#neither are muslims for you islamophobes out there

[crowpolitics]

Lol, okay, so the previous blog responded to me saying they don't know what a genocide is by calling me a dipshit and an antisemite. Specifically, they said:

"I know what a genocide is, you dipshit, I think you need to brush up on the actual definition. All bad things do not always have the same name. What’s happening in Gaza can be horrific without it being a genocide. Begone, antisemite."

However, reblogs appear to be turned off so I can't respond to that... so... here's what my response would have been I guess?

Well that escalated quickly. I know what genocide is, too, thanks. You are correct that not all things that are bad are also a genocide, but when Israeli officials are outright saying their plans are to flatten a region and everyone in it, that's pretty telling, and doesn't even begin to get into the "soft" methods of genocide they have been employing, alongside the killings, for decades.

This century long genocide has brought about horrific amounts of islamophobia and antisemitism on pretty much all sides, with people either spouting bigotry out of ignorance or because they are bigots and are using these atrocities to justify their views. The existence of bigotry does not negate the existence of genocide (please see pretty much every genocide that has ever occurred - while my primary case studies were Bosnia and Rwanda, I am pretty confident in saying that).

You said in another comment to someone else, "Literally there are specific and quantifiable thresholds that have to be hit in order for it to be considered genocide. The situation in Palestine, while awful, does not meet those thresholds. There are likely far-right individuals in the Israeli gov’t that may WANT a genocide, but the actual military action currently happening is not one at this time. So by calling the current situation a genocide, people are watering down the term and are diminishing the horrors occurring in actual CURRENTLY ONGOING genocides in other parts of the world."

This suggests to me that OP only understands the first part of the definition of genocides, the part that discusses the method that uses death. That leaves out the "soft" definition, however, which describes all of the other methods. Not to say the Israel hasn't also been using the "hard" method - intentionally slaughtering families, neighborhoods, and towns to eradicate as many Palestinians at once as possible, but they have most definitely been using those "soft" methods as well.

I'm used to having to argue that part of the definition to people who don't know the definition is, so it's odd to see someone acknowledge the atrocities that are occurring, claim to know what the definition of genocide is, and then just bury their head in the sand.

OP also stated that the reason this can't call this a genocide is that Hamas is not an ethnic group, which completely ignores that Hamas is a resistance/ terrorist group that rose out of a century long genocide and the Israeli government has said on numerous occasion over the last century that their end goal is not the eradication of Hamas but of Palestine. Given Hamas came out only a few decades ago and this has been going on for much longer than that, this is a really asinine take.

The one argument that people on the "this is not a genocide" can potentially lay claim to is the intent clause. This meets every other part of the definition as described in the UN's convention on genocide, with intent always being the hardest part to prove - and why the international community has Never intervened until it was too late to make much of a difference, or until after it was already over.

Of course, given the government has been just saying the quiet part out loud since... well, the beginning, I would argue this is also a pretty clear case. They have stated on dozens of occasions - in interviews, in letters/ correspondence, in memos, etc - their intent to eradicate the people living their to make way for settlements.

You can't argue against the methods that have been used for a century, you can't argue against the documentation they have not tried very hard to hide, and frankly I don't really understand why you would.

Anyways, TLDR: what's happening in Palestine is a genocide, as per the UN's convention on genocide and according to pretty much every genocide scholar for the last century. I highly recommend people at the very least read the convention before talking about genocides - it's a baseline, but it's probably the best place to start, given it's the basis for the international law surrounding genocide.

And, referring to the original point of the post that this all spawned out of, USAmericans who chose not to vote this election are fucking awful and should feel ashamed for their actions. They have made a choice that allowed a racist, homophobic, islamophobic, antisemite to take control of our government and I hope they sit in that shame.

I hope it twists in your stomach, and you fucking do something to help put out this fire you helped spread. After all, the whole reason you decided to surrender one of the few tools you have in this democracy was to help Palestinians, right? Hope you have a plan to do just that.

[edenfenixblogs]

Reminder! But be aware that many Jews use the term Zionist/Zionism in a way that you do not understand it/are not familiar with! Many Jewish people who you would define as Zionists and/or people who have all the same politics as you may:

1. Call themselves Zionists because it is a term with deeply individual meanings for many Jews

2. Not call themselves Zionists, but bristle at hearing the term “Zionist” be used as a pejorative because the history of the word Zionist being used as an antisemitic dogwhistle in leftism, communist Russia, and Arab extremist organizations (and because I am Jewish and on the internet I will state explicitly that no, of course I do not think all Arabs are extremists. I do not think all Muslims are extremists. I do not tolerate Islamophobia in any way on my blog or in real life. If I see a single even somewhat questionable instance of maybe Islamophobia in any replies here, you will be blocked and reported. I am taking the time to educate about Zionism as a dogwhistle, because I have chosen to tolerate a certain amount of feedback as a Jewish person. I am neither Arab nor Muslim so it is not my place to extend an olive branch of understanding regarding Islamophobia to you nor do I have any interest in doing so. I wholeheartedly condemn anti-Arab and Islamophobic hatred. As we all should)

3. Actively call themselves anti-Zionists because they define the term Zionism in a way that includes occupation, genocide, and expulsion

4. Actively call themselves anti-Zionists but still believe that Jewish people as an ethnoreligous group are inherently indigenous to the lands around Jerusalem while ALSO considering Palestinians to be indigenous to that same land.

5. Actively call themselves anti-Zionists because they oppose the formation of any religious state whatsoever, but still believe that Jews deserve to reside where they are right now without forced expulsion.

For non-Jewish people using the term anti-Zionism, I urge you to really think about what Zionism actually means to you as a term. Like what do you think that word is? What kind of person do you think a Zionist is? What assumptions are you making in the use of that term and is it fair to expect every Jewish person to agree with that definition and why do you feel that way?

And before anyone comments on me or makes assumptions about my stance.

I do not call myself a Zionist!

I deeply oppose the current government of Israel. I had the opportunity to go on a birthright trip to Israel, and declined to go because I do not support the subjugation of Palestinians. I also chose not to go, because at the time there was a spate of bus bombings. I have family in Israel that I have never met and cannot meet because I refuse to go there out of both personal fear AND political unrest AND political/moral opposition.

I support sovereignty and equal rights and liberation and self determination for all Palestinians. I believe Palestinians are indigenous to the land.

I also believe Jewish people are indigenous to the land. Since Hadrian’s expulsion of the Jewish people from Israel/Judea in 135 and the resultant formation of Syria Palestina, there has been no place that Jews have existed that has considered them foundational parts of society or that has not expelled us. We have always been considered settlers. There is no other place in which we could even conceivably BE indigenous besides the levant. I believe that the “whiteness” of modern Jews of European descent is a product of millennia of expulsion, resettlement, and relocation. I know for a fact that PoC Jews have also REMAINED in the region since the expulsion in 135 and if they’re not indigenous to there, then who on earth is?

I believe that indigeneity does not expire. I believe that the fact that Jews sing daily prayers about their history in Israel/the levant is pretty strong evidence that Jews all over the world have never lost their connection to the region. I believe that two thousand years is a long time.

I believe that it could not matter less whether Jews or Palestinians were there “first.” What matters is the strong cultural ties BOTH cultures have to the levant. What matters is that civilians have a safe government that they can trust not to commit genocide against them. To expel them from the land of their ancestors. To banish them to settlements.

I believe colonialism is wrong. I believe imperialism is wrong. I believe there’s even more I need to learn even after living in this conflict and diaspora my entire life. I do not believe that the land that exists there right now needs to be called Israel. I only believe that there needs to be safeguards in place at a governmental level that explicitly protects the sovereignty, safety, and legitimacy of Palestinians and the Jews who live there. There must be guardrails to prevent genocide against both groups. There must be some formal institutional mechanism to ensure the safety of both parties.

