Satirical responses suggest rivers of blood unlikelyFacebook has closed an "Isle of Man KKK" page exhorting locals to stem the tide of unwelcome incomers polluting the racial purity of the Irish Sea island paradise.
According to the Telegraph, the page's Grand Wizard declared: "There are too many comovers* [sic] on the Island. They are taking all of the jobs, houses and most of all they are taking advantage of our fucking Island...join us and help clense [sic] the Isle of Man."
The campaign quickly attracted the attention of kids from the island's secondary schools, with pupils from all six - including the private King William's College - joining the group. One thundered: "Damn blacks and indians [sic], coming over here taking our jobs - who the fuck do they think they are?"
Staff at Ballakermeen High School subsequently alerted Facebook. Deputy head Paul Kane said the school had "talked to each student listed as a member of the group", but declined to say if further action against them was on the cards. In fact, Kane said the pupils implicated in the outrage had actually signed up to have a pop at the group, and that the young 'un responsible for the "damn blacks and indians" jibe was mixed race and "trying to be ironic rather than serious".
He elaborated: "There are one or two ambiguous remarks from our students, but we think these were intended as sarcasm. I'm pleased that the vast majority disagree with the sentiments of this group and want nothing to do with it. We are very strongly against any racist attitudes in this school and people are left in no doubt about that."
A spokesman for the Manx Department of Education said: "The department finds the sentiment behind this site deplorable and cannot condone racist comments and viewpoints."
The Department of Education's opinion on the deplorable state of its pupils' spelling is not noted. ®
* ="comeover", an immigrant, in local parlance.
The Register
11 comments:
Isle of Man KKK? What a joke. It's probably one old racist and a crap computer.
The KKK are a bunch of nazi fools anyway but how did they ever think they would be taken seriously by referring to the boss as the Grand Wizard?
Nice to see Facebook dealing with this appropriately. At least they chose not to ignore it.
"the deplorable state of its pupils' spelling"
Probably the fault of all those damn 'comovers'.
Loony racist IoM resident in white sheet talking bollocks on a computer. It doesn't really strike me as anything to worry about. Good on Facebook though for booting him off.
its spreading
The Isle Of Man is supposed to be a highly racist place. Someone who lived there told me a couple of years back that swastikas are rife there as commn racist graffiti, and so this story does not surprise me!
Perhaps Nick "The Cyclops" Griffin should think of retiring there instead of Croatia.
'Perhaps Nick "The Cyclops" Griffin should think of retiring there instead of Croatia.'
No, no, Croatia's better. Ulan Bator better still.
Update - there's a new row now because the small Muslim community on the Island are looking for bigger premises. All the racists have kicked off again - also having a go at the Phillipino community and anyone they consider 'not Manx born and bred'. There are 2 Facebook groups - one supporting the Muslims and one against. The Muslims have been here for over 20 yrs and are a valuable part of our community. The Manx are very racist, but also very stupid. I can say that as I have Manx ancestry, but I am ashamed of these people.
I have lived on the Island over 22 yrs but am going to move back to UK as I cannot stand these narrow minded bigots a moment longer.
ps - forgot to say. There has been a deafening silence from the Manx politicians.
Please sign up to the 'New Mosque on the Isle of Man' site and support these guys. The people who oppose them didn't even realise that there was a small mosque in Douglas until now.
Come-Over
'Ignorant' rather than 'racist' is right.
I think it's more likely that it's not racist old codgers, but bored youth who do something like this. - I suspect that the IOM's main problem isn't racism, but boredom (particularly for young people).
This is why I wouldn't at all agree with calling 'the Manx' "narrow minded bigots" or saying that "The Manx are very racist, but also very stupid". Generalisations like this are incorrect and infuriating, always.
I am Manx, with all my family there, though I now live in the UK.
I cannot remember seeing a piece of swastika graffiti on the island, though perhaps I just haven't been to the right parts.
In fact, I am often surprised by the absence of racism on the island, in contrast to its dark undercurrent one feels in cities in the UK. It might be oppressive for people to live there, 'foreigners' of otherwise, due to the cultural 'narrow mindedness', but I don't think it amounts to racism, and certainly not in the way we think of it in other UK cities or elsewhere.
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