"...their obvious awareness that an English person (as they would probably call me) might well think of Islam as being anything but peaceful. True enough, they were cocky. Yet behind the front lay a defensiveness that all Muslims must surely feel...." -- from this nauseating article by Dave Hill
What a perfect mixture of sentimental gush and self-regard is this presentation of these young Muslims who are not the charming and pitiable young boys Dave Hill seems to think they are. But the hero of the tale is the teller, congratulating himself for his large-heartedness, his capacious sympathy.
What is the point of the tale? It is that Muslim teenagers, pretending to collect "money for Ramadan," arrive, four at once, knocking on the doors of non-Muslims, and essentially trying to extort money for themselves. They do so not with express but always with implied threats -- for threats need not be stated, but will be assumed by many when four teenage males knock at your door asking for money for any reason. That they made up the ridiculous story of collecting money for Ramadan might have led someone else, but not Dave Hill, to wonder about "Muslim charity" and why Muslims never contribute to non-Muslim causes.
Hill might even have looked in Al-Qaradawi's guide to what is Haram and what Halal to find out that Muslims are not supposed to offer non-Muslims any greetings on non-Muslim holidays -- though some rules can be broken, apparently, where it is necessary to shore up the position of Islam. In case of need, it is all right because Jihad is war, and "war is deception," and everything that needs to be done to strengthen the position of Islam can, therefore, be justified. Thus Al-Qaeda members could shave their beards, or even drink at strip joints. Dave Hill might have taken a quick look at Al-Qaradawi’s guide.
But instead Dave Hill offered us only large-hearted sympathy -- his large heart, his sympathy. That sympathy apparently did not extend to others who might have been similarly shaken down by these four Muslim "boys." He might have wondered what effect they would have had on an old-age pensioner, male or female, opening the door at night to four teenage Muslims asking for money. (Asking? Or is the implied threat of doing something if the money is not forthcoming so obvious as to make the "asking" really a "demanding"?) He might have imagined this pensioner either fearfully surrendering money, or fearfully denying it, shutting the door, and wondering what would then happen, if not that very night, then on another night. No, none of that for Dave Hill.
The moral Dave Hill drew from his willingness to have five pounds taken from him? The moral he finds in five teenage Muslims with a preposterous story -- who should have been told, "At Ramadan money is not collected" and "You don't collect from non-Muslims for Ramadan, period" or "Come back at Hallowe'en in costume and then there will be treats for all those participating”? That he had improved these young men’s view of the Infidel.
Yes, one can imagine those reading the story and thinking to themselves something like -- oh, how sad. How telling. These young boys (all of a sudden they become "young boys" in that kind of mind, with that incipient mustache, that delicate fluff, so carefully referred to, merely adding to the empathy), those "poor young Muslim boys" who "want so much to be part of our society, who wish they could participate in some way, wish they could truly trick or treat" but "they can't." Why can't they? Because Muslims must not take part in, must not even recognize, any non-Muslim holidays, and indeed, in some school districts, in order "not to offend" a handful of Muslims, hundreds of children have now been deprived, in each case, of the traditional Hallowe'en costume display (google for examples).
Hill appeals to our sentiment of pity. He wants us to feel how sad it must be for these "young boys." He wants us to think that behind their "cocky" money-demanding front, they were merely good lads -- so unlike all the other boys who come, four in number, and knock on your door and ask for money for entirely phony reasons, and who, in their numbers, might so obviously be seen as threatening (threatening, for example, in what they might do to your car, or your house, that night or another night, if you were to refuse them).
So while he, Dave Hill, sees beyond their behavior that did not require explicit threats to be taken as threatening to what in his view was a "defensiveness that all Muslims must surely feel,” intelligent readers will see something else. Four boys, a knock on the door at night -- a "defensiveness that all Muslims must surely feel”? “Surely"? "Surely" only if Muslims have the same worldview as the craven Dave Hillses of this world. We see a man who was afraid to say no but who pretends to himself that it was not fear, but rather genuine sympathetic curiosity. He reassures us and presents himself as a superior moral being who, in this cruel age of stereotypes (about Muslims, bien entendu) and a refusal to simply "see each other as human beings" (or some such twaddle that ignores the belief-system of Islam), manages to transcend those mental barriers that some non-Muslims have thrown up. Hands across the table. All gods chillun. The gush of bomboggery (brotherhood of man, fatherhood of god) dangerously misapplied.