I believe that none of these ideas are in conflict with one another.

Anyone telling you that the solution is straightforward is lying or has plans to harm a large number of people. You are not special. You did not invent the perfect idea that no one thought of that magically solves the issues of statelessness, fear of displacement, expulsion, or genocide. If your plan only involves helping one group without regard to the needs of the other, it is a bad plan. If you don’t believe that Jews should be expelled from Israel, is that Zionism? If you believe Jews should have self determination and representation within government that protects their interests, is that Zionism? Even if the same self determination and representation exists for Palestinians? If you are a hardcore anti-Zionist and believe that Jews do not belong in i/p at all, where do the Jews go?

Where are the Jews indigenous to that isn’t Israel? Where do they go. Europe doesn’t want us. The rest of SWANA doesn’t want us. We certainly are not indigenous to the Americas. It’s been awhile since there were expulsions from Asia (as far as I know), but they did happen there. And Asian countries have very rich indigenous histories of their own that we have no place in. The United States is increasingly violent to us and is certainly nobody’s idea of a Jewish homeland.

If your argument against Zionism is that Jews don’t belong there, where do we belong? If your argument against Zionism is that Jews don’t deserve to ever leave diaspora and should not have self determination or protection, why not us too? Again, I have no desire to go to Israel!!! I have actively rejected offers to visit Israel!!!

I don’t call this set of beliefs Zionism. I don’t believe there is a term for this set of beliefs. But someone else might disagree. And that’s the point. I’m not shaming anyone who does or does not call themselves a Zionist.

[zonedelicious]

In the X-Men fandom this scene is constantly brought up to call the character Noriko racist, call the entire book racist, and even call the fans and writers racist. And as a Muslim fan of Academy X I am very confused at this harsh reaction because to me it is obvious the story is siding with Sooraya.

For starters X-Men can be very VERY racist and islamophobic. I've recently been reading Claremont's New Mutants and it's painful how racist that book is to Arabs. I wanted to stop reading because of the racism.

But I do not get this reaction from Academy X, which is my favourite X-Men book.

I think a lot of people don't know what kind of book Academy X is. Academy X is a book about delinquents. The main characters are a bunch of asshole kids. The appeal to me is seeing these shitty kids grow and become better people. Yes they make mistakes that's the point. They're stupid kids.

Noriko is one of these kids. She was homeless at a young age because of the poor relationship with her family and because of this she's afraid of ever showing any vulnerability. Choosing to rather lash out at others. It's a realistic coping mechanism.

The scene with Sooraya shows this as Noriko is projecting her own trauma onto a poor girl who only wanted to be nice to her. Yes it's shitty but that's the point. We're seeing how their personalities and viewpoints clash, and how Sooraya is challenging Noriko's beliefs.

I do not see how anyone can read this as the book being racist when the scene even shows Sooraya sad. Something like this never happens when an X-Men book is actually islamophobic. Yet people never react as harshly to actually racist X-Men books as they do to this.

It's actually very similar to a scene at the start of Ms Marvel, where Zoe is racist to Nakia. We can clearly see both scenes are suppose to make you feel uncomfortable and make you side with the Muslim girl. And both Zoe and Noriko are humanized despite being bullies.

We even get a conclusion. Some say this isn't enough, but remember that Noriko refuses to show emotions, so the fact she's willing to go against her instincts here is interesting. It's more interesting to me than simply having a generic anti racism speech.

Again Sooraya is entirely humanized here. The comic is understanding of her struggle. I do disagree with the way she's drawn at times, but the writing makes her a character I could relate to. And reading this conclusion only makes me more interested in both characters.

Sadly neither character ever got a proper character arc after the comic ended. But to me that just makes me wish there were more comics of this group where we do see Sooraya and Noriko become close friends like Nakia and Zoe. It makes me think of writing my own story with them.

I love this book and what it means for Sooraya. I love seeing Sooraya's relationship with the Hellions, Jay and Laura. This is still her definitive comic, so why are we dismissing it entirely because of one scene that exists to make us relate to her?

It's very strange that this one scene, that to me is well made and relatable, is being used as a way to hate the characters, the comic, and everyone who likes it. Most hate isn't even coming from Muslims so is it just performative outrage and misunderstanding?

Or maybe this scene hits at home for some people? With the conversation being very realistic and grounded, people may see themselves in Noriko. Maybe they had a similar reaction towards a Muslim girl and are remembering it.

Noriko's stance isn't even that different from ex Muslim feminists who say similar things. The issue is how she is projecting onto Sooraya. And maybe that's what makes people uncomfortable. The complexity this conversation has in the real world.

Whatever it may be, Noriko still clearly grows after this arc. We do see her become a great leader who stands up for her friends. And even if she has issues to deal with, she was slowly becoming a better person.

In conclusion I love this book because it's relatable in how it portrays its characters. I like Sooraya being a Muslim character who's also a protagonist and a big part of the story. I hope more people give this book a chance and see the charm of it that I see.

Anyway time to go listen to anime music and imagine my OCs hanging out with the Academy X kids (need to draw that one day).

[yallcantread]

Before delving into the current drama circulating, I'd like to emphasize that this controversy seems rather pointless, and people are getting upset over nothing. It's important for me to clarify that I have no personal connection with Taylor Swift or Matty Healy. I appreciate both of their artistic work. I am not being compensated by anyone to express my thoughts on this matter.

Who am I? I'm a small artist who creates music. While I have some connections with labels, I'm still in the process of establishing myself. I'm sharing this perspective using a separate account to avoid making it about me. I won't be promoting my music or seeking followers in this context.

The reason I'm addressing this issue is that no one else seems willing to provide context in these situations, not even the so-called "news" applications. TikTok and Twitter have become breeding grounds for misinformation, as people seek attention and likes. It's disheartening to witness how easily words like "Nazi" or "racist" are thrown around simply because someone doesn't approve of the person an artist is dating.

As an artist myself, it's concerning to see how quickly people believe things based on out-of-context 60-second videos or viral and impulsive tweets sourced from TikTok and Twitter. I understand that neither Matty Healy nor Taylor Swift should have to address this situation, and it's unlikely that they will.

This thread aims to offer context and explanations for some of Matty Healy's controversial and "problematic" comments. It includes discussions about the infamous "ghetto gaggers" comment and the recent ice spice comment. Unfortunately, the community on the 1975 subreddit seems unhelpful as they discourage discussions about current events, even when seeking clarity or defending the group. A very useless subreddit with useless mods. Every topic will have sources.

1. “Matty Healy is Islamophobic.”

Let's address the misconception that Matty Healy is Islamophobic. His views on religion are not targeted solely at Islam; he holds an anti-organized religion stance. It is essential to understand that his concerns lie with the principles of organized religions as a whole, including Islam. People often label him as Islamophobic because he retweeted tweets from Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a well-known Somali activist who has left Islam and openly shares her reasons for doing so. Ayaan Hirsi Ali speaks out against various issues that women and young girls face, drawing from her own experiences as a former Muslim woman.

A particular incident that left an impression on me was when Ayaan Hirsi Ali made a short film discussing her departure from Islam and the oppression faced by women. As a result, both she and the director of the film received death threats. Tragically, her friend, the director, was later murdered by an Islamic terrorist. By retweeting the account of this credible and respected woman, Matty Healy was not displaying Islamophobia.

He had tweeted:

“I saw a film about Islam the other night, with people saying things like ‘I’m a Muslim and I’m white’ or ‘I’m a Muslim and I’m an American’ or ‘I’m a Muslim and I'm a patriot.’ You didn't see any ‘I’m a Muslim and I’m gay.’ Or ‘I used to be a Muslim and I'm fine”

And

“Isis are cutting little girls heads off and you want to challenge a non-religious, humanist perspective? I don’t understand the world at all.”

