Comments on: Boy bullied for eating salami during Ramadan – and he’s not even a MUSLIM!

By: Lucky Jean

Lucky Jean — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:25:38 +0000

Just another example of how a meme we call a “religion” is really a “hate cult”.

By: jean-françois gauthier

jean-françois gauthier — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:45:38 +0000

@tom rees et al., while i agree that kids are just kids, that is, that they do gang up on other kids for the silliest of reasons, i also am deeply concerned with the incitement to intolerance and hatred that seems to touch some segments of the muslim population. i’m not saying that they all say or agree with things like what we can all see on palestinian television (go check out http://www.memritv.org for a fun ride), i’m saying that extreme and medieval hatred of all things related to israel and its perceived allies, together with a very much adolescent persecution complex, make for communities where violence is trivialised and even lauded as retribution.

i’m not implying that extremists are not a tiny minority, but, as a son of québec’s secular “révolution tranquille”, i’m deeply concerned that the silent majority of muslims living in my borough of montréal are not doing enough to marginalise and reject extremists in their mosques and community centres. i’m concerned that they are spending more time denouncing a supposed backlash against them than the violence that would have triggered it.

By: barriejohn

barriejohn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:23:35 +0000

Well, in my opinion @Tom Rees’s remarks are trivialising this situation. I used to be a teacher, and prior to that I was also a child (a little boy, in fact). I never in my life came across anything like this. These kids are obviously taking their cue from their parents, yet THEY are the ones who should be ensuring that their little darlings do NOT grow up to be carbon copies of the boys in “Lord of the Flies”! Did you read about the Swindon schoolboy who was almost killed in a hammer attack by Asian youths at his school? There may have been more of a racist agenda there, but, surprise, surprise, there was strong involvement by older youths from the “community” outside the school!!

By: Ex Patriot

Ex Patriot — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:49:12 +0000

Boot the fkn muslims, they can do own thing but do not pick on other people who don’t believe their bull crap

By: Mike Shaun

Mike Shaun — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:16:50 +0000

You are the best thinker Mr Tom Rees.

I GREET you.

I sensed the rationality of your thinking

Thanks for your comment.

By: uzza

uzza — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:07:11 +0000

It was really refreshing to read a news report that reported what happened, instead of falling back on stupid euphemisms like “the F-word” or “he said F*** the muslims”. Good on you, Barry.

By: Tom Rees

Tom Rees — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:11:03 +0000

@barriejohn Yeah I know. I’m a member of the BHA. In fact I’m a member of the Brighton & Hove Humanist Association – like Barry Duke! Doesn’t change the fact that young boys have a tendency to bully, and religion is a tool that they use, not the cause of it.

By: William Harwood

William Harwood — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:33:24 +0000

I used the word “twat” in the common British/Australian sense of “a person of either sex whose behaviour or thinking is less than adequate.” I do not use language that denigrates women for being women, and should have realized that my comment could be interpreted as doing so. I was culpably clumsy.

By: Don

Don — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:18:22 +0000

The twat? Classy. Real cogent argument there, William.

By: William Harwood

William Harwood — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:46:11 +0000

re the twat who thinks that being terrified of her “God” is virtuous: I’ll be charitable and assume that English is not her first language.
As for the troll who persists in proving his insanity to people who already know he is not sparking on all neurons: you’re braindead; get yourself buried.