspicion at all those from that religion? I submit it is discrimination to show equal suspicion of religions that do not produce any comparable number of terrorists. Acting upon factual differences in risk is not discrimination.
Look: If Dr. Jones were forced to bet his own money on the religious affiliation of the next terrorist, you know for certain where he would place the bet. Why would you not bet the same way when your life is on the line?
#2: your analogy is irrelevant, for these are not parallel conditions at stake. If, however, my country had sent terrorists into a Moslem country, I would certainly expect to be watched like a hawk, my every coming and going registered, my phone tapped, my baggage searched again and again. For the Moslems is that country not to protect themselves against more terrorists – who have a knack for looking no different than other people of the same ethnicity – would be careless indeed. This is the correct parallel. And if more American terrorists struck while I was in that country, could I expect to be harried and maybe assaulted? You bet. Nor should I be surprised.
Even now, we harbor Islamics in this country who, though legally here and even citizens, have clearly said they favor jihad. The poll was very clear. Consider the recent terrorists in Britain. Doctors. Nice. The Primus’s statement is political correctness at work once again. So sensitive. Remember once again the parable of the girl who finds the frozen snake. LM
Ahem.
To quote from the statement itself: “The Most Revd Dr Idris Jones, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway today endorsed the following statement [b]issued by the Scottish Inter Faith Council[/b]” (boldface is my own)
This is not “political correctness” run amok. This is the standard type of statement made after an incident such as this to decry the violence and ask for not people not to overreact.
There is no such thing as ‘the Asian community’. There are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian people of Indian sub-continent heritage. Nobody in the UK thinks Hindu, Sikh or Christian South Asians are a security risk. OTOH, they do think that about Somali, Moroccan and South Asian Muslims. As always, the statement evaded the obvious point of concern.
The number of Muslims in UK jails on serious charges is extremely high.
Thanks, Gordian. The use of “Asian” in this statement is insulting to the large Hindu and Sikh populations in the UK who have nothing to do with the bombing plots. These violent plans are coming out of extremist elements among Muslims in the UK, and it is not unreasonable to say so.
Here in Scotland, we’ve had a significant number of racist attacks, a firebombing on a mosque, and much anti-Asian graffiti daubed on walls and posters since last Saturday. This statement is simply part of the attempt to calm things down.
Whether the thugs who perpetrate such things will even read it, is another question…..
12:
That’s sort of what I was getting at. It’s not the job of the Primus of Scotland to place blame on anybody for the terrorist attacks. All he’s asking for is the people of Scotland (who are probably rightly afraid) to not react personally against those who had nothing to do with it. And that request is not off-base, as we see time and time again individuals lashing out at others who happen to belong to a particular sect or faith because of what others have done. It’s not my job to commit violence against any Muslim, extremist or not, in the wake of a terrorist attack.
It’s an excellent statement. It’s enormously encouraging that people of good will on all sides can agree on this. Non-Muslims are at last managing to condemn Islamic terrorism without dark and unspecific macho mutterings; Muslims are at last managing to condemn Islamic terorism with no ifs and buts.
Since all of the signers of this document live together in Scotland, it would be interesting to see a color photo in their various ‘tartans’. Scots are not unlike Afghans – colorful characters with lots of history. The Primus [ what a classic ] suggests that he’s the man; strong but effective. Scottish Christians should be credited for tolerance of those who’ve come to live in their midst. Perhaps a major “time out” from Europe for dissatisfied muslims might be in order. Saudi Arabia beheads people for far less. Maybe Christians should do the “Christian” thing [ gentle as doves wise as serpents ] and encourage dissatisfied muslims to do their spiritual ‘business’ in their own [ muslim ] countries. .
An aside: We are called the Episcopal Church because the first American bishop was consecrated by a Scottish bishop, as we were at war with Britain at the time. Hence, a special tie which I don’t think the local muslim doctors might understand or much care about .
Seabury was consecrated 14 November 1784.
The Treaty of Amiens ending the Revolutionary War was signed on 3 September 1783.
Therefore, when Seabury was consecrated, the US was [b]not at war with Great Britain.[/b]
# 17: ‘Perhaps a major “time out†from Europe for dissatisfied muslims might be in order. Saudi Arabia beheads people for far less. Maybe Christians should do the “Christian†thing [ gentle as doves wise as serpents ] and encourage dissatisfied muslims to do their spiritual ‘business’ in their own [ muslim ] countries. .’
I do agree – they should be encouraged to move to Sharia-land where they can worship their god and control their women properly. The problem is, the West keeps inviting them into the embrace of the Great Satan and they seem keen to come. Islam is a self-inflicted wound on the West. & it’s totally unconscionable for a place like the UK to be robbing Iraq of its doctors (900 Iraqi doctors at last count in the UK!) when that country is full of sick and maimed people.
Oops, treaty of Paris, not Amiens…
Paris vaut bien Amiens.
According to today’s WSJ, Scotland already has a heroic legend generating out of the Glasgow bombing episode. It seems baggage handler John Smeaton selflessly rushed over to aid the police officer who was trying to subdue one of the erstwhile bombers. In administering a kick to the man, he says to terrorists:” You come to Glasgow, we don’t stand for it. We’l just set aboot ye ” [ translation: “you come to Glasgow, we’ll just deck you” ]. Mr. Smeaton, single and 31, is now sought by women, has a web site, has been on TV in Australia, CNN and the BBC, has been given $9000.00 in beer money on a PayPal account and has been memorialized in an anonymous ode:
” Twas down by the inch o’ Abbots
Our Johnny walked one day
When he saw a sight that troubled him
Far more than he could say…
Now that’s no richt war Johnny cried
And sallied tae the fray
A left hook and a heid butt
Required tae save the day.
Now listen up Bin Laden
Yir sort’s nae wanted here
For imported English radicals
Us Scoatsman huv nae fear. “