Dave Hill sees through -- he thinks -- what he thinks is their hollow bravado to the tender and wounded Muslim souls beneath, and "that defensiveness that surely all Muslims must feel." Is he crazy? Surely they don't. Look around the world. Look at Muslims on the march everywhere, attacking Buddhists here, Hindus there, setting off bombs in undergrounds in London and Madrid, assassinating political figures and moviemakers and threatening to murder still other political figures, and cartoonists, and writers, and publishers, and translators, and the Pope, and anyone else who does not parrot the Muslim view of Muhammad, of the Qur'an of the Hadith, of Islam. Look at Muslims especially in England -- from the official Muslim organizations constantly making demands and laying the blame for Muslim violence on the government and non-Muslims to the huge percentages of Muslims who openly declare that they would never collaborate with the police or that they support terrorist acts against non-Muslims. Others admire the London bombers. Still others, including all of the leaders of all of the major Muslim groups, that have consistently engaged not in self-criticism but in menacing verbal attacks on England, on its security services, on its foreign policies, on its everything -- implying that millions of Muslims could "be radicalized" if their demands are not meant. "Defensiveness"? What "defensiveness"? Yet this brain-damaged Hill draws the conclusion that "surely all Muslims must feel" a "defensiveness" that he detects in these youthful practitioners of extortion.
The real story here being told is not that of Dave Hill as a superior moral being, capable of unusual and admirable empathy. It is rather the story revealed unwittingly by Dave Hill, the story of how he came to possess not a mind, but a bowl full of mush. And how that bowl-full-of-mush-of-a-mind endangers him, about whom we need not care, but also endangers the rest of us, who deserve not to be endangered by the dimwitted and ignorant among us. Yes, a bowl full of mush. But with no old lady, or any lady at all -- let alone Britannia herself --nearby, whispering "hush!"
Goodnight, Moon. Goodnight, cows jumping over the moon. And Goodnight, Great Britain. It was swell while it lasted.
Dave Hill is a clueless idiot. If all of Britain thought like this moron does Britain would now appear only in history books. I'm sure there are enough people there who will overcome the Dave Hills and the Islamaniacs to keep Britain going for a long time to come. Let's hope they select some wise leadership to continue the fight.
What a digusting pusillanimous punk .I would not feel safe as his "life partner" or his rear end.
For his sake I hope their demands don't escalate and the extortion doesn't escalate. The next group of boyz at the door may not be satisfied with a 5 pound note and they may demand 'protection' money as did their Example for All Times, Mohammed. They'd only be following the command of allah after all:
9.29. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya [protection money] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
If some Asian 'utes demanded [protection money] they couldn't be punished - they are merely practicising their religion and following the literal words of allah.
I hope it works out for you Dave Hill.
Hugh,
I was thinking pretty much what you posted when I read Dave Hill's amazingly insipid and clueless article. The utter ignorance of what Islam is all about, his willingness to apply the same motives and emotions he feels to people who consider them a sign of weakness and his feeling superior because he's so sensitive. He probably can't imagine the laughter among those boys at the stupid, clueless Infidel they just scammed for 5 pounds.
Sadly, there are many Dave Hills in the US too, just waiting to show the Muslims how kind Infidels can be thinking they will respond in kind. Those people are really in for a rude awakening some day.
Having read his entire article, I think Dave Hill is just another person clueless about Islam. No doubt he lumps it together with Hinduism and Buddhism as just another interesting Eastern religion. No doubt he believes that most Muslims are "moderate Muslims" following a "religion of peace." And just a few marginalized youths are misinterpreting Islam and becoming radicalized. No doubt he sees this as an interesting example of a cross-cultural exchange. While he questions some of the appropriateness or the youths actions, no doubt he thinks that it is just an unfamiliarity with British etiquette. Had this happened to me 5 or 10 years ago, I would have had a reaction similar to Dave Hill's.
We cannot afford to have journalists that remain clueless about Islam. In the comments his article received on the website where it was posted, a few people did try to clue him in. A lot of dhimmidiots posted comments too: ...in this world-gone-bonkers, people who are not only kind and full of hope, but try actively to infect others with their kindness and hope. Kindness and hope will warm Neville Chamberlain's heart, but it won't keep Poland from being invaded.
Reciprocity only works with opponents - not enemies.
Now Hugh, that's not the spirit.
In such a situation you really need to ask yourself "What would William do?" in much the same way that you might say to me "What would Harold do?"
Although on second thoughts, we'd probably be locked up if we did what William would have done, so at the moment that's probably not such a good idea.
"And Goodnight, Great Britain. It was swell while it lasted."
Very provocative, but Dave Hill, thank goodness, is not Great Britain, still less England.
"But the hero of the tale is the teller, congratulating himself for his large-heartedness, his capacious sympathy. "
exactly. All the multi-culti fanatics have just one thing in mind. THE SENTENCE ABOVE.