Criticism ensued following these retweets, especially during a time when openly expressing any criticism of Islam was considered unacceptable. Matty Healy received criticism on Twitter for the retweets.

One individual, who was both a Harry Styles fan and a Muslim, expressed disagreement and sought to educate him on Islam. Matty Healy's response, "I resent being 'educated' on religion by a Harry Styles fan account. Not having a go at him obvs, but it's hard to take seriously," should be understood in the context of a young fan displaying bias in favor of her own religion due to her age and limited perspective.

While Matty Healy acknowledged the criticism, it's worth noting that engaging in debates with young individuals on Twitter, particularly those in the age range of 12-22, is not his preference. He rightfully points out that trying to argue with someone who lacks the necessary understanding or context can be unproductive.

In this case, it wasn't about dismissing the person's views solely because they were a fan of Harry Styles, but rather because of the combination of their young age and their inclination to defend their own religious beliefs without considering broader perspectives. It's worth noting that engaging in meaningful discussions on complex topics like religion requires an open mind and a willingness to consider multiple viewpoints.

It's important to acknowledge that many religions have historically exhibited forms of sexism and misogyny.

2. “Kissing fans/underage fans”

Don’t know where this particular rumor started but here we go.

So, in 2022 during a concert a fan who was of age (22!!) had a sign that was like “it’s my birthday be my first kiss” and kept waving the sign. Matty noticed it and kept asking her over and over again that she was of age, had a stage crew member check her ID, asked her if it was okay, and then it happened.

In another incident, he kissed a 24-year-old fan, and various individuals attempted to speak on her behalf, claiming that she felt uncomfortable. She came out and said differently.

Regarding the notion that "kissing a fan is an imbalance of power," it can be argued that this statement is overly simplistic. While it is true that celebrities kissing their fans is not an everyday occurrence, it does happen on occasion. One example is Halsey, who has been involved in such incidents (although there was controversy surrounding one instance where there were allegations of the fan possibly being underage, the veracity of which I cannot confirm). It is important to consider each situation individually rather than making sweeping generalizations about power dynamics in all such cases.

Some individuals criticized him for checking IDs before kissing fans, with one viral tweet implying that his thoroughness in verifying the ages of the fans he invites on stage to kiss suggests he has engaged in sexual activities with underage girls. However, such insinuations are unfounded and unwarranted. It is not unreasonable for him to check IDs as a precautionary measure and ensure that he is engaging with consenting adults. In fact, verifying the age of participants is a responsible and necessary action given the potential legal and ethical implications. Therefore, labeling his actions as weird or inappropriate for checking IDs is unjustified.

3. “Matty Healy is a Nazi”

No, he isn't. This particular criticism appears to be the most unfounded of them all, as if words have lost their meaning. Before addressing it, however, I want to express my dislike for certain fans who deny that he imitated a Nazi salute. It's evident that he did an imitation as a satirical reference to self-identified Nazi, Kanye West. The context is important: during a performance of the socially conscious anthem 'Love It If We Made It,' he made the salute while singing the lyric 'Thank you Kanye, very cool!' which references Trump's infamous tweet thanking Kanye for his endorsement. Matty has discussed this further in his statements.

I’m a history buff. So I know a lot about most history, but mostly fascist history. But let’s talk more about “what/who is a Nazi/what do modern day nazis believe in?”

Nothing that Matty Healy believes in. The modern day Nazi is mostly known as a “Neo-Nazi.” Neo-Nazi literally means “new-Nazi” or “revived Nazi” and it refers to people who have adopted ideologies similar to those first identified with the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany under Hitler between 1933 and 1945. “Nazi” is a contraction of the German words meaning “National Socialism”. Nazis used to be more so known for their opposition to communism and for their mastery in propaganda.

Another controversial way this song was involved in yet another controversy was when it was first mentioned that an innocent black man named George Floyd had died at the hands of a police officer (a Nazi) named Derek Chauvin.

In response to this incident, many celebrities and individuals with platforms spoke out about the situation. In a now-deleted tweet, the singer wrote, 'If you truly believe that 'ALL LIVES MATTER,' you need to stop facilitating the end of black ones.' Healy included a link to the band's song 'Love It if We Made It,' which addresses racism and police brutality through its lyrics.

Many people falsely expressed outrage and insinuated that he did it for 'views' or to 'promote his music.' Firstly, such a claim is preposterous, considering the song was released in 2018, and in 2019 alone, nearly 1,000 people were killed by the police. It is important to note that artists do not primarily generate income from streaming, but rather from touring and selling merchandise. Though I haven't had the chance to tour myself, based on the discussions I've had, it is a significant source of income for artists, covering their expenses. That's precisely why merchandise is sold at concerts. To put it into perspective, artists typically keep 85% of their touring revenue from each venue. If they sell items like shirts, hoodies, vinyls, hats, and more, at an average price of $25, selling 200-500 items would generate $5,000-$12,500 from merchandise sales alone.

If he had intended to profit from the situation, he would have done so through merchandise, using George Floyd's face or name to make money in connection with his lyrics. Sharing a link to his song when an issue arises does not make it about him; it is his way of expressing his thoughts on the crisis. I tend to ramble a bit, but with my music, I attempt to address questions in a more structured manner. I assume that when Matty shared the link, his intention was to convey 'this is how I feel about it,' as people were urging him to speak up.

He subsequently apologized and clarified his intent, stating, 'Sorry I did not link my song in that tweet to make it about me. It's just that the song is literally about this disgusting situation and expresses it more eloquently than I can on Twitter.”

4. Matty Healy watches torture p*rn of black women/C*MTOWN, The Adam Friedland show/ghetto gaggers.

Firstly, if you're not familiar with the podcast Cum Town, it can be summarized as exactly what you'd expect. The episodes of Cum Town usually ran for approximately 60 minutes and were predominantly improvised. The show primarily revolves around a collection of explicit sexual humor and political commentary. Additionally, The Adam Friedland show can be regarded as a spin-off of Cum Town.

According to Wikipedia and feedback from listeners of the podcast, a prevalent theme of the show is centered around crude puns, rhymes, and sexually explicit scenarios, often involving well-known figures like Louis C.K., humorously referred to as "Louis SeemsGay." The show also occasionally incorporates ethnic and racial stereotypes into its comedic repertoire.

The humor of the show is primarily based on dark comedy, often featuring jokes that mock racial stereotypes and those who perpetuate or believe in them. It shares a similar style to that of South Park and many stand-up comedians. However, it's important to note that if this type of humor doesn't resonate with you, it simply may not be your cup of tea. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and personal preferences. Cum Town/The Adam Friedland show are leftist shows. They use vulgarity as a way to make their point, they’re considered “Dirtbag Left.” Click orgins of this Wikipedia page and you’ll see it listed as an example.

On February 9, 2023, Matty Healy appeared as a guest on the Adam Friedland show. Interestingly, this episode gained attention as people were searching for things to criticize Matty Healy for, starting with the Nazi salute controversy. Subsequently, they discovered a podcast episode featuring Matty Healy on TAFS, which they then seized upon.

During a random part of the show, Adam Friedland brought up a story claiming that Matty Healy was caught watching explicit content called Ghetto Gaggers by a person named Olive, who had gone back to retrieve her water bottle. Adam chuckled as he shared the story, mentioning that immediately after hanging out, explicit content played on the tv via airplay mode. Matty responded by questioning the behavior of airplaying pornography and even jokingly calling it psychopathic. The following conversation is a transcript of what was said by who and when. The conversation is color coded. Adam will be red, Matty will be purple and Nick will be green. As I don’t want to keep going “and ____ responds” over and over again.

