It all started when the member of Parliament for Rochdale, Simon Danczuk, tweeted out this innocuous tweet on the national day for Pakistan. He was seemingly celebrating the raising of the Pakistani flag in an area where many felt a link to Pakistan due to their common British and Pakistani heritage:
Pakistan flag raising in #Rochdale today. Lovely occasion. Here with Mr Darr & Hafiz Ikram – good friends. pic.twitter.com/rZYjBXx5XT
— Simon Danczuk (@SimonDanczuk) March 23, 2015
The resultant abuse that the Member of Parliament for Rochdale received was not only shocking, it brought out a desire by some, to see Mr Danczuk ‘executed’ for his actions in simply celebrating the national day of Pakistan with constituents:
https://twitter.com/DrDeborahCutler/status/580125930275905537
Before anyone could take a breath, in waded Katy Hopkins whom we have written about before on many occasions. (See here, here and here):
I won't take lessons on community cohesion from @KTHopkins. She could start a fight in an empty room #respectcommunities
— Simon Danczuk (@SimonDanczuk) March 23, 2015
Rochdale has had its problems & no one has spoken on grooming more than me. But to equate every Pakistani with grooming is a racist slur
— Simon Danczuk (@SimonDanczuk) March 23, 2015
The member of Parliament rightly pointed out that to equate every Pakistani with grooming is a racist slur and that labelling a whole group of people was fundamentally wrong. Yet, that did not stop this irritating and offensive tweet from Katy Hopkins:
Are these your friends too @SimonDanczuk? Is this why you are raising the Pakistani flag in Rochdale? 77 years inside pic.twitter.com/wcyuPM1JVl
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) March 23, 2015
This was followed up by more on-line abuse against Mr Danczuk:
“@fraz6354: @SimonDanczuk Fuck off to Pakistan and live there, tell us how that goes for you, you traitorous gutless piece of shit.” Thanks.
— Simon Danczuk (@SimonDanczuk) March 23, 2015
Yet, seemingly, Katie Hopkins continued on the Twitter baiting, completely failing to realise that young girls from ethnic minority communities have also been victims of child grooming:
Listen @SimonDanczuk – I'll come to Rochdale, raise the British flag and explain why NO ONE messes with our white girls. Sod your PC tripe
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) March 23, 2015
Time and time again Katy Hopkins has made statements based on race though her latest comments suggest a racialised view on issues of child safety and grooming, which clearly does not reflect the reality of how vulnerable young boys and girls are preyed upon by sexual predators and that it depressingly affects young people from a variety of racial, religious and cultural backgrounds. Not so for Katy Hopkins, whose Twitter reposts against the Member of Parliament for Rochdale were uncalled for.
Lastly, it should not have to be said, though for people like Katy Hopkins, it sadly needs to be said time and time again. British citizens of Pakistani heritage are some of the proudest citizens who healthily partake in the social and civic life of this country. Just as some may carry the Israeli flag and feel pride in being British and with an affiliation and affection for Israel, so British citizens of Pakistani heritage have the same right to celebrate their links to Pakistan in a simple show of support on the national day of the country. Yet, on other days, we have seen young and old, male and female members of the British Muslim community of Pakistani heritage, wrapped up in the British flag and celebrating events such as St George’s Day. Simply holding the Pakistani flag does not detract from their ‘loyalty’ to this country, nor should it. To infer that is simply mischevious.