Quizzes & Puzzles3 mins ago
Social Media Backlash Against Russia
I notice there are a lot of 'boycott the Winter Olympics' and protest posts against the Russian attitude towards the LGBT community; and quite rightly so.
Also we have seen a lot on the TV and in the press covering this topic ahead of the winter Olympics.
I wonder if this will be repeated for the World Cup in Qatar in 4 years time to protest against the Islamic communities attitudes to homosexuality - or maybe even closer to home?
Are people afraid to criticize Islamic attitudes for fear of being branded racist?
Also we have seen a lot on the TV and in the press covering this topic ahead of the winter Olympics.
I wonder if this will be repeated for the World Cup in Qatar in 4 years time to protest against the Islamic communities attitudes to homosexuality - or maybe even closer to home?
Are people afraid to criticize Islamic attitudes for fear of being branded racist?
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Using the term "racist" to describe someone posting,say, an anti-Muslim viewpoint is technically incorrect, inasmuch as racism refers to ethnicity and Muslims are not from one homogenous ethnic origin - so it is also lazy.
But - it is my feeling that at least some of the anti-muslim sentiment forcefully expressed in arguments and discussions is derived from a stereotypical view that all muslims are "brown-skinned foreigners" with extremist tendencies, and in those instances such sentiments are prejudicial and an example of lazy thinking.
Have just read what I think is an interesting article on just this topic. Have a read, if you feel like it - see what you think ;)
http://
As to your last point - I do not think people are afraid to criticize islamic attitudes at all, although some institutions may be more circumspect in their language for fear of giving offence.
When the World Cup in Qatar comes a bit closer I would fully expect to see criticisms over human rights and equality issues being raised. There are already issues being reported over the unacceptable level of deaths from accidents during the building of the stadia in Qatar.
http://
But - it is my feeling that at least some of the anti-muslim sentiment forcefully expressed in arguments and discussions is derived from a stereotypical view that all muslims are "brown-skinned foreigners" with extremist tendencies, and in those instances such sentiments are prejudicial and an example of lazy thinking.
Have just read what I think is an interesting article on just this topic. Have a read, if you feel like it - see what you think ;)
http://
As to your last point - I do not think people are afraid to criticize islamic attitudes at all, although some institutions may be more circumspect in their language for fear of giving offence.
When the World Cup in Qatar comes a bit closer I would fully expect to see criticisms over human rights and equality issues being raised. There are already issues being reported over the unacceptable level of deaths from accidents during the building of the stadia in Qatar.
http://
//What has a countries attitude towards certain matters have to do with their ability to stage a world-wide sports event? //
I don't think that's in question AOG. It's fairly inevitable that 'organisations' with an axe to grind will use the worlds attention on the event to highlight their grievances.
I don't think that's in question AOG. It's fairly inevitable that 'organisations' with an axe to grind will use the worlds attention on the event to highlight their grievances.
"What has a countries attitude towards certain matters have to do with their ability to stage a world-wide sports event? "
Because staging the olympics involves a significant amount of celebrating the host country - that was certainly the case with the UK. In the case of Russia, it's not just 'attitudes'. There are gangs that hunt LGBT people to humiliate,torture and murder them. If you don't believe me, check out a documentary that was aired this week on C4 - 'Hunted'.
The government turns a blind eye because it simply doesn't care - and the recent law has acted as a greenlight to these gangs. It also acts in tandem with a blasphemy law to effectively make any utterance of pro-gay rights opinions extremely difficult.
What people are saying is that we should not be celebrating Russia when at the same time gay people are being treated so appallingly.
Because staging the olympics involves a significant amount of celebrating the host country - that was certainly the case with the UK. In the case of Russia, it's not just 'attitudes'. There are gangs that hunt LGBT people to humiliate,torture and murder them. If you don't believe me, check out a documentary that was aired this week on C4 - 'Hunted'.
The government turns a blind eye because it simply doesn't care - and the recent law has acted as a greenlight to these gangs. It also acts in tandem with a blasphemy law to effectively make any utterance of pro-gay rights opinions extremely difficult.
What people are saying is that we should not be celebrating Russia when at the same time gay people are being treated so appallingly.
The Games look terrific so far, the opening ceremony was marvellous, and this morning's events have looked exciting. This must be a disappointment to those individuals wishing it to be a failure, and particularly the left wing media like C4 News who seem to want it to be "overshadowed" by the demands of the homo-sexual lobby.
Snafu03
Utah held the Winter Olympics in 2002. The states also has a law preventing the 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools. There was very little protest at the time.
Utah is predominately white. Therefore, it may not be down to racial sensitivities. I suspect that the reason why there are so much news about this, is because Russians are linking homosexuality with paedophilia and as we have seen on CH4's 'Hunted' programme, gay Russians are being openly and violently attacked.