Adam goes on laughing saying

“30 seconds after the hang just hardcore pornography. I heard that story and the only thing that bothered me was the air playing”

And Matty responds

“what you text me immediately being like I need the info on this story. Like how psychopathic do you have to be to like airplay porn on the TV?”

then Adam goes on and says

“I remember when porn on the phone became a thing and everybody’s like oh this is weird and it’s like no this is what I always wanted to be, i want to be hun hunched over have the phone jammed in my face you know jacking off on my own face”

“Edging for two days”

“Yeah crumpled up”

Nick says “well you’ve been doing porn on the Apple Watch”

Matty sarcastically says “oh no way for real? :O”

“that would be so sick”

“Like images. This is how James Bond jacks off”

“yeah just a yoga class filled with fat black women and one guy just on his phone, one guy jacking off and people were like “are you jacking off to us? and they’re pleasantly surprised yeah and he’s like no there’s women of size on my watch, my Apple Watch and then they say yeah you’re fired from Apple, you’re fired from coming up with that idea”

Well i was there it wasn’t just 30 seconds it was the combination of the fact that was you’re not exaggerating it’s just 30 seconds like you guys were still waiting outside she came back in i was already flustered like i was dressed as guy who was jacking off so i had untucked shirt and i think it literally was ghetto gaggers was on the tv it’s just somebody getting like brutalized and it wasn’t like some cool sceney New York art girl it wasn’t like “oh I’m sorry it doesn’t matter “ (matty says this imitating a rough, dirty person with like rasp) but it was little Olive, who comes in” (matty starts doing a preppy British imitation of Olive) and says “I’m so sorry-“

Adam chimes in with “yeah she’s like britishly apologizing”

And matty goes non chantly “and I’m like yeah it’s fine, it’s fine it’s okay. Well 10 minutes would’ve been fine but 30 seconds was like it was kinda almost like i was worried that was offensive”

“I think when you’re a guy living alone the order of operations is you before you go to sleep you just have to Jack off”

“you said to me, you said to me”

And Adam cuts him off like “sorry I’ve got a story to tell” and he talks about a guy he used to live with(?) who brought home a girl, had dinner, he struck out she got drunk and slept on the couch he went inside his room and started blasting pornography loud hoping she’d hear it and I’m trying to sleep” and the whole group laughs at it.

Then Adam goes to speak about a product for an ad or whatever . And that’s literally it .

(38:40) is the beginning of the conversation.

It seems like the conversation between Matty Healy and Adam Friedland involved sarcasm, but certain individuals deliberately shortened the podcast clip to create a misleading impression. Consequently, people who came across that shortened clip may have started watching it without understanding the context and thus formed misconceptions.

In my personal opinion, it is evident that the story shared during the podcast episode was not genuine. Upon watching the full clip, it becomes clear that the story lacks coherence and does not align with the overall context. It seems to have been created on a whim, similar to other improvised scenes they engage in during the show. Taking the full clip into account and examining the story in its entirety, it becomes apparent that the narrative was not meant to be taken seriously or as an accurate account of events.

When Matty retells the story, he claims that Adam and Nick were waiting outside his trailer while he engaged in the act for precisely 30 seconds. It seems illogical for Adam to text Matty for details if they were already waiting outside the trailer. Additionally, if Matty was indeed watching explicit content and masturbating, it is reasonable to assume that the trailer door would be locked, making it unlikely for others to witness the act.

Overall, it is important to approach this story with skepticism. Believing that Matty watched Ghetto Gaggers solely based on this account seems unfounded and lacks credibility.

I want to clarify that I don’t believe Adam Friedland watches Ghetto Gaggers, either. My understanding of Ghetto Gaggers is similar to his, I believe. Before I explain how I even know of such content, I want to emphasize that I am not a fan of pornography in any form.

On Twitter, there is a prevalent joke or gimmick among popular male accounts, often known for copying and pasting tweets or becoming the target of jokes from their own followers. When these accounts gain viral tweets, it is common for someone to reply with an inappropriate video or picture, seeking a reaction from others. These videos are often extreme and fall into the realm of unethical pornography, deliberately posted to provoke a response.

In response to such replies, the OP hides the video from being directly seen in the replies. Another person, either the OP or a follower, then quote tweets the popular tweet with a message like “DON’T CHECK HIDDEN/DON’T CLICK HIDDEN/DON’T LOOK AT HIDDEN,” intending to entice others to view the hidden content. This is a specific aspect of Twitter culture that might not be familiar if you are not active on the platform.

can provide examples of tweets that employ this gimmick and hide content using GG (Ghetto Gaggers) if needed. A lot of the “DONT CHECK HIDDEN” with ghetto gaggers clips have been deleted or the accounts have been removed so struggling to find any account where the hidden video is that but that’s alright. Just type in “DONT CHECK HIDDEN” on twitter search bar. Also, NSFW for a lot of these examples.

1. Nsfw (look at the replies)

2. hidden reply (the account that posted the hidden comment is notorious for posting such content. I did a quick scroll and already saw black fetish content)

3. Yeah I’m not showing anymore for your sake and mine.

5. “Matty Healy trashes Ice Spice, says racially charged comments at her, said racist things about her made fun of her”

Other part to bring up was the Ice Spice thing? Ice Spice, the rapper isn’t Hawaiian or Asian in any sense, the hosts and Matty know this. Matty didn’t say anything racist about her, the hosts made the joke. I don’t believe people know that Matty Healy is British because the ones in the podcast that even make such remarks are clearly American. The following is a transcript of the conversation:

Matty: “Ice spice, you know who that is?”

Adam: “Nick does know who she is. She’s like one of the spice girls”

Matty: “She’s a rapper from the Spice Girls.”

Adam: “Inuit Spice Girl. Just this chubby Chinese lady.”

Adam: *Mimicking Asian accents* “I rap music.” Do they talk like that?

Matty:” They don’t talk with a Chinese accent.”

Nick: It’s more Hawaiian style.

Adam: *Pops mouth*

Matty: “Yeah, more Hawaiian. Welcome to Hawaii.”

Adam: “Locals only.”

Matty: “Yeah, that’s what Ice Spice is like.”

Nick: “She’s a very attractive woman who released one song, and basically everyone…”

Adam: “So, you slide into her DMs and go, ‘So what are you, a f**king Eskimo?’”

Matty: Yeah, yeah, that’s what I was like, you f**king dumb- yeah.”

That was the extent of the interaction, which was clearly intended as satire. Matty did not make any racist remarks.

It’s worth noting that Adam is known for doing impressions, as mentioned on his Wikipedia page. Mocking accents can be seen as humorous to some people, and the intention behind such humor is often to be offensive. The concept is that the joke would not be funny if it weren’t offensive. However, if you don’t find it funny, that’s okay. If you consider laughing at such corny satirical jokes as racist, then the same argument could be applied to shows like Family Guy, South Park, and others that make fun of certain beliefs. It’s important to recognize that Matty did not participate in the impressions.

In my view, racism goes beyond stereotypical accents of certain groups and involves systemic discrimination. People who grew up during the “your fave is problematic” era on Tumblr may have been influenced in a way that hyper-focuses on superficial issues like hairstyles and tattoos in different languages, while real issues affecting black people and other minorities, such as employment, housing, and food insecurity, are neglected due to factors like bad credit or minor offenses.

It’s crucial to choose our battles wisely and prioritize addressing systemic racism and inequality rather than getting caught up in trivial matters.

