Have you seen this clip from the bombing aftermath? I'll bet I've seen it a hundred times, especially the way they play these things in a loop.
I've never identified with someone more than with the guy in the blue sweater with his back to the camera. I keep thinking about him, and about what I would be thinking if one of my beautiful daughters had been at that show.
Where is she? Where is she? I need to step back a bit so I can see all the stairs in case she's there. Was that her voice? Where is she?
How can a person have a child and be willing to spin and deflect for the animal(s) who did this? Is ideology really that strong?
.
Nobody anywhere is spinning and deflecting for the animals who did this. You ******* puke.
Bull ******* shit. Did you miss the Mayor of Manchester's comments?
Yep. What did he say which defended the people who perpetrated this act? Got a transcript.
I responded to the original comment that referred to the spinning and the deflecting not defended.
The spinning and the deflection the Mayor took was to claim that the ******* evil asshole who did this was not Muslim. Link is to the transcript of his comments.
AND to a fabulous response by a welll respected liberal philosopher. I agree with his analysis.
"I find it interesting when world leaders (Hollande, Cameron, Obama) have said things like:
- “This isn’t the real Islam”;
- “Islam is a religion of peace… They are not Muslims, they are monsters”;
- “This has nothing to do with Islam”.
I find this thoroughly problematic. Andy Burnham, a politician I like, was recently
interviewed by LBC:"
AND this is where he just nails it.
"Who is Andy Burnham to dictate that a self-professed Muslim is not a Muslim? Does Burnham know Abedi’s theological pedigree? His beliefs?
Yes, he was a terrorist, but yes, he was also a Muslim. Burnham, like those leaders before, is not the arbiter of labels, is not the arbiter of who gets to qualify as a Muslim or not.
This is tricky ground because these are abstract labels applied to properties that are themselves often abstract concepts. But surely a person themself gets some degree of right to a label if they profess to being that label?
Especially if that person is arguably enacting some diktats from the core holy book.
Now, Burnham is right, potentially, in saying that Abedi does not represent the Muslim community, if that is calculated on proportions.
He will represent some aspect of the community, some members, some subgroup(s), no doubt, but not everybody, and not over 50%.
So, yes, we do not want to tar a community with the same brush, especially if it harms social cohesion and makes matters worse. But, on the other hand, we don’t want to shy away from difficult conversations that may be necessary to finding some solution to these issues.
Islam is having
an existential crisis; or, if it’s not, it should be."
More at link. Fabulous read.
Mayor of Manchester, Burnham: Abedi "not a Muslim"