Rochdale - an Asian man's viewpoint

[Kiki-frog]

I'm not asking a question, but rather inviting responses to this very interesting article that someone has just sent me:

http://comment.rsablo...ny-misrepresentation/

[emmie]

so this is part of the reason in the article, not sure how to see this as any kind of excuse.

"where has this come from? In part it’s segregation, isolation and economic marginalisation of some men, who feel completely excluded from society, from routes to success and belonging, both economic and social. It is no co-incidence this is happening in an area where the economy and job prospects have been decimated: the old mill towns and manufacturing heartlands. White communities there also have problems with increasing numbers of people feeling totally alienated."

[emmie]

he says he is not making excuses for these men, but that in part is what he is doing.

[Kiki-frog]

I don't think he is necessarily, em. He's trying to find reasons, but that's not the same as excuses.

Even more interesting are some of the comments from other people. I was shocked at the first one - quite an eye-opener.

[humbersloop]

shocked in what way kiki?

[whiskeryron]

This is a clever one Kiki-frog you supply a link
( http://comment.rsablo...ny-misrepresentation/ ) & when I click on it A/B disappears how did you think it up ? ( Tried clicking on it 3 times )

W Ron.

[Kiki-frog]

humbersloop

////the one hour marriages by dodgy imams given to sex punters in Islamabad, the lady-boys invited to weddings, the beatings according to Islamic law, the lack of rape within marriage in Islam, the 'honour' murders and mutilations, immolations, suicides, rape of boys by men in preference to sex with a woman (good for babies as they are), the Thursday night 'man dance' and male 'coupling' that visitors to rural Afghanistan can witness.///

It was this response I found shocking, being unaware of much of this. Of course, we've no way of knowing how widespread these practices are and where the respondent got his facts from. But it makes disturbing reading nevertheless.

But maybe it's not that different from what goes on behind closed doors in the western world. Who knows? Not me, that's for sure

[Kiki-frog]

That's weird, Ron, I have no idea what's happening there. The link works fine for me and AB's certainly still here. Sorry!

[emmie]

reasons, not sure one can find reasons for sexual abuse, except that it's not just Asian men.

[humbersloop]

Ok, I can see that now kiki. Regretably, that commentator's facts are pretty much spot on.

I think the author makes some interesting points - as does the author of the embedded article - I'm just not sure how far it takes us in reaching solutions.

[emmie]

one thing i was told many years ago, on one of my foreign trips, this was from an Arab guy, that women are for breeding and men, boys are for pleasure. Take that as you will, i was rather surprised to say the least, but i was quite young.

[tonyav]

Naomi, hasn't posted on this tread.

[humbersloop]

If you read it as apologetic katie, then you and I are not reading the same article.

[tonyav]

Righto.

[emmie]

the first paragraph i posted does seems to be finding excuses for these men, why?
social deprivation doesn't mean that one has to behave in this way. It seems ingrained in the culture to see women as inferior, second rate, best, and that white girls are easy targets.

[keyplus90]

I agree with most of the things that writer said. Being a Pakistani I would like to comment about the first comment made at the bottom of that link. Where I do agree that black sheep’s are everywhere, this person (Spinoza) has done what the other writer Anwar Akhtar talked about. Media imbalance when it comes to few people, few countries and one religion. He talked about Imams giving one hour marriage but he also calls those Imams “Dodgy”, so he knows they are dodgy people and obviously people who go to them must also be dodgy. Then he talks about “slave labour” in Dubai but does not seem to have any idea what this slave labour is worth for those people and their families back home. All in all his knowledge about all of the things he said is no more than heard or spread knowledge. I wish I could ask him/her about the source but then I am sure nothing would happen.

[humbersloop]

Fair enough katie; did you follow the link within to the other article?

[humbersloop]

keyplus, I don't think pursuing a discussion about the veracity, or otherwise, of a bit of commentary on a piece actually takes us any further forward with discussing Anwar Akhtar's substantive article.

Which is about young, British born men, in Rochdale, now.