Regardless of personal opinions or feelings, it seems likely that they will continue to see each other. There have been previous reports and articles suggesting that they had a romantic history. One article, dated back to 2015, quoted Matty Healy discussing his troubled relationship with the press. It mentioned his connection to Taylor Swift, explaining that although nothing happened between them, the media’s interest in Swift created an unsettling presence for Healy. He expressed his discomfort with being scrutinized and judged by the world of fame.

It’s interesting to observe that people are now acting concerned about their involvement together, while they remained silent when Taylor Swift performed “The City” at one of the 1975 concerts or when Matty Healy assisted her with her album. It’s worth noting that they had a previous relationship as well.

It can be exhausting to witness Matty Healy’s name trending for trivial reasons, and it’s frustrating to see the out-of-context video from the Adam Friedland show circulating repeatedly. Moreover, labeling him as a bigot is far from accurate, as he has shown support for various political causes.

To gain a more comprehensive understanding, I would recommend watching the following videos where he expresses his views on specific political issues: there’s so much more but I CBA to find them but you can

1. Abortion

2. Gay rights/donated to LGBTQ center in England

[pinktwingirl]

Hi everyone. I wanted to make this post clarifying a few things since I have been on the receiving end of a lot of anger and frustration for defending Susan Sarandon. I have stated before that I believe a lot of people’s assessments of her controversial statement are an incorrect interpretation of what she meant. I don’t believe she was saying that Jewish Americans are “privileged” or have never faced any kind of discrimination; anyone with half a brain cell knows that’s not true. Instead, I believe what she was insinuating was that Jewish Americans have not faced the same level or amount of discrimination that Muslims have. Now, let me be clear on this: while I myself am not religious, I do come from a Muslim family and I have been on the receiving end of Islamophobic and racist harassment before. So when I see people being blacklisted for supporting Palestine while Amy Schumer and Noah Schnapp can make Islamophobic jokes and call all people in Gaza rapists with no repercussions, I can understand why someone might come to the conclusion that Muslims are the ones that “have it worse” in this country. However, I reject this assessment for two reasons: Firstly, I really don’t think Ms. Sarandon is in any position to be determining which group faces “more discrimination” given that she is neither Jewish nor Muslim herself and therefore has no personal experience with receiving either type of bigotry. Furthermore, (and I truly hope that Ms. Sarandon realizes this as well), the argument of “which group has it worse” is a pointless conversation anyway. At the end of the day, bigotry is bigotry, regardless of who is on the receiving end of it, and all forms of bigotry are interconnected. You cannot fight antisemitism without also fighting Islamophobia and vice versa. So I agree that her comment was invalidating to the pain that Jewish Americans have suffered and it was not something she should have said. However, being making one insensitive and ignorant comment is not the same thing as being antisemitic. I have looked at her history of activism, and the ADL has unfairly labeled her as an antisemite for years simply for speaking out against Israel, when she has not done or said anything that I think warrants that accusation. She has made her stance against antisemitism clear and has worked with many Jewish peace activists as well. There is also no doubt in my mind that the reason she was dropped is because she made the remark at a pro-Palestinian protest and not because some people found it offensive. There are plenty of Zionists who are also Christian nationalists and have said INSANELY antisemitic things, but as long as they support Israel, nobody bats an eye at it. I understand not everyone will agree with me on this, nor do I expect them to. But at the very least, I think people should have an accurate understanding of what she was trying to say before forming an opinion. Thanks for taking time to read this and I hope you guys are taking care of yourselves in these difficult times.

[ara-line]

r/FauxMoi has piss on the poor reading comprehension (at best).

Let me make this clear: This is a post about leftist antisemitism. Specifically, how so many pro Palestine people spread antisemitic logic and accuse Jews of being racist if they discuss antisemitism, but don't bring up Palestine. If you are going to derail this by bringing up Palestinians and Muslims being antisemitic like these posters did here when someone said that people don't understand Zionism, please stop and ask yourselves why that's necessary. If you wouldn't derail a conversation about how KOSA and trans rights are being stripped away in the US to make a point about LGBT rights being worse in other countries, ask yourself why you feel it necessary to bring up Islam in a post about leftist antisemitism. You are no better than the people on r/FauxMoi, who consistently derail conversations about antisemitism with Palestinians as a convenient tool. Antisemitism and Islamophobia go hand in hand, and whataboutism and derailing conversations like this do not benefit anyone. Please stop.

Now onto our main subject, r/FauxMoi, a celebrity gossip subreddit:

Take this article by Iliza Shlesinger. It's pretty nuanced, says that Hamas and Palestine has been conflated and that's terrible, and that she doesn't agree with how they've been treated. She also says she sympathizes with their suffering. She repeatedly says Hamas is bad, not Palestinians are bad. She also says Israel isn't perfect either. She just wants people to understand if they can say that Hamas and Palestine are not the same, neither should Israel's government and its citizens be treated as the same either. I appreciate the point she makes about how hard it is to have a nuanced conversation about Israel and Palestine. She's using this as a larger look at antisemitism and how it seeps into progressive movements. This is pretty much what this piece is about.

This got posted to r/FauxMoi. I'll let you read the comments section if you want, but these ones are notable to me.

This article mentioning what Steven Spielberg has to say about October 7 along via an organization documenting post Holocaust antisemitism got posted to the subreddit.

Spielberg is making a statement via the USC Shoah Foundation and they are derailing that to focus on Palestinians. Yes, they deserve attention, and no, how you're going about it is wrong. Conversations about antisemitism should be allowed to take place without having to derail it to talk about other forms of bigotry. These commenters would rightly callout Islamophobia if a Muslim talking about their experiences with Islamophobic rhetoric had their experiences derailed by some asshole pointing out how many Muslim majority countries outlaw homosexuality.

Moving on.

Then this post showed up on a celebrity gossip sub for whatever reason. Why it did I don't understand. Take your guess.

This one is just for the antisemitism on the sub. At some point, I'm going to have to discuss some of the other forms of bigotry I've seen there too. But the antisemitism is pretty important to highlight.

[omegawizardposting]

This will probably be the last time I post about I/P on this blog, because frankly, I see enough antisemitism from other supposed leftists every day. I do not need it in my inbox and notifications, too.

(Also there are simply more productive things I can do to support Palestinians than post on tumblr.)

What it all boils down to, in my view, is that if you are going to post about I/P, you have to do your due diligence. You have to recognize that both Palestinians and Israelis are human beings, and that neither group deserves to face violence or oppression. You have to be careful not to fall for Islamophobic and antisemitic rhetoric.

On the left, I see antisemitism more prominently, which is why I'm talking about it today. I am an American leftist, and I have watched my Jewish friends become more withdrawn, less vibrant, since October 7th. The consequences of that day, of Hamas' rule in Gaza, of Netanyahu's tyranny, have impacted them, even on the other side of the world. They no longer feel safe in leftist spaces. They fear that greater violence against their people is on the horizon. They recall stories their parents and grandparents told them of "how it started".

So I worry for them as much as I do my Muslim friends. I know how deeply ingrained antisemitism is in many socities. I know how often Jews have faced violent expulsion, even from their own ancestral homeland.

It's important to talk about the plight of Israeli citizens alongside that of Palestinian citizens. Neither Hamas nor Netanyahu are your friends, but only one of these is spoken of. Only one draws the ire of leftists. In fact, some leftists celebrate the other. They do this while spreading blood libel and claiming that Jews control the media.

This is what I mean when I ask, "Are you pro-Palestine or anti-Jew?" Are you doing anything to support Palestinians, or are you spreading antisemitic rhetoric and calling it revolutionary? Are you bringing this same energy to other, equally violent conflicts (Jordan and Syria, Turkey's oppression of the Kurds), or is it no Jews, no news? Are you uplifting Palestinian voices, or are you shouting down Jews who ask the bare minimum of you as a self-proclaimed ally?

