Recently, Tommy Robinson came under fire for sharing the phone number of a rape crisis hotline directed at Black, Asian and Middle Eastern Women, suggesting that it implied white women were unimportant. His fans clogged the lines with complaints about white women being excluded, despite the fact that this was a specialist line and there were lines available for any woman to call.
Robinson fans have defended him by claiming that this was a mistake or misunderstanding on his part. However, he has gone on to do the same thing – making the same ‘mistake’ – in rallying his fan club against the provision of protective services to potentially vulnerable women.
This time, a martial arts course advertised towards Muslim women was the focus of his ire.
Bianca Jade is a fitness instructor who took notice of potential issues Muslim women might have in attending a fitness class. First of all, those who wear the hijab may struggle to maintain high levels of activity given the heat. Secondly, many interpretations of Islam demand strict segregation between men and women. Thirdly, there are some Mosques in which Muslim women are barred from entirely.
She realised it would be a positive contribution to the community if she could encourage Muslim women to come out of their shells and get some exercise in a safe and respectful environment. Any critic of Islam will be familiar with how religious doctrines are used to suppress and control women. It is imperative, therefore, that Muslim women are invited to participate in public life and social gatherings, particularly when an element of self determination such as physical health is involved.
Bianca is keen to point out that although her class is advertised towards Muslim women, in fact any women are welcome, given that it is impossible to tell whether someone is Muslim simply by looking at them. This is another point which critics of Islam should be intimately familiar with, recognising it as a religion and not as a race. However, many of Tommy Robinson’s fans clearly miss this distinction as evidenced by the hate mail Bianca received, claiming that her class discriminates against white, English women.
Not only has she received numerous offensive and harassing messages from Tommy Robinson fans, but she has also had her tires slashed. Given that Robinson shared her leaflet with email address, phone number and location clearly shown, his actions have directly exposed Bianca to not only online abuse but also potential violence in person.
Posted by Karin Cato-Sams
30 June, 2020 at 3:17 pm
The add smacks of non-inclusivity in a society where inclusivity is promoted as an ideal, where one of the the targeted primary beneficiaries of such policies are Muslims. Does this need to be said? One can apologise for it all one wants, it promotes the notion of 'Us, Not Them' (no more-so exemplified by a reading of the Quran - see Q5:51, for example). Surely to avoid community silos Muslim women should be encouraged to participate in activities with non-Muslims. The trouble is that in some communities such participation is viewed as contaminating. You'd find the same attitudes within orthodox jewish communities. Inclusivity is the dogmatic mantra from the Left, and Muslims are primarily targeted as beneficiaries, whereas this ad (notwithstanding her comments about non-Muslims actually being welcome) promotes exclusivity. It is this to which Robinson objects; not denying opportunities for BAME people. Ask Robinson whether he thinks those who are BAME should be disallowed from attending any exercise classes and he will respond "no". Re: "This is another point which critics of Islam should be intimately familiar with,recognising it as a religion and not as a race". > But Muslims in general support the notion of considering 'Muslimness' a racial trait - see the support for the APPG definition of so-called 'Islamophobia', which implies that it is a racial trait. Few realise how such a disposition is dangerous to apostates as it effectively makes their decision to drop Muslim membership as unnatural. The problems here are the Quranic/Muslim values and disposition towards the female sex - that's where the outrage should lie.
Posted by Bunny Whisperer
26 February, 2019 at 5:14 pm
The real issue is not whether white women are unimportant but whether women should be the ones who must assume "responsibility" for protecting THEMSELVES from rape. Women have been told for decades that getting raped is THEIR fault. Accordingly, preparing oneself for the seemingly inevitable likelihood of being raped only feeds into the rape culture mentality whereby rape is normalised and in which men are not the ones being "educated" to avoid RAPING WOMEN. This Tommy Robinson lark is a red herring and distracts from the actual issue - which is that rape is not inevitable. It is fostered by a culture that treats male misconduct as only "natural". We have to ask, is it seemingly natural because cultural forces do nothing deter rapists from raping? OR is rape deeply essential in male nature, and culture just follows from what nature has ordained? Self-defense should not be the way to respond to rape. Rather (male) self-control ought to be what is normalised.
Posted by Katie Barker
26 February, 2019 at 5:49 pm
You are correct that rape is caused by rapists. However these are fitness classes for women who may face barriers to their participation in exercise. It is Robinson who is again attempting to deny opportunities for women from BAME backgrounds opportunities.