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  • @ffn- your comment is ignorant and wrong, and approaches apologizing.

    I'm sorry you feel that way. Allow me to explain:

    My comments were not about the current situation in Gaza or Israel's other activities. As far as those go I will offer a hearty "fuck Israel" and add a "fuck Hamas too". Whatever the cause/justification of Hamas's military actions they are vanishingly unlikely to achieve anything positive and, simply because of the geography of the conflict, leave many thousands of civilians in harms way.

    Anti-Islam was used as a useful term, for no term has yet been defined for the racism that continues throughout the UK and the world against Muslims and Arabs (and anyone who looks Muslim or Arabic).
    Anti-Semitism no longer has a racial* component
    In which case we have used the terms in different ways. I used "anti-semitic" to mean a racial prejudice, whether you believe it has a racial component or not (and I'm not sure how you can claim it doesn't, given that yoe use the words "Semite race"). Frankly the whole concept of race is complete bullshit, but the persecution of people because of their perceived race is very real and sadly facilitates Israel playing the anti-semitism card whenever someone calls them on their vile policies.

    "Anti-islam" I used to mean exactly what it sounds like i.e., the criticism of that religion. I have absolutely no truck whatsoever with any religion (including the religion that motivates Zionism) as I think religion is a fundamentally divisive force and gives people what they see to be an unchallengeable basis for action that is outside (and sometimes runs contrary to) our universal, shared humanity.

    the racism that continues throughout the UK and the world against Muslims and Arabs (and anyone who looks Muslim or Arabic.
    Racism against Arabs does exist and is as abhorrent as any other form of racism. But you can't be racist against Muslims, because "Muslim" isn't a race. People of many races (let's go with the bullshit term for a minute) are Muslims. To be anti-Islam is not to be anti-Muslim, but if you look like a Muslim (through wearing religious dress) then it's reasonable for people to assume that you subscribe to a doctrine with which they might disagree, in exactly the way they could if you wear a crucifix or an anarchist T-shirt.

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