I ask my fellow goyim to check themselves and those close to them. You will not free Palestine with Jew-hate. You will not protect Palestinians with blood libel. You will not end this conflict with Nazi rhetoric.

The path forward will be walked together, or it will not be walked at all. Pull your heads out of your asses and take my hand.

[fleetstreetpies]

Hi friends.

This past year has been terrifying, heartbreaking, uplifting, soul crushing, and every experience in between. I’ve lost a lot of my family, both stateside and abroad. I’ve raised my GPA in college. I’ve been at the same shitty retail job. Dear god. It’s been a long year.

It’s the anniversary of 9/11 again, and I think this year is probably going to be the worst for anti-Arab and Islamophobic hate crimes since 2001. They’ve been progressively on the rise since Trump’s presidency began back in 2016, and have accelerated since the start of the genocide against Palestinians (yknow, the one where I lost a lot of my family). Anti-Arab racist propaganda most news outlets and social networks feed the American public has been on the rise and spreading like wildfire. And this year, the twenty-third anniversary of one of the largest scale terrorist attacks in the United States, I feel is going to be the worst.

The United States of America did experience a great loss of life during the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, and during the passenger reclamation of the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. Those 2996 people had families, friends, pets, and colleagues who loved them and valued them so deeply. And the people who have died from smoke inhalation and the diseases related to smoke inhalation over the past 23 years have just as many loved ones. These are people and families and communities and friends, not numbers.

One of my mom’s best friends was working in the Pentagon at the time of the attack. She was on the other side of the building in a meeting when the plane crashed. She survived. 184 of her colleagues and friends did not make it home that night. 184 never made it back from work. 184 people would never see their spouses and kids, would never go to a bar to watch a big sports game with friends, would never see their friends getting married or having kids, would never call their moms or dads again.

184 people died. They died. And that was only one of the attacks.

Their lives do not go unremembered.

Neither do the thousands and even millions of lives lost in the Middle East.

In the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, approximately 1,445,590 innocent Muslims in countries across the seas were killed in invasions by the United States. The goal was to eradicate terrorism, but the end result was another terrorist regime replacing the last. America itself often became the terrorist regime, even if only temporarily. Innocent people have died, and their blood is on America’s hands.

This doesn’t even begin to cover the murders and violence against Arabs and Muslims in the States.

People in other religious and philosophical communities, including but not limited to Sikhs, have been and still are being attacked.

My fear is that this year is going to be worse. Hate crimes are already rampant. People who are just trying to go to work or to school are being harassed, threatened, assaulted, or even killed. It’s not right to just sit back and not acknowledge that. People can twiddle their thumbs and turn the other way all they want, but in the end these are people with families who are in danger.

And I get it; this is small potatoes compared to what’s happening overseas. I know that intimately well. But PLEASE. I beg of you. Your Arab, Muslim, Sikh, etc. neighbors, friends, coworkers, family, and in-laws are all people too. They have families. They are alive. This September, keep them safe. Don’t speak over them. Amplify their voices.

Keep talking about Palestine, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen. Keep talking about what’s happening elsewhere. Keep talking about persecution of Muslims and Arab people. Keep talking about how misconceptions about other religions and cultures are spread in the US/global north. Keep talking about it. Keep calling genocide and apartheid states out for what they are. Keep speaking up and showing up. Use your vote. Use your platform to reduce harm that comes to others. Make it so that people CANNOT look away. All eyes on these places, and on genocide the world over.

No more lives lost. Never again, for anyone.

— an exhausted Arab Jew

[saninthebuilding]

I just want to say that to all those who don't know what's going on- Islamophobia is on the rise again and hate crimes are getting more frequent and bold.

Muslims from everywhere are going out to the masjid more often because it is Ramadhan, and these attackers are taking advantage of this fact by showing up to our masjids and walking in during prayers to spread fear and hate.

Markham masjid just had someone walk in and start tearing the Quran up in front of people who had come to pray Fajr, only to get angry when attendees began to restrain him. He then proceeded to go outside into the parking lot, get into his car, and try to run people over, all before he was arrested on site.

A masjid in New Jersey just had someone break in, jump 6 six rows of people who were praying, and stab the imam leading the prayer, before attempting to escape.

Ramadhan is the month in which Muslims are trying their best to get close to Allah (SWT), which means attending the masjid more often- almost every night for Isha and Tarawih prayers. Islamophobes are using this to their advantage and attacking Muslims within the comfort of their own masjids- a space which is meant to be safe and sacred.

I am a Muslim, and I am proud to be a Muslim. It is unfair that I have to watch my fellow Muslims go through these experiences or even experience them myself just because of our choice of religion.

However, at the end of the day, I am a human as well. I should be able to express my religion openly and proudly. I should be able to walk down the street just like anybody else without the fear of being run over or given weird looks at bus stops or stopped on the sidewalk and having derogatory slurs shouted at me. I should be able to go to the masjid and pray without wondering if someone will try to harm me or my friends mid-prayer. I should know that even before something happens, people will take suspicions seriously and in the case of an actual incident, real change will be made.

No one has a right to demean a religion just because it is something that does line up with your understanding of what is "right." You have no right to degrade someone who chooses to wear the hijab out of modesty, nor do you have the right to walk into the sacred spaces as you please and begin tearing up holy scriptures. You have no right to disturb people while they are praying nor do you have the right to get upset when you are told that what you are doing wrong.

Both I and all Muslims around the world deserve the right to security when it comes to practicing my religion of choice, as does everyone else. It is unfair that only when things like hate crimes and menacing acts increase do people begin to pay attention to the long-standing issue of Islamophobia.

More people need to be aware of what is going on and need to understand that this is wrong. Regardless of whether you are a Muslim or not, neither you nor I should be a victim of such experiences.

[lestatlovesboypussy]

I feel bad but the only reason I think Sam is being nominated is because they're trying to set up buzz for season 3, since Jacob won't be the lead anymore and we don't know how much Delainey will feature. If it was season 1 and 2 together I'd completely get nominating Sam but Assad took it this season on it own.

I wonder the gloves only allow one nom per category per show or if they didn't want to risk splitting the vote/decision making and neither getting nominated.

Anyways still rooting for Sam to get a nom.

I dunno, for me, in this cultural moment, casting aside Assad in this particular season feels really rancid. There may have been practical reasons for AMC to do this, as you and others have outlined, but to me it feels bad to nominate Sam, the white actor, with the smallest role in season 2 out of the 5 mains over Assad, the Muslim/South Asian actor, who was the supporting actor with the most screen time and the meatiest role besides Jacob and Delainey. And all this during unprecedented Islamophobic, xenophobic, racist hysteria across the US and the world. I just don't like it.

And like I said in my tags, I do want to see Sam nominated for and winning awards, but I don't think season 2 is the hook to hang his hat on when like you say he is going to be the lead in season 3.

I just think that it is a real shame. And I don't blame Sam and I don't blame the writers. It'll be the execs who've made this decision. I'm just frustrated also with the way parts of the fandom is turning this into a "stan" thing when, for me, I love both Sam and Assad and what they do - they are both absolute masters of their craft - but I just personally feel uncomfortable that Assad's work is seemingly going under appreciated by the people at the top. That's all! I really do mean it when I say it's no shade to Sam. Let's be real he would probably agree that Jacob, Delainey and Assad all deserve nominations!

