Connect with us

Community News

The power of misinformation: Unraveling the UK riots

Published

4 months ago

on

BY KAHA GEDI

The UK riots were violent events that spread across several cities, so bad that it had “Crossed the threshold of terrorism.” These riots not only demonstrated how quickly misinformation can lead to chaos, but also exposed deeper societal problems, such as: Islamophobia, hatred towards immigrants, and a lack of understanding. As false information circulated, it fueled increased hostility towards Muslim and immigrant communities, worsening the situation. This report will examine the causes of the riots, detail what occurred during them, and explore the lessons learned, particularly how misinformation and prejudice can damage society.

The murder of three young girls in Southport, by a 17-year-old

This all started with the violent murder of three young girls in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. It was reported that a 17-year-old, who now goes by the name of Axel Rudakubana stabbed: Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, with a kitchen knife after entering the class on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside around 11:50 a.m. local time on Monday, July 29th, 2024. Eight other children had knife wounds, with five of them left in a critical condition, as well as two adults.

Axel Rudakubana is a 17-year-old who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, and possession of a bladed article (knife). The reason why I’m mentioning his background is that there were rumours of a Muslim Immigrant who committed this horrible crime when in reality it was Axel.

Fake news channel reports a Muslim immigrant killed them

The fake website Channel3Now amplified one of the first accounts on X (or Twitter) called “Artemisfornow” that the murder suspect went by the name of Ali Al-Shakati. This person claimed that he was an asylum seeker who came to the UK by boat last year and that he was on the M16 watchlist, which means he could be a possible terrorist. However, the police stated that this was false, and that this was not the suspect they had in custody.

Channel3Now has only made things worse by reporting the same misinformation on their website, which was taken down and apologized for on July 31st, 2024. Despite being proven wrong, the riots still took place in full force, to stand against the Muslim and immigrant communities. This shows how much damage misinformation can cause, and that it’s only proven wrong when it’s too late.

Times Radio has said on Facebook that this rumour was false, because the alleged Ali Al-Shakati (stabber), is 17 years old, and his name could not be disclosed because he’s a minor. Also, what was suspicious about Channel3Now was that underneath every article the author just stated their organization’s name, and that caused concern, because if they were a real news outlet they would have actual names of authors working for them.

Before the Ali Al-Shakati rumours ended, there were two main influencers responsible for riling up the people to take action, and they were none other than Tommy Robinson and Andrew Tate.

The role of Tommy Robinson, and Andrew Tate

Tommy Robinson or Stephen Yaxley Lennon an anti-Islam campaigner and convicted criminal (for causing a breach of peace) is one of the UK’s biggest Far Right activists who has peddled the hate and misinformation spread on social media. They have been heard to say things like “We have to stop radical Muslims, we have to stop Islam,” and have gained quite a bit of followers worldwide.

According to CBC, Thomas Daigle explains that “Tommy Robinson has been laying the groundwork for anger, especially towards Muslims and immigrants for his followers for years now, and all that was needed was a spark, and sadly that came last week with the mass stabbing and the deaths of three young children in Southport, England.”

He continues saying, “And what did Tommy Robinson say about all this, unapologetically, ‘don’t say I didn’t warn you.’” Where was Tommy when all of these riots were happening, well, “He was thousands of kilometers away posting about these riots from the beach soaking up the sun in Greece and Cyprus.”

Andrew Tate contributed to starting this riot by stating, “So an undocumented migrant decided to go to a Taylor Swift dance class today, and stab six little girls. I don’t see any protests in the UK. I don’t see anybody complaining. Nobody’s outside of the school, no one is outside of the police station. I don’t know what it’s gonna take for Western civilization to wake the f*** up. Your enemies are not far away, it’s domestic, they’ve been invited in by treasonist politicians.”

The riots – Wednesday, July 31st

This misinformation caused unrest on the streets of Downing Street. According to Channel 4 News, before 7:00 PM the protesters stayed in an agreed perimeter, however after they started to break out of that and started throwing flares and dispersing out to the Churchill Statue nearby. They began throwing railings and drinks toward the officers, and this resulted in more than one hundred people being arrested for many offences that evening such as: violent disorder, assaulting officers, possessing class-A drugs, and carrying knives and other weapons.

In Aldershot, a mob protest happened outside a hotel housing asylum seeker causing criminal damage, racist abuse, and intimidation. In Manchester, outside another hotel housing asylum seekers people threw bricks and bottles at police. In Hartlepool, many were arrested after officers were attacked, a police van was set on fire, and local shops were vandalized.

