Does Melanie have 'blood on her hands'?

[sp1814]

For a few years now, Melanie Phillips has written extensively on the evils of mass immigration, multiculturalism, and the evils of Islam, which are echoed in the ramblings of Anders Breivik.

Ms Phillips writes in the strongest terms - which is her right, but is she rignt to now wash her hands of the effects?

If someone writes a regular column denouncing (say) Jews, should they feel any responsibility for the rise in anti-Semetic attacks?

[sp1814]

http://www.dailymail....silence.html#comments

[B00]

No idea who she is, but im assuming she didn't advocate anyone going out with a gun and shooting people?

When you say washing her hands of the effects, is she that vain that she thinks her words had a direct effect on that nutter?

[Ankou]

no, i don't think so.

[sandyRoe]

When you demonise a people, whether it be the Jews in 1930's Germany, or Islamic people today, you bear some of the responsibility if your words sent killers out on their bloody business.

[sp1814]

B00

What I mean is - there are a number of commentators who don't seem to be making any sense at the moment. Had Anders Breivik been Muslim, they would have been clattering away at their PCs denouncing not only him, but the 'brainwashers' who give succour to his poltical beliefs.

Isn't this exactly what Ms Phillips has been doing for the past five years (when of course, she's not slating the gays - but that's another story)?

[Ankou]

no no no. according to this numpty,

anders did not kill for a cause, he killed because he was a maniacal mentalist.

whereas, presumably everyone who does it is sane and anti-western or summink....

[boxtops]

Breivik may have quoted her but we can't lay all the ills he rambled about at her doorstep - she's far from being the only one who's put in their four penn'orth on this subject over the years.

[jno]

nothing to do with me, squire, says she

http://www.guardian.c...ie-phillips-hits-back

Funny how ready such people are to deny their writing has any effect on anyone - sometimes.

[askyourgran]

Breivik mentions several people including Jeremy Clarkson, Winston Churchill, George Orwell, Mahatma Ghandi, Frank Field to name a few, besides Melanie Phillips. So why should she wash her hands of any effects? The man seems to have made a point of cherry picking from his sources. She didn't write his manifesto.

[cassa333]

In that case let censor free press and free thinking only have happy stories and happy thpoughts.

Bu@@er the fact people are p!ssed off with the effects of multicultraism(sic) OR anything else they don't like. Bu@@er the fact no one listens to the majority. We just have to shutdown anyone who doesn't like something. That way no one gets upsest and no one can be blamed for anything. There you go, I'v just solved the ills of the world.

[askyourgran]

Well done cassa

[sp1814]

AYG

Agreed - she didn't write his manifesto - however, what makes her any different from an Imam who brainwashes his followers with anti-Western rhetoric?

Surely there's zero difference???

[sandyRoe]

If her words have no effect, why bother reading them? (not that I do)

[sp1814]

Cassa

I fail to see what your point is. Is anyone saying that we should shut down the free press - or do you think perhaps, where people see where the free press is at fault, they should be criticised?

Are you saying that journalists are above criticism? That they should be allowed to print whatever they want without anyone taking them to task?

Why would you want that?

Seems odd.

[askyourgran]

I think most westerners are broadminded enough to read those kind of columns and ignore the message. Lets face there are always people who agree at some point, but they are not rivetted enough to go out to arm themselves intending to slaughter innocent people. It is something else to be stuck in a madrassa or whatever the imams have literally beating their anti western teachings into young impressionable minds sp.

[R1Geezer]

I have no idea what's going through your head sp, but what ever this woman has done it is not comparable to an entire religion who's stated aim is death to the infidel. Brevik is just another lone nutter who went on a rampage. Not comparable to a whole organisation where death is the stock in trade.

[sp1814]

R1Geezer

You've just proven my point - people like Ms Phillips need to be careful, because there are some who see Muslims as 'the enemy' whose lifelong goal is to murder non-Muslims.

Muslim extremists yes - but to tar all Muslims with the same brush is just...weird. I don't know why anyone would think that.

Also - can you have a look at the EDL Facebook page and describe the difference between their posts on what should be done to Muslims and the rants of Muslim fanatics - because they appear to be identical.

[rov1100]

Unfetted immigration was allowed under Tony Blair's reign and not a dicky bird was said about the consequences of failed multiculuralism which it turned out to be. You cannot put the clock back but unless you admit to your mistakes the future is grim.

Melanie Phillips was willing to stand out amongst the criticism...we need more of these individuals even at a lower level including AB and especially AOG.

[sp1814]

AYG

I've just realised that I haven't explained myself properly - the question is...if you continually write about Muslims (in general, not extremists) in the most negative terms (and EXCLUSIVELY) in negative terms - when the embers you stoke become flames, is it reasonable to expect people to critique you?

Or should we be silent?

[jno]

sp1814, a bit off the topic (but still Mail-related), you might enjoy reading this:

http://www.briankelle...s.html?SSLoginOk=true