philosoraptor42 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
philosoraptor42) wrote2009-08-02 08:38 pm
philosoraptor42) wrote2009-08-02 08:38 pm
Entry tags:
Multiculturalism VS Pat Condell
Well, I had quite a treat upon returning from my holiday abroad. Not only was the internet back up when I got back, but Pat Condell had released another video. Not just any video, but a direct response to the people (like myself) who found his previous video racist. Far from feeling shamed by his latest outburst, I feel thoroughly vindicated.
Apparently opponents of his last video consist in:
"The multicultural appeasement lobby"
"The enlightened liberal intelligentsia"
Those "motivated by a deep irrational hatred of America" (sheesh, where did that one come from?
Those with "politically correct double standards"
"Ultra-tolerant, self-hating, multicultural lemmings"
Apparently it's causing "people with liberal values to actively despise the word 'liberal'". By "people" he clearly means "Pat Condell". I've got news for you mate: The reason you aren't fitting in very well with the liberals on this matter is quite simply because, on this matter at least, you aren't liberal! Sorry Pat...
"So where does this leave me now? Does it leave me on right? No, because that's the last place I want to be."
Pat, if you start spouting BNP/Daily Mail-esque anti-immigration rhetoric then, regardless of where you want to be, you are now on the right. That's all there is to it.
"My natural constituency has been poisoned by people like you and I can't tell you how much I resent that."
Okay, well in case anyone's confused by the video, Pat Condell is even clearer in an interview he links to on his youtube page. Here's his stance on the BNP:
Q: What do you think about the recent gains of the BNP (British National Party) in by-elections and in the polls?
A: I believe the BNP is a racist party, and therefore I don't support them. They're getting more support now because the mainstream parties have consistently ignored people's legitimate concerns about multiculturalism, and many people feel they've been left with no choice but to vote for them. If politicians listened to what people actually want, the BNP would be nothing.
Asides from "multiculturalism", there's another phrase Condell keeps using in that interview and that's this:
The Islamification of Europe.
Um... what?
What the heck is the Islamification of Europe? Does it mean that Muslims have more political control? Well, um... no not really. Does it mean that Islam is a dominant ideology in Europe? Well... no, not that either.
What it seems to mean is simply that more people in Europe are Muslims. In short it's the same anti-immigration sentiment I'd always worried that Condell was voicing. This serves to explain why Condell is more interested in banning the burkha than helping women in oppressive Muslim families. The simple truth of the matter is that Condell doesn't care about oppressed Muslim women. He'd rather they weren't here at all.
What might initially appear to be his best argument for Islamic dominance in Europe would be the recent incorporation of Sharia courts into the British legal system. The problem with that argument is quite simple. Sharia courts are actually worse if they are independent and entirely disconnected from the British legal authorities. - Let me explain. Sharia courts have existed for a long time, but have only served as a suggestion to Muslim families as to what the Islamic position should be in cases of out of court civil settlements. Many Muslim families are keen to adhere to Islamic law and would take these rulings as law, regardless of whether they had any legal backing. Not only that, but many Muslim women actually seemed to prefer more conservative rulings which were biased in favour of men! The purpose of incorporating Sharia courts into the British legal system was to ensure that the rulings they were giving out were in line with British law. It was not to give such courts any greater authority.
Multi-culturalism is a great source of pride for Britain. It just means that people from all walks of life have chosen to live in the UK. However people like Condell choose to take the arrival of these people with unfamiliar culture as a threat. However, his view that Europe is being "Islamified" is simply irrational. It's ironic that in the interview Condell decides to suggest that Christians are in league with Muslims against secularism, since Condell's comments actually remind me of one of the UKs most over-the-top fundamentalist Christians: Stephen Green. Here's what Stephen Green's group Christian Voice have to say about Muslims and what Stephen Green thinks is going to inevitably happen as a result of 'Islamification':
Now, I know some people might retort that "of course Condell would never say that Muslims are going to cause civil war in the UK", but seriously what else is he expecting? It seems quite clear to me that once Islamic influence got into a position to affect non-Muslims people would not stand for it. The only way that the UK is going to turn into an Islamic theocracy is if there's some kind of uprising. I don't know what is more irrational and paranoid: Thinking that the UK is going to enter into a civil war between Muslims and non-Muslims or thinking that the UK is going to randomly turn into an Islamic theocracy out of the blue!
Interestingly, here's a video I found with an Australian Islamic comedian sending up exactly this kind of ridiculous sentiment. The video involves a Muslim calling himself "Uncle Sam" pretending to run for the job of mayor to set up a mini Islamic state within the town. "Uncle Sam" is satirising the reactions to the news that a new Islamic school is to built in the town. - Personally I'm not in support of faith schools, but once Christian schools are allowed, I'm damned if I can work out why Islamic ones cannot be allowed too.