On Friday, August 2nd, 2024, crowds gathered in Sunderland, bricks were thrown at police outside protecting a mosque, and cars and buildings were burned. Throughout the weekend, August 3rd and 4th, 2024 in: Bristol, Belfast, Hull, Blackpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Stoke-On-Trent, Manchester, Liverpool and many other places hundreds of people were pushed back by police from the mosques they were attacking, so they directed their fury to libraries: lighting fireworks, breaking windows, ransacking the place, throwing furniture at police, petrol bombs were thrown, vehicles attacked and a hotel in Rotherham set on fire.

BBC reported protesters saying “Allah Hu Akbar.”

The BBC reported that the counter-protesters, like those who are protecting their mosques are chanting “Allah Hu Akbar,” which the West views as a war cry, someone inciting violence, and they have absolutely no idea what it means. In reality, all that means is “God is the greatest.” On the contrary, the protesters are chanting despicable racist chants like “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah,” and things like “Pakis Out.” The contrast in chants is strikingly clear, and a news outlet like the BBC should not be showing only one side of the chants.

The aftermath

These rioters have caused so much damage to their cities. People are trying to rebuild the damage done to mosques and other shops that were targeted. Channel 4 News interviewed someone who lives in the hotels that had been attacked, and they stated that “There is no humanity, they are like zombies, they burn, they want to kill, they make like that (draw a straight line over their neck gesturing I’m gonna kill you), they say we are going to catch you and if we don’t catch you today we will catch you tomorrow, and if we don’t catch you tomorrow we will catch you after one week. We are thinking that we are gonna die, and we need them to leave us alone.”

Next, they interviewed some locals nearby who said, “I could not believe this morning that this is where I’m from, and I was crying my eyes out yesterday watching it and thinking about the people inside, like that is not a way to treat a human.”

Another witness noted, “It makes me sad to be English really, because this is the kind of people that people all over the world are going to see of us.”

The UK riots, triggered by false information and deep-seated biases, show how dangerous misinformation can be. The violence, which followed a tragic stabbing incident, was fueled by incorrect reports and prejudice against Muslim and immigrant communities.

The actions of extremists do not represent the views of everyone in the UK. Many people in the country are actively working to combat hate and support their communities. Figures like Tommy Robinson and his followers need to understand that not all Muslims are extremists, and not all immigrants are illegal. Everyone, regardless of their background, has the right to live peacefully and be treated with respect.

As the affected communities work to recover, it’s important to learn from these events. We must verify information before sharing it, show empathy to all individuals, and hold media and influencers accountable for accurate reporting. Only by addressing these issues can we hope to prevent similar tragedies in the future and build a more understanding society.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Community News

Urban Alliance on Race Relations celebrates and highlights Racial Justice Award recipients

Published

3 days ago

on

December 19, 2024

By

BY PAUL JUNOR

It has been almost 40 years since the Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR) has been at the forefront of: promoting tolerance, social justice, racial equity and fairness. Since it was formed in 1975, they have celebrated and recognized changemakers in the fight for racial justice in diverse sectors such as: health, labour, government, education, arts, media, environment, and justice.

On Saturday, December 7th, 2024, there was a great turnout at the 2024 Racial Justice Awards Night held at The Estate Banquet & Event Centre in Scarborough. In attendance were many community supporters, civic officials, long-time racial justice warriors, and individuals from diverse ethnic groups.

UARR is grateful for all the sponsors of the Racial Justice Awards Night Celebration. It notes in its email to its supporters on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, the importance of its sponsors including:

  • United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) of Canada, UFCW, Local 175
  • The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 353
  • Unite Here! Local 75
  • Toronto & York Region Labour Council
  • Canadian Labour Congress
  • The Coalitions of Black Trade Union (CBTUL)

“Your sponsorship plays a vital role in shining a light on individuals and organizations driving equity, justice, and change in our communities. This celebration is more than an event, it’s a movement. Thanks to your support, we’re: honoring changemakers, amplifying unheard voices, and funding initiatives that break down systemic barriers.”

The categories and names of the awards and recipients were:

Racial Justice in Arts: Hannia Cheng

She is an artist and cultural worker who co-founded Unit 270, a DIY gallery and multi-purpose grassroots community hub in Chinatown Centre.

Racial Justice in Labour: Vanessa Story

She is the founder of the Black Youth York Region and co-founder of the York Communities for Public Education coalition.

Racial Justice in Education: Shannon Simpson

She is Senior Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Toronto.

Racial Justice in Environment: Dr. Ingrid Waldron

She is a Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global and Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University.

Urban Alliance of Race Relations Agent of Change Award: Kirk Mark

He is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Consultant at KIRK Mark & Associates.