[tetsunabouquet]

Now, I never saw articles about this yesterday so I'm a day late to the news that Geert Wilders gave up on his position to be Prime Minister of my country. Whilst his islamophobia is a little too extreme for my tastes, I am still clapping in my hands at the grace that he has. Because I do think that he has been demonized too much with nicknames like the 'Dutch Trump' and whatnot. Do you see Trump giving up on becoming the president if he had the most votes? I don't think so! Geert Wilders is an islamophobe, but that's all he's ever been. Any xenophobic statement he's made can be traced to his hatred for muslims. Any actual racism like having made statements that insinuate black people are inferior? No. That's Thierry Baudet. Having a strong anti-woke campaign that also targets the LGBT? No. That's Thierry Baudet. Who's party wasn't one of the 4 right-wing parties that received the most votes and neither was he invited by Geert to join the coalition. (Considering I don't use Twitter anymore I wonder if Thierry wrote some election poetry last year like his quotes of the owl of Minerva has landed or whatever the fuck he was moaning about) The fact he is willing to put his country first because the other parties won't form a cabinet unless he steps down, is only showing how his party cares more about what needs to be done then Yesilgoz and Omtzigt do (BBB's Van Der Plas is the only one out of the three who don't mind Wilders as a PM). Because Yesilgoz has made it very clear with her every action these past few months that she's too salty that she wasn't elected as the first female PM to actually accept Wilders has won and Omtzigt despite not wanting to be PM and being a one-man party is incredibly fickle and unpredictable- many already have regretted their votes on Omtzigt and Yesilgoz alike for their unclassy behavior. I swear, when extreme islamophobes have more class and love for the country then the moral upholding politicians- its clear why he won.

[fortressofserenity]

Not quite but almost defence of Kamala Khan

When it comes to Kamala Khan, there has to be a reason why she gained her own magazine series. A nonstereotypical Muslim character is interesting to explore, which practically describes Kamala Khan in a nutshell. Admittedly I neither like nor dislike her, the stories featuring her are kind of okay. Neither here nor there, but they’re fine for what they are.

As for Dust, I have no idea why would some call her a fan favourite when Muslims don’t trust/like her in any way. Dust being this Marvel character who can turn into dust and one who is notorious for being a distortion of what Muslim women are like, yes I’m saying this as a Christian. Even if I try to be sympathetic to her, she’s never as refreshing as Kamala is.

Which is saying when it comes to the reason why Kamala has more fans than her, she is an interesting enough character to warrant appearances outside of comics whereas this never happened to Dust. I could be wrong in here, but Dust never became popular. Only an Islamophobic idiot would say she’s a fan favourite, when there’s more evidence of people distrusting her.

Like I said, I neither love nor hate Kamala Khan. But it is ridiculous to say that Dust is a fan favourite when in reality she isn’t and never was. Or for another matter, even Kate Pryde to some extent. She never held onto her own magazine series for long, compounded by that people have no idea what to do with her. She’s been a pirate, ninja, spy and assassin.

That says a lot about why she never got her own long-running series the way Wolverine got, if because there’s a solid concept behind him that makes it easier to tell stories with. Also and perhaps quite ironically, he might even be more relatable to normies the way they can’t with her. This is why he even got his own movie and she didn’t. But that would mean Kate’s not as popular as fans make her out to be.

Kamala Khan isn’t my favourite, but even then the bashing is ridiculous when you realise that Dust never became sufficiently popular enough to become an phenomenon the way she has.

[sage-nebula]

Trump was the one to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv, spitting in the faces of Palestinians who viewed Jerusalem as Palestine's capital. In his own words:

"But today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more, or less, than a recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do. It’s something that has to be done."

Trump also stated during a speech in Iowa that if he is reelected, he will not permit any Palestinian refugees to enter the United States:

"We aren’t bringing in anyone from Gaza. [. . .] If you empathize with radical Islamic terrorists and extremists, you’re disqualified. If you want to abolish the state of Israel, you’re disqualified."

Trump also called pro-Palestine demonstrations in the U.S. "pro-Jihadist rallies," but I can't find a direct quote for that, only claims that he said it.

The point is, Trump made it clear in the run up to (and during) his first presidency that he is Islamophobic and racist. He hates Muslims and anyone from Muslim-dominant countries. He has also made it abundantly clear through policy he enacted while in office and his words in this very campaign that he is staunchly pro-Israel and will not only happily let Palestinians die, but will probably drone strike Gaza and the West Bank himself to help Israel out. He'll end the "conflict" in a decisive victory for Israel.

Now you may say, "Well I'm not voting for him, I'm voting third party!" The problem is, that IS a vote for him, and here's why:

In the past handful of decades at least, Republicans have been very, very good at voting along their party line regardless of the candidate. No matter how much they quibble in the primaries, they show up at the general to vote for their guy and make sure he gets the electoral votes he needs. This is how they've won so many Congress seats, how Republicans have gotten the presidency at all. Because even when a candidate bows out of the race, they will vote for the one who beat them, because they believe the overall party goals (e.g. repealing Roe v. Wade, which they did) are more important.

So Republicans are never, ever going to vote for a third party candidate. Never. But Democrats?

The U.S. political left DELIGHTS in eating itself alive from the inside out. We are EXCELLENT at in-fighting and dividing. This is how things like George W. Bush's 2000 electoral win and Trump's 2016 electoral win happen. Because the Republicans will never break ranks, but the Democrats? Well, we care about the small details rather than the big picture, so we do. Which means that WE'RE the ones who vote third party. So it ends up being that OUR votes are split, and NEITHER the Democratic candidate nor the third party candidate has enough votes to beat the Republican candidate, and so the Republican candidate wins.

And THAT is why your third party vote is, in the end, a vote for Trump.

"But what if ALL the Dems just voted third party—"

And what if Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk decided to distribute their wealth out to the poor people who actually need it. That won't happen. Most registered Democrats are not on social media (and especially not tumblr) so they won't read this plan. They also have historical precedence to believe it won't work. They also might genuinely feel that Biden's pros outweigh his cons. They also might have never heard of the third party candidate you suggest, so on and so forth.

Look. The two party system sucks. The electoral college ABSOLUTELY sucks and should be abolished. But it's what we have to work with right now and that won't change between now and November. So if you care about queer people (especially trans people), and people of color, and women, and Palestinians, and refugees, and everyone who would be harmed by Project 2025 . . . you won't hand this election to Trump.

"Biden is funding a literal genocide!"

Yeah - and so will Trump. Like, if you don't vote for Biden, Trump will win, and he will continue to send aid to Israel - in fact, he will likely send MORE aid to Israel. That's the reality of the world we live in.

And, to be honest, any US president will support Israel. Because the USA is Israel's ally. That's how foreign policy works.

So who do you prefer?

Biden, who has helped lgbtq rights, reproductive rights, infrastructure, the environment, lowered medication costs, supported unions, and done MANY good, progressive things,

Or Trump, who we already know is awful. Who we already know will destroy any human rights Biden managed to gain. Who will not help the environment. Who will not help trans people, or immigrants, or women.

Because those are your two choices. And if you think they're the same, you are dangerous to all marginalized people.

