"I feel like a stranger where I live" - article in The Daily Telegraph

ruggedtoast

I lived in Tower Hamlets for a while in one of the Bengali bits that would have been mid to upper working class Bengalis. I liked it.

The kids were well behaved and there was never any aggro or alcohol problems. The trouble makers were generally all the white and black youths and fortunately there werent many of those on the little patch I lived on, though there sure were in other bits of the district and I would consider those no go areas.

In fact there was some poor chef from a dreadful takeout place we used once called "Curry in a Hurry" who was knifed to death outside the door to his tower block by a bunch of white and black kids shouting about "Pakis". He made a dreadful curry but he in no way deserved to die for it.

Nevertheless, in learning that the unemployment figures for the areas were already 70% I did wonder why people were still coming in; it was obvious the later arrivals (this was in the early 00s) were from very rural places and would have been out of place in a city in their own country, let alone London.

GeorgeHowell

N1AK wrote: »

As you asked nicely I did. Obviously the word umbrage was used inappropriately as I do not myself feel slighted. I would however say that there is much said on here that I find ignorant and/or intolerant and that I find distasteful.

Never did I say, or imply, that I was referring to all anti-immigration sentiment on this board; you implying that was a straw man fallacy and I'd like to keep the discussion above those kinds of distortions.

I can see that some of the comments would appear distasteful. But to dismiss all concerns about immigration and about the way some immigrants conduct themselves in the UK as intolerance is not credible and represents part of the problem -- thus my comments.

You have now clarified that is not want you intended to convey. But to avoid a repeat misunderstanding I would suggest that such comments are directed specifically at the posts, or extracts, at which they are aimed, rather than put about generally.

sharnad

The_White_Horse wrote: »

that is how you know it is a london school. i work in london and often see school trips out and about (near tower of london etc). if the school children are white you know it is a foreign school. if they are majority muslim you know they are from london.

So you dont know that but you make judgments based on peoples apperance

Do you go up and ask them if they are muslim

sharnad

The_White_Horse wrote: »

perhaps they ares sikhs, hindus or buddists. however, i am willing to bet a pound to a penny they are majority muslim. you're right, there are the odd pole or hungarian scattered withing the class.

so what your saying is you admit that you have no idea what religion children walking in the street are

GeorgeHowell

sharnad wrote: »

so what your saying is you admit that you have no idea what religion children walking in the street are

It should never be about race or religion. People are born with their race and to be prejudiced about it is ludicrous. You might as well be prejudiced against fair hair or blue eyes. Everyone should be free to practice their chosen religion unless doing so encroaches unreasonably on the freedoms of others. No civilised Muslim could defend violent jihad any more than a civilised Christian could defend the Spanish inquisition. Terrible things are done in the name of religion because psychos, nutters, and megalomaniacs use it as an excuse. If it were not for religion they would find something else. Religious intolerance for its own sake is ridiculous. But I find this new breed of so-called militant atheists, with Dawkins as their patron saint, to be among the most doctrinaire, blinkered, and narrow minded of all intolerants.

sharnad

GeorgeHowell wrote: »

It should never be about race or religion. People are born with their race and to be prejudiced about it is ludicrous. You might as well be prejudiced against fair hair or blue eyes. Everyone should be free to practice their chosen religion unless doing so encroaches unreasonably on the freedoms of others. No civilised Muslim could defend violent jihad any more than a civilised Christian could defend the Spanish inquisition. Terrible things are done in the name of religion because psychos, nutters, and megalomaniacs use it as an excuse. If it were not for religion they would find something else. Religious intolerance for its own sake is ridiculous. But I find this new breed of so-called militant atheists, with Dawkins as their patron saint, to be among the most doctrinaire, blinkered, and narrow minded of all intolerants.

yes all his postings are pretty narrow minded