Racial Justice in Media: Amanda Parris

She is an award-winning writer, tv host and producer, and former host of CBC Arts Exhibitionist.

Racial Justice in Health: Camille Orridge

She is former CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TCLHIN).

Racial Justice in Government: Amira Elghawaby

She is a journalist and human rights advocate who was appointed in January 2023 as Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia.

Racial Justice in Justice: South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALC0)

This legal clinic supports low-income South Asian people in Canada.

The funds raised from the Awards night will be going toward the work of the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program. This innovative and creative program is directly involved in enabling racialized youth to get paid experience working in municipal governments and at various public policy making organizations across Canada.

The performers at the event included: Katheen Zaragosa (a Filipino music performer), Rithika Jeristus & Maya Jeristus (Bharatanatyam dancers) and Yasmin Said (spoken word artist)

UARR is looking forward to its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2025 and shared five of its strategic priorities for the next 10 years including:

  • Employment and economic opportunity: The goal is to foster inclusive workspaces and economic opportunities.
  • Education: The goal is to promote racial equity in education and research.
  • Communication: The goal is to expand public awareness and reach to amplify our stories.
  • Community engagement and outreach: The goal is building community capacity and convening towards change.
  • Truth and reconciliation-relationship building and supporting calls to action. The goal is to strengthen our solidarity and action towards truth and reconciliation.

Continue Reading

Community News

What is it about those short videos that keep us captivated? Oh! Yes! Our short attention span

Published

3 days ago

on

December 19, 2024

By

BY KAHA GEDI

As our attention spans decrease, short form videos are becoming more popular. From TikTok, to YouTube Shorts, to Instagram Reels, these “snack sized” videos have positive qualities alongside the bad. Mainly we want to know what makes them so effective, and why are they becoming the go-to choice for both viewers and marketers? In this article, I will be discussing how these videos have received such popularity worldwide.

First, we need to understand what counts as and what is short-form content. According to blog.hubspot.com, “Short-form videos are videos that are less than 60 seconds long.” However, some marketers and content creators agree that short-form videos can be up to 3 minutes. “They are videos that deliver information in a ‘digestible’ format so that viewers can quickly watch and save content if they’re in a hurry or enjoy it.” Now, I’ll talk about the main reasons why these videos are so popular.

First, our attention spans have gone down exponentially. Dr Gloria Mark has written a book called “Attention Span,” and she says her research indicates people’s attention spans have been shrinking over the last 20 years. According to the same article Dr. Mark said that “Back in 2004, we found the average attention span on any screen to be two and a half minutes on average. Throughout the years, it became shorter. So, around 2012, we found it to be 75 seconds. Then in the last five, six years, we found it to average about 47 seconds.” So, it’s notable that our attention spans started out longer but then decreased over time.

Secondly, these videos have become cheaper and easier to make. Unlike long-form videos, which require extensive: planning, editing, and storytelling, short-form videos are simpler. To the point where they can even be shot on a smartphone. For example, DuoLingo, the app that helps learn new languages, went viral on TikTok a long time ago by posting funny, low-budget videos that resonate with millions. Like a video of a DuoLingo plus being: tossed down the stairs, sitting outside on a rainy day, or being soaked by the shower with the title “When you ignore my notifications.”

Lastly, they provide valuable information in a short amount of time, and they are easily accessible. According to a recent Adobe Survey, two in five Americans use TikTok as a search engine, and nearly one in 10 Gen Zeers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine. This isn’t always reliable for real news because anyone can claim to be an expert, and you wouldn’t know if they’re telling the truth. So, even though they give valuable information in a short time, they can also give misinformation or mislead you.

Short-form videos have changed how we watch and learn things. They fit our short attention spans, are easy to make, and share information quickly. Even though they’re fun and helpful, they can also spread false information or leave out important details. Even with these problems, short-form videos are here to stay, so we should use them in proportion, but also enjoy the benefits.

Continue Reading

Community News

Dr. Edward McInnis on the Importance of Preventive Care in Family Medicine

Published

3 days ago

on

December 19, 2024

By

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Preventive care is a cornerstone of modern healthcare, emphasizing the importance of addressing potential health concerns before they escalate into severe conditions. By focusing on proactive measures such as regular screenings, vaccinations, and lifestyle counseling, preventive care offers individuals and communities the opportunity to achieve long-term wellness.

Below, Edward McInnis highlights the transformative potential of prevention in reducing healthcare disparities, alleviating systemic challenges, and ensuring that every individual has the tools and access needed to lead a healthier life.

