I’m not saying immigration is inherently anything. If it is anything, it’s an economic tool. Tools aren’t inherently good or bad. You can use them In a good or bad way, though. What I’m saying is, this country (and many western ones not just us) has an increasingly aging population with a decades long low birthrate that needs support, it (the tool of immigration) is a requirement at this moment and whether you want people coming or not, doesn’t make you good or bad. It might Just make you short sighted.
What would make you bad is if you just want demonise people because they aren’t from round here. Which I’m sure you’re not doing.
I’m sorry but I have to point out the contradictory nature of the first paragraph. You say that the religious have no right to push those views onto others, yet you’ve admitted that nothing you can say (i.e pushing your apparent atheistic worldview) will sway (religious) people from that belief. People have in the past, are currently and will in the future change their position from religious to atheist and vice versa. I 100% agree that any religion should not be protected from critique or criticism and that is why healthy and respectful debate in this area is so important. That’s why the use of “sky fairy” to me appears to be arrogant and condescending to wards those of faith.
I can’t really speak for Erroll but what we agnostics / atheists usually mean when we say that the religious should not be able to push their views on others is that we shouldn’t be forced to act in accordance with their beliefs. An example would be banning all abortion without exception because of the belief that life begins at conception. “Impose” might have been a better choice of words than “push”. People are allowed to try to persuade me as much as they like.
No one can legitimately hold a view that they dont want any more immigrants coming to the country. It just means what they feel are bad immigrants. Or you dont want footballers, businessman, doctors or people meeting their rights to reside
I deal with FOIs at work, many about homeless applications from immigrants. When queried no one wants the Ukrainians, surprisingly.
A helpful point @Oakwood_Exile. A truly liberal society has freedom of expression and freedom of belief at its heart with provisions made for those of differing views, such as with the example you gave. I do feel there is a myth that it is just the religious imposing their views on others, for example if you look at those trying to ban religious assemblies in schools. Humanists, Sikhs, Christians and various other religious figures should be able to visit any type of school IMHO and be quizzed on their views for people to be informed (just look at all the hatred in the world) and to make up their own minds.
So is your problem here that you don’t think Islamophobia exists, that it’s impossible to define, or that the government shouldn’t do anything to address it?
me too, though I really do not understand what they are on about when they come and chatter at me; except when their food bowls are empty, I recognise that plaintive mewl. I would also add that they are useless at cleaning up after themselves - a bit like many adolescents.
Islamophobia is far from the exclusive province of right wing white people.
A few years ago, before I moved into law, my job was surveying people’s houses and quoting them for new boilers / central heating systems, in an area of north west London.
There was a significan number of families of Asian origin living there, with around 40% being Hindu, 40% Muslim, and 20% Sikh.
Almost without exception, the Hindu and Sikh people were vehemently anti-Muslim, to a greater extent than any right wing politician. They blamed the Muslim community for giving asians generally a bad name, and creating the conditions for racism amongst the general population.
My personal experience was that almost all Hindu and Sikh households made me very welcome, with offers of tea and coffee, and even a share of their evening meal if the job was running late. In most muslim households, I was lucky if I got a glass of water.
Fuck me. Have you thought about telling the UN this bit of information?
They have been scratching their collective heads over the reasons for conflicts since the partitioning of India.
(I think this little revelation was new only to you. Wait to you hear about the caste systems and the divisions that causes from within the same religions)