The multi-culti fanatics would sell their mother to raise money for the next charity to prove they are so much better than the rest.
Idiotic anal orifice that white guy. What a freaking idiot! No wonder the UK is screwed with that kind of lenient "multiculti" attitude. I like that "Asian boys." What the freaking hell is "Asian boys?" Are they Chinese, Japanese? It's like the "youts" (or is it "utes") that had that Ramadam rampage yesteryear in la belle France. Never call a Moslem by his name. I know the guy did, after he spotted the religious headgear and the back-and-forth banter with these "Asian boys." And he gave 'em, what is it? A Fiver. (Five Quid?) For a new mosque. Happy multi-culti donkey brain. Bedazzled by minarets and golden domes. Ah the lure of the Orient! These "Asian boys" will be running Great Britain (no longer so great) from mosques like the one he just help finance.
Self congratulatory idiots like David Hill make it more difficult for people like me who want to keep our fivers (and everything else).
To paraphrase Bernard Goetz, "Why yes, I have 5 pounds for EACH of you....."
"In case of need, it is all right because Jihad is war, and "war is deception," and everything that needs to be done to strengthen the position of Islam can, therefore, be justified. Thus Al-Qaeda members could shave their beards, or even drink at strip joints. Dave Hill might have taken a quick look at Al-Qaradawi’s guide.
Posted by Hugh
No wonder some of them are so eager to wage Jihad. It's the perfect excuse for indulging in the western decadence they're supposed to hate so much.
I'm fascinated by the reference to "Asian youth" by the British media when they apparently mean muslim youth. Here in Australia Asian means Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. It does not mean Pakistanis, Saudi Arabians, those from Iran, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries. Can someone please explain??
This pathetic tale told by Mr. Hill is actually a fine metaphor for the behavior of Islam throughout the Ages --a monstrous tale of
"Trick or Treat" perpetrated on believers and non-believers alike.
Knock,knock: Convert or die
Knock,knock: Recant or die
Knock,knock: Wear the hijab or die
Knock,knock: Pay the jizyah or die
Knock,knock: Respect the Prophet or die
Manipulators, power-mongers and con men who have no remorse and no conscience can sniff out a good victim. They reel out their predatory lines and a victim will take the bait.
I, Mr. Hill am not buying your feeble wares and I'm now slamming the door in your face and the face of Islam.
Cathkins, I can only guess that "My Cousin Vinny" made it to Australia. When I see "youths" in print, I am reminded of Joe Pesci saying "youts." Makes me smile.
In America "Asian youts" means the same. I cannot explain. I don't even know why the trunk of my car is a boot and the hood is a bonnet or why a condom is a "little Johnnie."
Hugh - That was powerful. Thank you.
Cathkins - It's the same in Canada. Asian is what we used to call Oriental. Muslim isn't a race, so we say Iraqi (sp?), Iranian, British, etc.
Aren't we all supposed to be "colour blind"? The term is so silly. When my child was young she noticed that other people had different skin colours and it wasn't a bad thing. It's like having different hair or eye colour. But we're not supposed to admit that we see that other people might have a different skin colour. Until sunscreen was available, and I found out I could freckle and tan with an SPF of 35, I was the whitest person I'd ever met, so everyone I met was a different colour than me.
Pelayo - Or why the English say "fringes" for "bangs". (I don't know what Americans call them.)
I lived in Bethnal green for a few years which is just next to Dave Hills "deepest Hackney". Both Bethnal Green and Hackney are rough, in one of the most impoverished boroughs in Britain, Tower Hamlets. The area is close to Brick Lane and the whitechapel mosque. It was not unusual to see Islamist posters or Islamists openly hawking extremist literature, particularly up on the high street at whitechapel on the weekends.
The areas proximity to the City of London and relative affordability means the naive Dave Hills of the world can actually afford to live there. Based on my own experiences in the area, I will not be suprised in the slightest if I hear of "youths" stabbing Dave Hill to death. A flatmate of mine almost met that very fate, after being accosted by knife wielding "youths" at our front door late one evening. My own experience with knife wielding "youths" on Bethnal Green high street went somewhat better, in that I escaped the mugging, however it left an understandably sour taste in my mouth.
People like Dave Hill are just useful idiots. He and his ilk are the bleeding hearts who have a false view of Muslisms and Islamists. They want to live in a make-believe world that everything is honkey-dorey and that if they do such maganmoinious acts that they will never be touched by the violent bloodshed that is to come.
However, by the time the bleeding hearts realise that they have been wrong about Islam, it will be too late for them. They might be lucky to end up in a prison cell. On the other hand they will probably end up without a hand on one side and a leg on the other.