As for Qatar - I think it depends on how social networking responds. Will be interesting.
Utah held the Winter Olympics in 2002. The states also has a law preventing the 'promotion' of homosexuality in schools. There was very little protest at the time.
Utah is predominately white. Therefore, it may not be down to racial sensitivities. I suspect that the reason why there are so much news about this, is because Russians are linking homosexuality with paedophilia and as we have seen on CH4's 'Hunted' programme, gay Russians are being openly and violently attacked.
As for Qatar - I think it depends on how social networking responds. Will be interesting.
Well, considering there's not really any such thing as 'promotion' of homosexuality, laws against it usually have rather suspect consequences.
The usual problem is that 'promotion' is so vaguely defined that teachers choose not to talk about it at all. This is exactly what happened with S28, and consequently young gay people in the late 80s/90s report having practically no sex ed or support from their schools whatsoever.
In the case of Russia, the law acts as a greenlight to violent gangs who know the govt don't care, and as I said above, the propaganda law acts with a blasphemy law that effectively makes discussion of LGBT rights extremely difficult.
The usual problem is that 'promotion' is so vaguely defined that teachers choose not to talk about it at all. This is exactly what happened with S28, and consequently young gay people in the late 80s/90s report having practically no sex ed or support from their schools whatsoever.
In the case of Russia, the law acts as a greenlight to violent gangs who know the govt don't care, and as I said above, the propaganda law acts with a blasphemy law that effectively makes discussion of LGBT rights extremely difficult.
Kromovaracun
/// Because staging the olympics involves a significant amount of celebrating the host country - that was certainly the case with the UK. ///
Then it is a wonder that our games ever got off the ground then, what with our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, I am sure there are many not only on this site but throughout the Muslim world who would have more of a grievance that a minority group such as the LGBT community.
/// Because staging the olympics involves a significant amount of celebrating the host country - that was certainly the case with the UK. ///
Then it is a wonder that our games ever got off the ground then, what with our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, I am sure there are many not only on this site but throughout the Muslim world who would have more of a grievance that a minority group such as the LGBT community.
LGBT people might be a minority, AOG, but if they're being tortured, humiliated and murdered on a regular basis without the govt doing anything about it, then I consider that something worth protesting regardless of how many of them they are.
Evidently you don't feel the same. In which case I hope you never find yourself in a position where you're being persecuted just for being in a minority. Frankly, I imagine you'd change your tune quite quickly.
Evidently you don't feel the same. In which case I hope you never find yourself in a position where you're being persecuted just for being in a minority. Frankly, I imagine you'd change your tune quite quickly.
Kromovaracun
I am not saying it is right, or that if I was in that position I would like it to happen to me.
But just address my whole point and not just the one that you needed to get across personally.
The point I am referring to is the involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, where you can't deny many more people were killed or maimed than the few of the LGBT community in Russia.
I am not saying it is right, or that if I was in that position I would like it to happen to me.
But just address my whole point and not just the one that you needed to get across personally.
The point I am referring to is the involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, where you can't deny many more people were killed or maimed than the few of the LGBT community in Russia.
"Then it is a wonder that our games ever got off the ground then, what with our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, I am sure there are many not only on this site but throughout the Muslim world who would have more of a grievance that a minority group such as the LGBT community."
Perhaps the IOC when awarding the country the rights to host the Olympics considered this, and then weighed it up against other mitigating factors?
Perhaps the IOC when awarding the country the rights to host the Olympics considered this, and then weighed it up against other mitigating factors?
Our engagement in Iraq had finished by the time of the Olympics, and our involvement in Afghanistan has been going so long that I don't think international opinion was particularly focused on it. The laws in Russia have been introduced recently - and (unfortunately) world opinion is quite fickle only tends to focus on recent events. This is why many young gay people in Russia are afraid that once the olympics are over, things will only get worse for them, because world opinion will be focused elsewhere.
If the London Olympics had happened, say, around 2005, then I would expect a similar amount of controversy around them.
If the London Olympics had happened, say, around 2005, then I would expect a similar amount of controversy around them.
sp1814
/// Perhaps the IOC when awarding the country the rights to host the Olympics considered this, and then weighed it up against other mitigating factors? ///
Which they did with Russia, so let them just get on with their games, without all this criticism and back-biting that we are seeing carried out across our media, mainly due to certain ant-gay laws that are in force in Russia.
/// Perhaps the IOC when awarding the country the rights to host the Olympics considered this, and then weighed it up against other mitigating factors? ///
Which they did with Russia, so let them just get on with their games, without all this criticism and back-biting that we are seeing carried out across our media, mainly due to certain ant-gay laws that are in force in Russia.
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