I am delighted by the apparent sea-change in media opinion on the treatment of refugees, but concerned that in modern society compassion only seems able to operate in a wave of emotional hysteria rather than as a fundamental, underlying everyday principle. There is also a danger that those arriving in the Mediterranean and Balkans are viewed, quite wrongly, as in some way different from those in the awful camps at Calais, who have been demonised all summer, reaching its peak when a child being killed by a train led to vicious media headlines about delays to British passengers.
Cameron and May’s apparent willingness to budge at least minimally in admitting more from Syria must be matched by a willingness to admit those from the Calais camps who are genuine refugees. I still have a home in Ramsgate from which you can actually see France. I for one am willing to make accommodation available at no charge to help out in the crisis.
These are troubling times. In London the National Youth Centre has cancelled a play, Homegrown, which explored Islamic radicalism, because it had an “extremist agenda”. By this they mean that it did what it was meant to, it explored the reasons that attract young people to terrorism including a revulsion at western foreign policy and the alienation from society of urban youth in a society that values materialism above all but increasingly restricts access to prosperity and choice. These are precisely the issues that modern playwrights ought to be considering, if they are worth anything.
However it goes against the government’s insistence that radicalisation is nothing whatsoever to do with our invasions and bombings of Muslim countries or the huge and burgeoning wealth gap in our society. We are supposed to view terrorism as a spontaneous outbreak of pure evil, for no reason. So the play was cancelled, after consultations between the National Youth Theatre and the Metropolitan Police. When you have the police deciding on the content of plays, you really are on the road to being a fascist state: we already have the police involved in what can be said in universities under the government’s definitively illiberal Prevent strategy.
Just as there is still no official admission that our invasions and bombings greatly boosted terrorist organisations, so there is still no official admission that the wave of terror and destruction we helped unleash on the Middle East, either by direct invasions or bombings or by proxy, by funding and through the Gulf States, is the root cause of much of the refugee crisis. It is good we are moving a tiny way towards helping. We should do very much more. And acknowledgement of our own culpability in the crisis should be an essential part of a new attitude.
Peter Oborne is in Damascus.
The only way to stem this tide is to stop our Middle East meddling: In a haunting dispatch from Syria, PETER OBORNE reveals the real reason the refugees keep coming
5 September 2015
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3223044/The-way-stem-tide-stop-Middle-East-meddling-haunting-dispatch-Syria-PETER-OBORNE-reveals-real-reason-refugees-coming.html
@Mary “Peter Oborne is in Damascus”
I find it amazing that it takes so long for the media to voice the reason for
the refugees. They must have brain cells made of concrete.
@Alcyone
Not really give me a clue. I’m a more David Bohm Holographic multi-verse time travelling man myself.
My friend Rapunzel M.A.P puts it in a nutshell.
https://myspace.com/rapunzelmap/music/song/hologram-girl-25172404-24973589
Mary
06/09/2015 9:50am
Dave Lawton
06/09/2015 10:00am
Extracted from Peter Oborne’s report:
“George W Bush and Tony Blair’s misguided intervention has led to a torrent of genocide in the region, first inflicted by Al Qaeda in Iraq and now taken forward with the rise of ISIS.
ISIS has taken full advantage of the collapse of government created by the chaos in Iraq to wage their bestial war against the Syrian people. Much of Iraq and Syria has already been turned into war zones. It is becoming increasingly likely that Lebanon, Egypt and other major states in the region will suffer exactly the same fate.”
“There is no question that David Cameron and President Sarkozy of France acted from the best of motives when they ordered bombing raids on Gaddafi forces. But the fall of the Gaddafi regime had consequences that the British Prime Minister palpably failed to see. Libya has now turned into an ungoverned space dominated by war lords and jihadist groups including ISIS.”
And guess what Osborne, and Hollande, and Carey are proposing as a solution to these lamentable consequences?
MORE BOMBS!!!!
Kind regards,
John
Snowden said that as he became increasingly exposed to top secret material, he noted that the statements offered on a number of issues by the US establishment were not “simply untrue” but raised questions as to how the US was “interpreting the law.”
“And this is fundamentally dangerous. It is about more than just surveillance, I think. It is about democracy. It is about the relationship between the governed and the governing,” Snowden said.
https://youtu.be/q0Ql0t4YBxY
Still no word from Mary about the Middle East, with its massive wealth and agreeable culture, absorbing the refugees. Apparently, only western countries are obliged to take in those fleeing Islamic violence. Puzzling logic there. And by making such demands of Europe, she does the EU’s work of putting pressure on public opinion thereby bringing about something she will later decry – popular acceptance of a Syrian invasion and installation of a west-friendly client regime. Well done, Mary.