Enjoy! (Blooming enabling disabled - grr!)
And there's a second part too which gets more to the point.
Apparently opponents of his last video consist in:
"The multicultural appeasement lobby"
"The enlightened liberal intelligentsia"
Those "motivated by a deep irrational hatred of America" (sheesh, where did that one come from?
Those with "politically correct double standards"
"Ultra-tolerant, self-hating, multicultural lemmings"
Apparently it's causing "people with liberal values to actively despise the word 'liberal'". By "people" he clearly means "Pat Condell". I've got news for you mate: The reason you aren't fitting in very well with the liberals on this matter is quite simply because, on this matter at least, you aren't liberal! Sorry Pat...
"So where does this leave me now? Does it leave me on right? No, because that's the last place I want to be."
Pat, if you start spouting BNP/Daily Mail-esque anti-immigration rhetoric then, regardless of where you want to be, you are now on the right. That's all there is to it.
"My natural constituency has been poisoned by people like you and I can't tell you how much I resent that."
Okay, well in case anyone's confused by the video, Pat Condell is even clearer in an interview he links to on his youtube page. Here's his stance on the BNP:
Q: What do you think about the recent gains of the BNP (British National Party) in by-elections and in the polls?
A: I believe the BNP is a racist party, and therefore I don't support them. They're getting more support now because the mainstream parties have consistently ignored people's legitimate concerns about multiculturalism, and many people feel they've been left with no choice but to vote for them. If politicians listened to what people actually want, the BNP would be nothing.
Asides from "multiculturalism", there's another phrase Condell keeps using in that interview and that's this:
The Islamification of Europe.
Um... what?
What the heck is the Islamification of Europe? Does it mean that Muslims have more political control? Well, um... no not really. Does it mean that Islam is a dominant ideology in Europe? Well... no, not that either.
What it seems to mean is simply that more people in Europe are Muslims. In short it's the same anti-immigration sentiment I'd always worried that Condell was voicing. This serves to explain why Condell is more interested in banning the burkha than helping women in oppressive Muslim families. The simple truth of the matter is that Condell doesn't care about oppressed Muslim women. He'd rather they weren't here at all.
What might initially appear to be his best argument for Islamic dominance in Europe would be the recent incorporation of Sharia courts into the British legal system. The problem with that argument is quite simple. Sharia courts are actually worse if they are independent and entirely disconnected from the British legal authorities. - Let me explain. Sharia courts have existed for a long time, but have only served as a suggestion to Muslim families as to what the Islamic position should be in cases of out of court civil settlements. Many Muslim families are keen to adhere to Islamic law and would take these rulings as law, regardless of whether they had any legal backing. Not only that, but many Muslim women actually seemed to prefer more conservative rulings which were biased in favour of men! The purpose of incorporating Sharia courts into the British legal system was to ensure that the rulings they were giving out were in line with British law. It was not to give such courts any greater authority.
Multi-culturalism is a great source of pride for Britain. It just means that people from all walks of life have chosen to live in the UK. However people like Condell choose to take the arrival of these people with unfamiliar culture as a threat. However, his view that Europe is being "Islamified" is simply irrational. It's ironic that in the interview Condell decides to suggest that Christians are in league with Muslims against secularism, since Condell's comments actually remind me of one of the UKs most over-the-top fundamentalist Christians: Stephen Green. Here's what Stephen Green's group Christian Voice have to say about Muslims and what Stephen Green thinks is going to inevitably happen as a result of 'Islamification':
Now, I know some people might retort that "of course Condell would never say that Muslims are going to cause civil war in the UK", but seriously what else is he expecting? It seems quite clear to me that once Islamic influence got into a position to affect non-Muslims people would not stand for it. The only way that the UK is going to turn into an Islamic theocracy is if there's some kind of uprising. I don't know what is more irrational and paranoid: Thinking that the UK is going to enter into a civil war between Muslims and non-Muslims or thinking that the UK is going to randomly turn into an Islamic theocracy out of the blue!
Interestingly, here's a video I found with an Australian Islamic comedian sending up exactly this kind of ridiculous sentiment. The video involves a Muslim calling himself "Uncle Sam" pretending to run for the job of mayor to set up a mini Islamic state within the town. "Uncle Sam" is satirising the reactions to the news that a new Islamic school is to built in the town. - Personally I'm not in support of faith schools, but once Christian schools are allowed, I'm damned if I can work out why Islamic ones cannot be allowed too.
Enjoy! (Blooming enabling disabled - grr!)
And there's a second part too which gets more to the point.