[thoi2020]

wait i am a hindu but diaspora so i probably miss out on a lot so pls don't mind me asking :/ other than kashmir (which is obviously a huge issue) how are muslim rights being violated in mainland india? like pls pls correct me if i am wrong but i don't see muslims as a vulnerable minority? a minority, yes, but india has in general been pretty good with that. like idk my mom was chased out of her neighborhood at knifepoint during muslim riots and there were no legal repercussion so idk idk

your mom's experience and pain are of course, very valid, but modi and his govt. are hindu nationalist and they see islam as kind of the polar opposite of hinduism and "hindu values". while modi himself remains particularly quiet, his right hand man, amit shah, has no problem talking about muslims with disdain, calling them "invaders", saying shit like "india will never be muslim-mukt (free)", and this is just shit he says. there's a lot more shit that their govt does, especially the citizenship (amendment) act of 2019, which protects people who are facing religious persecution in neighbouring countries from the proceedings of illegal migration, and fast-tracking the process of indian citizenship for them. the problem, of course, is that it excludes muslim people, because, as the govt said, "they can seek refuge in islamic nations"... which completely goes against india's identity as a secular nation.

and if that wasn't enough, the modi govt has spent the odd 7 years that it has been in power, in both state govts and on the central level, spreading misinformation and islamophobic propaganda that elevates hinduism and paints islam and its followers as villains. it's the basic technique of othering the minority, calling them suspicious foreigners, creating a false image in the eyes of the hindu majority. uttar pradesh's chief minister, yogi adityanath, has said on camera that (according to him) "hindus and muslims cannot live peacefully in the same country" like it's an infallible, uncontested Truth. media that is biased towards the BJP is known for under-reporting and being dismissive of discrimination and hate crimes faced by muslims, usually at the hands of hindus, like mob lynchings over cows and beef, while never shutting up about any kind of crime by muslims, and conspiracy theories like love jihad (which is objectively islamophobic btw). i don't think i need to point out just how similar their entire idealogy is to those of nazis and white supremacists in western countries.

there's a lot more to this than i have said, but one of the scariest facts about their hindutva bullshit is that it works, especially on poor hindus, who form the majority of india, because it gives the govt a scapegoat for their own mistakes. it breeds fear of something non existant, which then turns into anger. and that's how you see people crying about "hinduphobia"... in a hindu majority country... under an extremely hindu-positive govt. but it's not just them. i have seen with my own eyes how over the past 7 years, my grandfather, who has always been a very peaceful and tolerant person, who has worked with muslims for years before retiring, has now gradually turned hateful towards them, and all it takes is 1 misleading whatsapp forward. here's a few articles to read up further on this, because my reply is neither complete nor concise lol:

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2020/09/30/how-anti-muslim-disinformation-campaigns-in-india-have-surged-during-covid-19/

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/india-muslims-marginalized-population-bjp-modi

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/islastudj.4.2.0161#metadata_info_tab_contents

https://thewire.in/communalism/this-is-what-the-modi-sarkar-has-done-to-indian-muslims

if anyone else has anything to add: opinions, readings, experiences, please feel free to!

[unbakehisbeans]

Let me tell you a little story: when I was a kid anti-Arab sentiment was huge and just a lot of general racism, you know, the usual. So I was both Arab and often the blackest person in my class at anytime, I dreaded 9/11 because I knew that people would be horrible and my teachers would have to give some lukewarm spiel about tolerance because I was in the room and the other kids would say racist, islamophobic shit. So I didn’t look like the other kids and boys never had crushes on me or would say things like “you’d be pretty if you had straight hair” and representation in the media wasn’t a huge thing, so I thought I was UGLY and I thought that’s why I got treated differently and I wanted to look white so desperately. I was so ashamed of my skin and my hair and my nose and my background, I hated that my family is Muslim, and I would have jumped at any chance to pass as white and live as a white USAmerican. And I did! All the way up into college! I figured out how to do my hair and I was staying out of the sun and all that and denying any non-whiteness, I’d tell people I was of Norwegian decent (which I am) when they asked and refuse to answer any further questions (those questions that are basically “why are you brown?”). And, you know, like neither of my parents really talked to me about race and no one ever talked about it in school, so I internalized the hell out of all that racism totally unchecked for years.

But now things are different, and I feel more or less comfortable with how I look and my cultures and wearing my dashikis, and I don’t feel the need to try so hard. I’m comfortable being openly non-white. And I’m happy now!

And all of this is why some of these underlying assumptions I see in discourse about mixed race people upset me and why I’m so adamant about talking about this kind of thing and about all the bad discourse about cultural appropriation. It’s personal! And, you know, my partner is white and I like sharing my culture with them, and when we have kids, my kids will probably be white. But I still want them to be a part of my culture, I want them to wear the clothes and speak the language and eat the food and be close to my family. They will still be Lebanese-Sierra Leonian kids! And they shouldn’t have to explain that anymore than I should have to.

So it’s personal!

[virtualcarrot]

Brief recap of what is/isn’t going on with France’s Islamophobia

In the light of Ramadan, and one probably very sincere (I do believe so) but misinformed tiktok video making the rounds, I keep seeing misinformation being spread about the Islamophobic situation in France.

So that people can pace their efforts and not waste energy worrying about things that aren’t, and so they can focus - if needs be - on things that are, here’s a quick recap:

Halal poultry ban

there is no halal poultry ban in France.

AFP debunking in English here (https://factcheck.afp.com/france-did-not-ban-halal-slaughter-poultry - Mar. 31, 2021)

a longer post I made here ( https://virtualcarrot.tumblr.com/post/648466675843334144/on-the-halal-poultry-not-ban-in-france)

Forcing Muslim-held convenience stores to sell pork and alcohol

The most recent French article I could find on the subject is from 2018. To make it short:

This convenience store, located in the disadvantaged district of Grèves, at Colombes, was sentenced last December by the tribunal of Nanterre to close down. The motive: as it sold neither pork nor alcohol, the store failed to follow the requirement stated in the lease signed with the municipal lessor Colombes public habitat, which plans for “general foods”.

[...]

At the end of the month, Good Price [the convenience store] will no longer be alone one the boulevard Salvador Allende of Colombes. On February the 28th, a hundred meters or so further on the other side of the street, a brand new, 934m² Lidl will open its doors.

(translation mine - https://www.leparisien.fr/hauts-de-seine-92/superette-halal-de-colombes-qu-on-ne-m-impose-pas-de-vendre-quoi-que-ce-soit-01-02-2018-7536084.php - Feb. 1rst 2018)

I am in no way defending this. It looks sus as hell. But truthfully I am not informed enough to actually have an opinion other than a knee jerk “wtf is this bullshit”. What I’m getting at here, is that while very symptomatic of current Islamophobic state of affairs, afaik there isn’t a specific law seeking to push all convenience stores to sell pork and alcohol.

Hijab ban

The law itself has not been voted. It’s currently being discussed and thus subject to change. While the law itself isn’t up yet, now’s the time politicians keep shoving amendments left and right into it, trying to see how far they can go and what sticks. Frankly, it’s a mess to keep up with even in French news media.  

Here’s a post with sources I made : https://virtualcarrot.tumblr.com/post/648471323984723968/hijab-ban

an article in English on the “Separatism law”: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/16/world/europe/france-law-islamist-extremism.html Feb. 16, 2021

Another one, in English  too: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/world/europe/france-islamist-extremism-bill.html?searchResultPosition=8    Dec. 9, 2020

Do I think there’s a very real risk it’ll come to be? Yes. Maybe not all of the mess being pushed for, but that’s the reason the right-wing is out of control in its additions: even if some of this comes to fruition, that’s a  success in their book.

Conclusion

I know social media news can be complex, and I myself have reblogged content about other countries whose sources I didn’t quite check deep enough, and spread biased misinformation. Still, Tiktok is NOT a source, no matter how well-meant, no matter how poignant the video. Seek sources.

That being said I am not a journalist, I can barely keep up with local news, so I can only encourage you to read the links, and then some more, from reputable sources and to check the dates.

“”Bonus””:  To give you an idea of the climate of Islamophobia in France, here’s insight on the current hysteria surrounding the concept of “Islamo-leftism”, meaning anyone on the left disagreeing with right-winged ideas. I’ve seen and heard it used in contexts that have nothing to do  with Islam in any way. It’s being used as a general umbrella term of “enemy of the State” (not quite USA red-scare level but aiming for it) : https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/02/22/france-macron-islamo-leftism/