“But the fall of the Gaddafi regime had consequences that the British Prime Minister palpably failed to see.”
A common theme in Europe and on this blog – failure to see, and accept responsibility for, the consequences of one’s actions. The mantra is “Act first, think later, take credit or blame someone else.”
John Spencer Davis 1.10am
Thank-you for your comment. I am bewildered by some of the comments here. Some plain English wouldn’t go amiss or do some people, perhaps to make up for a disappointing academic record, enjoy writing unintelligible tosh in the hope they sound cleverer than they are.
In the meantime I would be grateful for advice on bringing my sister-in-law and her two children to live with us. Are you there Craig? You did offer your house so I’m hoping you can give some advice on the procedure.
Jemand —Are you trying to be obtuse ? All those wealthy Middle Eastern countries are the ones conspiring to destroy Syria. Saudi is an Islamic State. They behead people there, women are not allowed to drive etc. Yet they are American allies. Our Royals are their buddies. People really need to wake up and look at evidence instead of trying to sound clever and push their own agendas.
Beth
06/09/2015 11:25am
I do not know anything about this, but possibly the Refugee Council can help. Their telephone number does not give out advice, but send them a message on their “Contact Us” page at the bottom explaining your circumstances and perhaps they can point you in the right direction.
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/contact
Kind regards,
John
“Syria too has been a focus of clandestine (US/UK/France/Saudi) and overt (Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, etc.) NATO attention form 2011 onwards.”
Strangely omitted from this list of culprits is Assad who actually did the bombing that drove out most of the refugees when Syrians objected to his regime in the Arab Spring, Putin who supplied most of the hardware, Iran who supplied further military backing and the terrorists of Hezbollah.
Those of us with memories remember how the usual suspects stood against humanitarian intervention when refugees fled Syria in their millions in the first place, denied the numbers who were leaving, turned a blind eye to Assad’s attacks on Palestinian refugees and attacked decnt humanitarian doctors who were seek to help. Now they think that they can make some cheap political capital out of the current crisis – they think that their past behaviour can be forgotten and they come scuttling of the sewers and worse that they occupy, thinking that we have all forgotten.
Just as Cameron pounced on this Aylan Kurdi opportunity to renew calls for a Syria bombing (that rifkinds sarin false flag could not muster), similarly we have jew Anon1 grabbing the opportunity to rabble rouse some islamophobia. No real concern from either about alleviating the refugee horror show at all just a selfish interest in their agenda. And a pikey freemason agreeing with the aussie gay, an Aylan lying face down on the beach is actually the Russians fault for supporting assad, to prevent gulf gas reaching Europe.
Classic – all three components, freemason,gay and zio, of the synagogue of satan at work, out in the open, plain for all to see.
Thanks John. I will do that. Best Wishes.
FYI – the assads for over 50 years now, have given Palestinians more rights and freedoms than ALL Arab nations combined, stupid ! And strangely omitted from your post (as you sadly lack of a sense of truth) is that Assad is the head of a legitimate government that is fighting against the devils,decapitators,cannibals and like, who would murder all that do not convert. Are you so stupid so as to think the Syrians would lie back and think of England when attacked by a band of sponsored Al-CIAda like what happened to gaddafy? Watching from the roof, your logic definately reminds me of the usual fiddlers like maxwell and madoff, are you one of them?
The NATO/CIA’s black-op, European terror operation, code-named Gladio, didn’t just fold up its tent when the Berlin wall came down and its alleged raison d’être (the threat of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe no longer existed), it went global.
habbabkuk, you need to update your English urban dictionary, we don’t say chump or twerp these days. You could also try answering one of the points I made?
Beth, don’t say bad things about muslim countries. That’s not nice as we all know that Islam is the innocent victim in this terrible turn of events.
Mary said “So much space. So little heart.” in reference to Australia’s failure to transport millions of refugees from Syria to the Simpson Desert where she imagines a Dubai-like oasis with empty hotels is being withheld from accomodating these people. Maybe she could help by putting up one or two in her home. And maybe the rest can be transported to the wind-swept moors of Scotland where there is plenty of heart and space. Any thoughts, Mary? As a devout Catholic, do you think your wealthy Church could provide some much needed finance to assist with this noble mission?
Syrian War-Islamic State (ISIS) Creation Timeline
Interested Observer
Unlike you I am not so racist as to believe that ordinary Syrians do not have the intelligence to want something other than Assad or ISIS in charge of their country. It is possible for ordinary intelligent people to not want either of those disgusting choices as they made abundantly clear in the Arab Spring.
BBC Radio 4 Sunday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b068s44k#play
‘The chief rabbi, the cardinal and the pope; Bonhoeffer; assisted dying.
Edward (Stourton) speaks to the archbishop of Vienna, cardinal Christoph Schonborn about the migrant crisis in Europe.