Understanding Preventive Care in Family Medicine

Preventive care in family medicine focuses on proactive measures to maintain health and prevent illness before it occurs. This approach emphasizes regular health evaluations, screenings, and interventions that identify potential issues early, reducing the likelihood of severe complications. Preventive care fosters long-term well-being by addressing risk factors and promoting healthier lifestyles while minimizing the burden of chronic diseases.

The philosophy behind preventive care aligns with the idea that staying healthy is more effective and less costly than treating illnesses after they arise. Early detection of conditions such as hypertension or high cholesterol allows patients and physicians to manage these issues effectively, preventing them from escalating into more severe health problems. Beyond individual benefits, this care model contributes to healthier communities by reducing the overall demand for healthcare systems.

Benefits of Preventive Care for Individuals and Communities

Preventive care profoundly impacts individuals and the broader community by addressing potential health concerns before they evolve into severe conditions. Early detection through routine screenings can significantly lower the risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. This improves individual health outcomes and reduces the emotional and financial toll of managing advanced diseases.

Communities prioritizing preventive care experience a ripple effect of healthier populations and reduced strain on healthcare resources. When more people engage in regular check-ups and adopt healthier habits, the prevalence of preventable conditions drops, creating a collective benefit. Individuals who invest in their health through preventive measures often enjoy longer, more active lives, positively influencing families, workplaces, and society.

The economic advantages of preventive care are undeniable, as early intervention typically costs far less than treating advanced illnesses. Vaccination programs, such as those targeting seasonal flu or childhood diseases, can drastically curb outbreaks, saving lives and reducing medical expenses. These benefits demonstrate how preventive care is a cornerstone of sustainable and effective healthcare systems.

Core Preventive Services in Family Medicine

Family medicine emphasizes various preventive services designed to address health needs across all stages of life. Regular health screenings, such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks, are critical in identifying silent health risks. These assessments provide actionable insights that allow individuals to make timely adjustments to their lifestyles or begin treatment when necessary.

Vaccinations are another cornerstone of preventive care, protecting individuals and communities from infectious diseases. From childhood immunizations to seasonal flu shots, these interventions safeguard personal health and prevent the spread of illnesses within larger populations. Counseling services, including guidance on nutrition, exercise, and stress management, empower patients to take an active role in their long-term well-being.

The Role of Family Physicians in Prevention

Family physicians play a pivotal role in fostering preventive care through their ability to build lasting, trust-based relationships with patients. These relationships enable them to understand not just medical histories but also lifestyle factors, family dynamics, and social determinants of health. This comprehensive knowledge allows physicians to craft personalized preventive strategies that resonate with each patient’s unique circumstances, ensuring a more practical approach to maintaining health.

Beyond individual care, family physicians act as educators, equipping patients with the knowledge to make informed health decisions. Whether discussing the significance of regular screenings or addressing misconceptions about vaccines, their guidance helps patients take ownership of their health.

The continuity of care provided by family physicians also ensures that preventive measures are consistently monitored and adjusted as needed, fostering long-term well-being. Their ability to provide holistic and deeply personalized care sets the foundation for healthier patients and communities.

Challenges in Accessing Preventive Care

Despite its proven benefits, accessing preventive care remains challenging for many individuals and communities. Financial barriers, such as lack of insurance coverage or high out-of-pocket costs, often deter people from seeking preventive services. Additionally, limited awareness about the importance of early detection and health promotion means that some individuals may only prioritize preventive care once a health issue becomes severe.

Geographical disparities also play a significant role in limiting access. Rural and underserved areas frequently face shortages of healthcare providers, making it difficult for residents to receive consistent preventive services. In such regions, innovative approaches like mobile health clinics and telemedicine have emerged as solutions to bridge the gap. Expanding these efforts could help overcome logistical obstacles and ensure that preventive care reaches those most in need.

Cultural factors and mistrust of the healthcare system can further complicate access to preventive services. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes community engagement, culturally sensitive care, and efforts to build trust between healthcare providers and patients. Strengthening health literacy and facilitating dialogue between healthcare institutions and the communities they serve are also critical steps in overcoming these barriers.

Promoting and Advancing Preventive Care

Advancing preventive care depends on raising awareness and fostering a culture that values proactive health management. Educational campaigns, workplace wellness programs, and school-based health initiatives encourage people to adopt preventive practices. These efforts create an environment where individuals feel empowered to prioritize their well-being, leading to healthier lifestyles and earlier intervention.

The integration of technology is revolutionizing how preventive care is delivered. Wearable devices that track physical activity, heart rate, and sleep patterns provide individuals with real-time data about their health, prompting timely action when irregularities arise. Similarly, data analytics and predictive tools enable healthcare providers to identify at-risk populations and deliver targeted interventions, improving outcomes on a broader scale.

Continue Reading

Trending