‘Goodnight, Great Britain -- it was swell while it lasted’
JFGR may have said it more politely (this comment is ‘provocative’) , but I say, this condescending, inaccurate caricature of the UK does more harm than good. If the purpose of this site is to generate more support for anti-radical Islamic movements, why alienate a portion of your supporters with comments like these?
Wouldn’t it be more constructive to talk about the fact that dhimmi articles like the one you quote need to be counter-attacked? At the moment the UK Government is pushing to start a debate on the role/boundaries of Islam in the UK, and this is a very good opportunity to sweep up popular discontent and focus it to anti-radical islam initiatives.
Now this is Dhimmi watch, and as such it is your role to point out submissive responses to Islam….but how about making ‘anti-radical islam watch’, so we could see who is doing what, and join in?
"They want to live in a make-believe world that everything is honkey-dorey . . . "
Slang dic says it's "Hunky-dory." I'm pretty sure "honkey-dorey" is a clueless white guy in a boat.
"Goodnight, Great Britain -- it was swell while it lasted" -- posted by Hugh.
"this condescending, inaccurate caricature of the UK does more harm than good" -- posted by protectalbion.
It is natural for those of us from the UK to want to stand up for our country but the reality of what is happening in the UK is alarming. There are indeed many opposing this dhimmitude / Islamization but unfortunately it is becoming deeply ingrained in the education system, the media, local and national government and virtually every other institution. Great Britain is not quite lost yet but I think Hugh definitely has the measure of things to come.
@protectalbion - in answer to your proposal:
"but how about making ‘anti-radical islam watch’, so we could see who is doing what, and join in? "
Try looking at the links at the top of the page (hint: Jihad Watch)
protectalbion said:
"Now this is Dhimmi watch, and as such it is your role to point out submissive responses to Islam….but how about making ‘anti-radical islam watch’, so we could see who is doing what, and join in?"
Sounds a good idea to me. I'm not as pessimistic about GB as some on this site. For one thing, there are signs that even the left in Britain is waking up to what is at stake -- see for example, Nick Cohen in the Observer, David Aaronovitch in the Times, Martin Bright in the New Statesman, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cohen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Aaronovitch
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/martin_bright/
And then there are people like Melanie Phillips, Michael Gove, the philosopher Roger Scruton and others:
http://www.melaniephillips.com/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8802-2240635,00.html
http://www.rogerscruton.com/
Even Jack Straw seems to be waking up!
I used to work at a bakery, and every night we would give away the left overs to local religious centers and food pantries. We had an interesting mix: 4 Christian churches, some of whom ran soup kitchens out of their facilities, a Synagogue, and a Mosque. Five of those groups served people outside their own congregations. Only the Mosque used our donation for only their "constituents." I know because I made it a point to talk to every pick up person as we loaded their vans.
Several years ago, I had just returned from skeet shooting, and was cleaning my shotgun when there was a knock at the door. It was a ute from out of the area seeking donations for some "organization". One glance at the 12 gauge draped over my arm ,and, sales pitch forgotten, he was headed double-time down the walk to the street.
I read the article and nearly puked. There are plenty of high-minded do-gooders like his ilk in our country, creating the mess we'll face shortly from rampant illegal immigration and political correctness. Here's what those "Asian" youths learned: WITH IDIOTS LIKE HIM AROUND, WE'LL EASILY FLY THE BLACK FLAG OF ISLAM OVER WESTMINSTER!
I also wonder what other "Asians" of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ancestry think when they read the articles in the British press detailing the problems in the "Asian" communities there.
I read the article and nearly puked. There are plenty of high-minded do-gooders like his ilk in our country, creating the mess we'll face shortly from rampant illegal immigration and political correctness. Here's what those "Asian" youths learned: WITH IDIOTS LIKE HIM AROUND, WE'LL EASILY FLY THE BLACK FLAG OF ISLAM OVER WESTMINSTER!
I also wonder what other "Asians" of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ancestry think when they read the articles in the British press detailing the problems in the "Asian" communities there.
The last sentence -- "Good Night, Great Britain, it was swell while it lasted" -- is monitory and meant to shock, and certainly not intended to be, as one poster may have thought it was, "condescending." A kind of gallows humor, offered both in sympathy and in fury. No condescension about it. Not a country in the Western world shall entirely 'scape whipping for its reaction to the menace of Islam. And no country in the Western world will esape being harmed should any other Western Infidel land succumb to Islam -- through Fast Jihad or Slow Jihad. It should not be wished on, nor predicted unfeelingly, as if it were a matter of indifference. The loss of Common Weal becomes a Common Woe.