People in KKK robes waved crosses outside an Islamic center in Northern Ireland

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

People in KKK robes waved crosses outside an Islamic center in Northern Ireland

By Amanda Erickson October 29 at 10:58 AM

When the Bangladeshi Islamic Community Center opened in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, there was some uneasiness among the non-Muslim locals. But quickly, things settled down.

Politician Naomi Armstrong-Cotter told the Irish News in 2015 that there are “no issues.” “Groups from across the area have made an effort to integrate with them and have had cooking lessons from the Bangladeshis,” she said. “They keep themselves to themselves. There is no proselytizing going on here."

It seemed like an integration success story. “We have many businesses run by Muslims in Newtownards and many of the Muslim nursing staff at the Ulster Hospital live here,” one store owner told Belfast Live.

Then things began to change.

-snip-

And on Saturday, a group of people dressed like Ku Klux Klansmen posed outside the center. Photos of the gathering show nine people dressed in pointed hoods and white robes. Some bear crosses; others have their fists raised. One witness said he saw someone perform a fascist salute.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/10/29/people-ku-klux-klan-robes-waved-fists-crosses-outside-an-islamic-center-northern-ireland/

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[TreasonousBastard]

1. Tangerine Wankmaggot will be bragging about this...

Increased exports of white robes (American cotton) and conehead caps.

(do I really need the sarcasm thingy?)

[gtar100]

2. I wonder who thought that would be a good idea.

"Hey guys, I got a great idea..."

It takes a special kind of stupid to come up with that.

[Pope George Ringo II]

3. I can't separate this from the Brexit disaster.

NI may have voted mostly Remain, but the contradictory requirements to have a border somewhere, not have a land border, and not have a sea border are going to be impossible to square. They know that Britain doesn't really want NI nearly as much as NI wants to be part of Britain, and the whole region is afraid of being caught in the middle with no real economy of its own. A referendum on leaving the UK and joining Ireland has been floated and frankly the question is more "when" than "if".

They feel, not entirely without reason, that their cultural identity is under attack from the ancient Irish enemy, backed by most of Europe, and their own countrymen would be willing to sacrifice them in the name of convenience. They're afraid, they're desperate,they're unwanted, and they're falling back on the time-honoured plan of scared, desperate, and unwanted people under threat: Do something stupid and hurtful!

They're still working toward attacking "the other" who actually looks like they do, dresses like they do, etc. But they'll get there. This is going to get worse before it gets better.