Ethnic minority women can't be racist or sexist.

[Russ]

What she's trying - and failing spectacularly - to say is generally women and BME (Black and minority ethnic) are rarely/never in positions to oppress, so because in her view sexism and racism is only used for the purpose of oppression she and her ilk can never be guilty of it.

In my last exchange with her I pointed out Mugabe and his 'land grab' efforts from white farmers a few years back, honestly I thought her reaction was for entertainment and performance purposes. She went off on one like a woman possessed and some of her followers joined in, they have the attitude of "If you're not 100% with us you're 100% against us". It was getting harder and harder to resist the urge to deliberately wind her up but fortunately I was kicked out of the group.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Taf

Attacks on white males locally have not been classed as racist even though the attackers were not white and were shouting things that many saw as racist.

Indeed, happened to someone I was at school with

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4460778.stm

[Osem]

Yes you see people like this employ the faux outrage tactic because they believe it only strengthens their argument. They also tend to equate all sorts of issues which are not linked and attach to them all sorts of hyperbole . It's why these people routinely use words like 'traumatised', 'victimised', 'abused' in connection with events which are actually relatively trivial. In order to pursue their agenda they grossly exaggerate and conflate issues and actually behave in a manner which is not dissimilar to those they say they despise. In their minds anything other that the most vehement opposition works not irrespective of how justified that might be. That's why we routinely hear about people being 'traumatised' by events that once upon a time wouldn't have even made the news.

[greeninferno]

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Racism is a one way street.

If I call someone from African descent a Black B. I'm in trouble.

They call me a White B. nothing will happen.

I think the argument would be to get a very good lawyer

Ordinary polis can't be relied upon to know/implement the law properly IMO.

[richard s]

Should the British whites not call our selves African White Britains in future - I just hate that phrase e.g. African American, etc.

[Osem]

Oh dear I seems to be getting worse for this poor woman. I'm sure it's all a sexist, racist plot perpetrated by non-ethnic minority women though...

A welfare and diversity officer caught up in a racism row could potentially lose her job for tweeting the words “kill all white men” and calling people “white trash”.

Goldsmiths University's officer, Bahar Mustafa has been at the centre of a media storm after banning white men from an event on diversifying the curriculum and stating on camera ethnic minority women cannot be racist.

Students have now started a petition for a vote of no confidence in Ms Mustafa, which would remove her from office.

The petition reads: "The current Welfare and Diversity Officer has used hate speech based on race and gender.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/12..._/?ref=mr&lp=7

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-J

Yeah, and the sooner these people, whoever they are? Stop calling their organisations / associations, names like...

Asian Faces
Society of Black lawyers
UK Black Pride
Black Students Union
Black Families Education Support Group
Etc. etc... etc....

...The better!

Yes!
that's one of the roots of it all.

they say that it's about achievement why they use the colour.
(here we go. it's the them and us again)
so if we used the White one. they'll say we're either being racist and all the rest that we could say about them having a non white gang. but we don't.

absolutely bonkers it all is.

Student unions politics is nuts. It's a playground for aspirating future Labour politicians and fringe activists. Their motions and debates rarely resonate with the wider student body who let them get on with it. Honestly very few students care about these Unions and even the politically motivated students will largely get involved elsewhere.

I remember my Uni had nonsense elections for it and the only vote I remember was when they tried to ban for Coca-Cola on campus for various stupid reasons I cannot remember. Like 99% of the rest of the student body I didn't vote but they did fail to get it passed, I assume 3 or 4 coca-cola addicts turned up and had a majority to vote them done.

They are often bizarrely illiberal as well. Chris mentioned the 'no-platform' policy but this has grown to the stage where they will interrupt and protest speakers they don't like who've been invited by other groups. I don't really have a problem with the Union itself deciding not to invite people to their own private platform - it's their choice - but preventing others from speaking in environments that are nothing to do with you is pretty objectionable behaviour.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Damien

Student unions politics is nuts. It's a playground for aspirating future Labour politicians and fringe activists. Their motions and debates rarely resonate with the wider student body who let them get on with it. Honestly very few students care about these Unions and even the politically motivated students will largely get involved elsewhere.