In the second part of the series exploring the work of individuals who have devoted themselves to working for others of different faiths in their communities, there is a profile of Bradford Pentecostal pastor Benjamin Ayesu.
Pope Francis announced this week that all priests can grant forgiveness for the ‘sin of abortion’ during the Holy Year of Mercy. Professor Anthea Butler has been looking at the reaction in the US to Pope Francis’s statement.
Rt Rev James Newcombe, Bishop of Carlisle, talks about the Church of England’s opposition to the proposed change to the law on assisted dying. This is not, he says, an attempt to ‘push’ a religious viewpoint. He is worried that a change would have serious detrimental effects on individuals and society.
As the Queen becomes the longest reigning monarch in British history, the dean of Westminster, rev Dr John Hall, and Church historian, Diarmaid MacCulloch, reflect on how she has conducted herself in her role as supreme governor of the Church of England.
Rev. Dr Keith Clements explains how the two years spent in England by German Lutheran pastor and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer, influenced his ministry before his execution in 1945.
This week Cardinal Vincent Nichols took the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, to meet the pope for the first time. Reporter Charles Carroll was with them.’
Interesting at the start – a human cardinal from Vienna about the refugees.
Mervis and the mealy-mouthed Cardinal Nicholls at 26’30” in.
The worst slime came from the UK ambassador to the Holy See.
The prize for the most Christian was the Ghanian pastor helping mostly Muslims with a place to gather, English teaching etc. A universalist.
Read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostra_aetate ‘In Our Time’
‘Shared richness’ Nicholls called it.
Does that include liquefaction of human bodies sealed in a lorry?
Or a Palestinian toddler burned to death and his mother killed by the settlers’ arson attack?
Men in frocks? Yuk!
The petition to accept more refugees and asylum seekers has now reached more than 420,000 signatures. That’s almost the population of Manchester.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/105991
I hope our elected representatives are not going to let Cameron get away with hand-picking a few refugees of his choice. We should take our share.
Your interpretation of what Syrians want is baseless, resident dissident. You keep making these claims without a shred of evidence. The blanket coverage from the BBC and others have not mentioned Assad or ISIS which is curious, unless they don’t want us to hear their responses.
Furthermore, what has your precious Arab spring given to the average person in the countries concerned? It’s given them another brutal dictator in Egypt, absolute chaos in Libya and what we all can see happening in Syria. Not liberation but death and chaos rather than the relatively normal mundane lives the vast majority would now gladly return to. You should try talking to some Syrians rather than letting your neocon fantasies and wild imagination dictate what is best for Syria.
Jemand —-Don’t usually respond to prats but this is not a subject to joke about. Syria was a peaceful secular country before this. Muslims, Christian and Jews lived peacefully together. All of those groups are suffering and have suffered unbelievable horrors and all for geopolitical aims of the West.
The Koala bear (of little brain like Pooh) from Downunder makes a totally incorrect assumption about my religion. Whether I have a religion or none is my own business and not his.
“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
http://www.quotehd.com/imagequotes/authors63/tmb/a-a-milne-quote-when-you-are-a-bear-of-very-little-brain-and-you.jpg
Almost another 500 since you wrote John Goss.
102,695 signatures on the Netanyahu petition now!
“Your interpretation of what Syrians want is baseless, resident dissident.”
So where is your evidence of support for Assad or ISIS among the refugees???????????????
Strange how the refugees are fleeing towards those countries that share many of the values of the Arab Spring rather than to those that don’t.
“Beth”
“Jemand —-Don’t usually respond to prats but this is not a subject to joke about. Syria was a peaceful secular country before this. Muslims, Christian and Jews lived peacefully together.”
_______________
Very peaceful except if you disagreed with Assad Junior* and his disgusting regime. In which case you were tortured, imprisoned, murdered or had to flee into exile – irrespective of whether you were Muslim, Christian or Jewish.
You fool.
PS – why do you assume a female moniker?
(*) At the last Presidential “election” in Syria, Assad Junior got over 95% of the vote. The remaining 5% didn’t vote.
Mr |Goss
“The petition to accept more refugees and asylum seekers has now reached more than 420,000 signatures. That’s almost the population of Manchester.”
_______________
Out of a UK population of around 65 million.
Be that as it may – I trust that a goodly proportion of those 420.000 signatories will be prepared to involve themselves personally in the welfare of the refugees that are finally allowed to settle, For example, by offering them temporary accomodation where possible (cf Craig’s offer*), modest financial assistance, help with finding jobs, etc…
___________
* strange that Craig’s very decent offer has attracted so little comment, let alone praise, on here. I wonder if that is because it reflects badly on those whose only contribution is to bellow away on this and other blogs?