Oppressed Minority

Bahar Mustafa: Judges people by the colour of their skin

The headlines seemed to describe an ambiguous case:

Student diversity officer in racism row could lose her job after allegedly tweeting 'kill all white men'  - Daily Mail

Bahar Mustafa: Student diversity officer could lose job over 'kill all white men' tweet   -  Mirror

Bahar Mustafa: Goldsmiths University diversity officer 'could lose job' after being accused by students of racism against white men  - Independent

Goldsmiths University diversity officer could be sacked after tweeting ‘Kill All White Men’ hashtag – BBC

An amazing similarity of headlines, but what stands out from all of them and several dozen more clones on Goggle is the use of the word “could”.

It’s a bit odd when you think about it. I mean for God’s sake why “could”? Why not  “likely to be fired” or “certain to lose job”. After all if any other sort of employee did something which is explicitly against the fundamental responsibility of the job there would there be such equivocation? For example “Police officer could be fired for dealing in drugs” or “Primary school teacher could face dismissal for supplying children to paedophile gang” would definitely jar a bit. Something basically wrong with “could” in this context.

This is especially odd because of an earlier episode where Bahar Mustafa, diversity officer at Goldsmiths University in London, had referred to somebody as “white trash” on her official Twitter account. Clearly this divisive officer is comfortable with lumping people together solely on the basis of their skin colour. Behaviour which is almost universally regarded as offensively racist. On the occasion of that hubbub cuddly Bahar did deign to concede that use of that racist epithet was “not professional”. But this very grudging admission strongly suggests that she doesn’t see anything particularly wrong in judging people in this stupid way.

The world of diversity officers is obviously privileged in this respect and its servants don’t have to respect the petty conventions and decency that apply to the little people.

Another strange aspect of the case is that Bahar is also being vilified for an act of kindness. She’s young and perhaps not yet quite hardened into the tough diversity racket, so in an understandable moment of weakness she discouraged white men from attending an “equality” event. This is like a slaveholder being abused for mercifully excluding his  slaves from a meeting on the subject of “gelding my property”. Clearly Bahar is more likeable than your average dead-eyed liberal enforcer. But it seems that no good deed goes unpunished, so I expect that an older and wiser Bahar will show no consideration for "white trash" in the future and will find some way of requiring them to attend.

No doubt it’s some strange form of the Stockholm Syndrome because even though she clearly despises me and people like me for my colour, I can’t really bring myself to hate Bahar in return. Her quirky appearance and obvious sense of humour seem to suggest a hope that at some point in the future she may see the error of her ways and turn away from the dark side.

If she’s already receptive on that score I’d like to suggest a simple thought experiment that may open her eyes to the reality of oppression at Goldsmiths and other universities across Britain. What I’d like her to do is simply this. At the next diversity event she should publically say one or more of the following statements:  

“Most terrorists are Muslim.”

“Margaret Thatcher was a brave woman!”

“The most physically abusive relationships are between lesbians!”

“Thank God for the security that our brave police provide.”

Obviously Bahar doesn’t have to believe these statements of what she very likely thinks is vile rubbish. But for the experiment to work she does need to say them as if she does mean them. Then despite the possibly very unpleasant response to them from her former friends and colleagues she mustn’t retract them for at least a few days. If she performs this very simple test, I guarantee that her eyes will be opened to what life is like for the only truly oppressed minority at her university: free thinkers.  She may be surprised to find out that all sorts of genders, colours and ethnic origins make up this group, including quite a few white men (involuntary shudder).

But if she can’t bring herself to utter the above statements with any conviction, she may like to pause to consider that members of the above most oppressed minority at universities have themselves to conceal their true beliefs and lie constantly for years on end just to survive and have any prospect whatsoever of graduating. If they can do that then surely she could steel herself for a few days of unpopularity. After all as a “ethnic minority woman” who has suffered “trauma” daily she will obviously be up to the challenge.

If she is still reluctant she might like to consider the words of one of the world’s the first  university lecturers, Aristotle: “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.” She works at a university among students and professors whose lives should be dedicated to the search for truth. In a perfect university you would obviously be able to discuss any proposition no matter how offensive or odd to arrive at the truth through debate in the manner of brainstorming.  Obviously the small-minded tabloid reading masses outside the confines of this wonderful institution might get offended at some of the things said but their bigoted idiocy shouldn’t affect anybody committed to the search for the truth.

Join us Bahar. And help us to fight for this most oppressed minority. You can be the oppressor Saul who became a Paul. Or if you prefer a more gender appropriate allusion the sex worker Magdalene who saw the error of her ways. Or perhaps you would prefer the more religiously apt old Jew who lauded  Mohammad’s prophetic wisdom as he was led to execution on the prophet’s orders.

The last one most closely matches your likely fate at the hands of your broad-minded, leftie friends should you dare to utter any of the above off message statements with any conviction.

But however nasty they get you can draw strength from the words of that dead white guy who did more than anybody else to remove the scourge of slavery from mankind, William Wilberforce:

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”