Al-Rahma Islamic Centre destroyed in 'racist attack'

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22785074

Al-Rahma Islamic Centre destroyed in 'racist attack'

An Islamic centre in north London has been destroyed by a fire in an apparent racially motivated attack.

The Met Police said the fire, which happened at the Al-Rahma Islamic Centre in Muswell Hill in the early hours, is being treated as suspicious.

A spokesman said the letters EDL (English Defence League) were sprayed on to the building, used by the Somali Bravanese Welfare Association.

London Mayor Boris Johnson called the attack "cowardly and pathetic".

The Met's Counter Terrorism Command are investigating the cause of the fire on Coppetts Road.

BBC London correspondent Kurt Barling, who is at the scene, said the centre's leaders had told him they had seen freshly sprayed racist graffiti on the building and they were concerned the fire was in reaction to the killing of a soldier in Woolwich. Two men have been charged in connection with the attack.

Abubakar Ali, from the centre, said: "The Somali community is in fear.

"We are all shocked about what has happened and we strongly condemn the attack on the centre. As you can see, the situation is a very serious one indeed.

(continued, it's starting....the end?)

[Audley Strange]

I predict an humid and therefore ugly summer.

[Coito ergo sum]

Where are the calls for police and public not to jump to conclusions? This may not have been a racist attack. Maybe the scrawled EDL lettering was from a prior graffiti incident.

And, I think we need a heavy dose of public commentary about how "Not all English people are terrorists or arsonists." We need to make the Muslim community aware that not all English people hate them and they're not all violent. There is a great risk here that Muslims will tar English or westerners at-large with a broad brush here, and that is the main thing we want to avoid. Isn't it?

This ought to be characterized as an isolated incident by lone actors who were not motivated by any "ism" -- and these cowardly criminals will be arrested and prosecuted. Suggesting that everyone who supports the English Defense League is a racist is just bigotry anyway. While some English Defense Leaguers are extremists, the vast majority of them are law abiding, peaceful citizens.

[camoguard]

Frequently, we don't discuss the empowered groups. In this case in England, it's the white English. You only need to subdivide the good minorities from the bad minorities. Majorities are assumed to be heterogenous in terms of law abiding behavior because they constitute a significant portion of the legal professionals and the criminals. Plus, what does it matter what minorities think of majorities? That's called privilege. Why have it and not use it here?

(Warning: less than 100% serious)

[cronus]

Today I am very pleased not to be Somalian in London.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I predict an humid and therefore ugly summer.

Does it ever get hot enough there for water to evaporate?

[Audley Strange]

I predict an humid and therefore ugly summer.

Does it ever get hot enough there for water to evaporate?

Once every decade or so, yes, usually when the sun starts flaring right up in one of it's cycles.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I predict an humid and therefore ugly summer.

Does it ever get hot enough there for water to evaporate?

Once every decade or so, yes, usually when the sun starts flaring right up in one of it's cycles.

I would have thought the ice giants would be gone if that happened.

[Robert_S]

Majorities are assumed to be heterogenous

There makin' assumptions? That so prejudiced.

[Pappa]

I see Islam is a "race" again.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Hate the religion: not the religious.

[Robert_S]

I see Islam is a "race" again.

It is, to a certain extent, am incidental but not intrinsic and not very reliable racial marker. Like being a rapper.or country music singer it's associated with race.

If the city council gives an abnormally hard time to the guys wanting to open up a hip hop store downtown, it's not a huge leap to suspect that there's a racial factor at work.

So, yeah, ya want to be careful about making sure you're clearly understood when you criticise Islam.

[Coito ergo sum]

I see Islam is a "race" again.

It is, to a certain extent,

utter nonsense. Muslims are mostly southeast asian -- like Indonesian and such. A good bulk are Arab. Many are Persian. A whole host are Indian, etc. -- Islam is a religion. One can convert to it. It's a belief system. It's as much a race as Existentialism.

. am incidental but not intrinsic and not very reliable racial marker.

It isn't a racial marker at all.

Like being a rapper.or country music singer it's associated with race.

Yes, it is as much racial as "being a rapper" or being a country music singer -- i.e. - it's not at all racial.

If the city council gives an abnormally hard time to the guys wanting to open up a hip hop store downtown, it's not a huge leap to suspect that there's a racial factor at work.

So, yeah, ya want to be careful about making sure you're clearly understood when you criticise Islam.

Fuck Islam, it's a disgusting belief system with absolutely no redeeming qualities. It is misogynistic, homophobic, intolerant, ethnocentric, xenophobic, cult-like, superstitious, and is replete with hateful rhetoric even in its moderate forms. It is an ancient, outdated, outmoded, antiquated belief system which is a piss poor moral guide and is as likely as not to inspire bad conduct as it is to inspire good conduct. Allah is perhaps the most disagreeable character in all fiction. He is, in addition to what I have already listed, depicted as angry, jealous, meanspirited, homicidal, and warmongering. The world would be a better place without Islam and every Muslim would do the world a favor by leaving the faith. It is an awful, awful thing.

That ought to be clear enough.

[camoguard]

But not before fucking Christian identified politicians.

[Rum]

Wherever your average Mullah comes from he has to work out how to implement or interpret Chapter 9 of the Koran.