Yobs and military uniforms

BBC News report on abuse of soldiers

This morning, the BBC made a big fuss of a report about incidents of verbal of abuse of air force servicemen in Peterborough by people opposed to the war in Iraq. It was alleged that the culprits were Muslims, but I really took exception to the talk of “abuse from anti-war campaigners”. I phoned up the BBC (020 7224 2000 in the case of the BBC London station) and, struggling to get a word in edge-ways while the woman on the other end tried to bid me goodbye and get me off the line, told them that I had been involved in anti-war campaigns myself and would never dream of abusing a soldier in the street, and that they should call these people what they are - yobs.

However, the above story contains a couple of useful comments from people who have been in the forces, who say that, contrary to the loud condemnations by senior politicians of advice not to wear uniform in public in Peterborough, actually the wearing of uniform anywhere is not a good thing in this country:

It’s not like a police uniform where someone wears it to make it clear they are there to help. It’s just a reminder of an authority and power we chose to overlook in this country and seeing a uniform in public reminds many of political instability around the world or in Europe’s own history. For this reason there is a healthy mistrust of authority in this country and wearing a uniform can seem inflammatory and needless unless on duty as opposed to Japan for example, where uniform is very important and respected by many.

Whether or not they are responsible for the few incidents of abuse in Peterborough (none of which have been reported to the police), it’s depressing but true that we Muslims have our fair share of yobs, just as the rest of society does. Many of us would not dream of abusing soldiers in the street, in or out of uniform, even if (for religious or plain personal reasons, or both) we would not think of joining the Army or other armed services, with or without the present wars.

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