I remember my Uni had nonsense elections for it and the only vote I remember was when they tried to ban for Coca-Cola on campus for various stupid reasons I cannot remember. Like 99% of the rest of the student body I didn't vote but they did fail to get it passed, I assume 3 or 4 coca-cola addicts turned up and had a majority to vote them done.

They are often bizarrely illiberal as well. Chris mentioned the 'no-platform' policy but this has grown to the stage where they will interrupt and protest speakers they don't like who've been invited by other groups. I don't really have a problem with the Union itself deciding not to invite people to their own private platform - it's their choice - but preventing others from speaking in environments that are nothing to do with you is pretty objectionable behaviour.

It was the same at my uni - a militant bunch of idiots who spent far more time causing trouble than studying. Maybe that's why certain unions think it's great to strike on the basis of a paltry turn out.

Originally Posted by Osem

It was the same at my uni - a militant bunch of idiots who spent far more time causing trouble than studying. Maybe that's why certain unions think it's great to strike on the basis of a paltry turn out.

Wouldn't bother giving these people the attention really. I certainly didn't at uni. It's a world detached from reality. They don't represent the students and the only reason students join is the discount card you get. This case is even bizarre by the already bizarre standards of student unions!

[dave6x]

Originally Posted by Osem

It was the same at my uni - a militant bunch of idiots who spent far more time causing trouble than studying. Maybe that's why certain unions think it's great to strike on the basis of a paltry turn out.

Your comment brought back distant memories of the LSE Riots! Lots of student unrest there in the 60's, unfortunately I'm old enough to remember the news!

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Osem

Oh dear I seems to be getting worse for this poor woman. I'm sure it's all a sexist, racist plot perpetrated by non-ethnic minority women though...




http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/12..._/?ref=mr&lp=7

Hang on, never mind a "vote of no confidence", why is she not being arrested for inciting racial hatred for the "kill all white men" comment? The fact it was supposedly an in-joke makes no difference at all.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Russ

Hang on, never mind a "vote of no confidence", why is she not being arrested for inciting racial hatred for the "kill all white men" comment? The fact it was supposedly an in-joke makes no difference at all.

Perhaps because no one has made a complaint to them...

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by richard s

Should the British whites not call our selves African White Britains in future - I just hate that phrase e.g. African American, etc.

Considering that all humans are descended from the hominids that came out of Africa, then yes, we are equally able to call ourselves African-British.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Of course they can - anyone can be racist and/or sexist.

Being a member of a minority does not give anyone a free pass on being an ass.

The thing is, there you go introducing facts into an argument.

People are people, and regardless of their colour, gender or any other physical descriptor you care to mention, they can be offensive to other people.

Regarding this lady. I do not know what it's like, but I have a friend who was born in Belgium to a Pakistani father and Belgian mother, is a lady and is therefore arguably an ethnic minority. She also used to work for Goldsmiths and reckons that Goldsmiths is an awful place to work because of things like this.

---------- Post added at 16:56 ---------- Previous post was at 16:40 ----------

From the article:

She said: "I, an ethnic minority woman, cannot be racist or sexist towards white men because racism and sexism describes structures of privilege based on race and gender.

"Therefore women of colour and minority genders cannot be racist or sexist since we do not stand to benefit from such a system.

From the OED:

racism |ˈreɪsɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. theories of racism.
• prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior: a programme to combat racism.

No mention of privilege there. It just mentions the idea of belief that either your race is superior or others inferior to yours.

sexism |ˈsɛksɪz(ə)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. sexism in language is an offensive reminder of the way the culture sees women.
DERIVATIVES
sexist adjective& noun

Again, no mention of privilege, just discrimination based on gender.

No, going on those ACTUAL DEFINITIONS, I would argue she is racist because she is making assumptions about white people based purely on the fact they are white. I would argue that she is sexist because she is making assumptions about men based purely on the fact they are men. Who benefits (assuming anyone does) is irrelevant.

Personally, I try and avoid making judgments on people based purely on their race or gender. I make judgements on people based on how they act toward me.