Rather than dedicate hundreds of words to the troll account @DowHeater (and its backup account @DowHeater2). The simplest solution is to highlight how the account routinely promotes content from Islamophobic websites like Jihad Watch or Bare Naked Islam.
Or retweets content from the unpleasant @JihadistJoe or individuals wanting Islam banned and mosques shut down in Britain.
How about manipulating police appeals with a crude anti-Muslim reference? On November 17 @DowHeater tweeted “FOUR Nasty Evil Bastard #Muslims kick a pregnant woman to the ground PL RT.”But the police make no reference to religion.
@DowHeater tweets another manipulated screen shot of a BBC news report that includes the word “Muslim”. Yet again, there is no reference to religion in the original article.
What about the far-right English Defence League? Turns out they’ve earned @DowHeater’s respect: “Don’t Believe BS abt #EDL these ppl have taken a lot of shit and lies thrown at them, #respect”
In August, @DowHeater exploited a series of murders to call for the boycott of Muslim businesses.
In July, the @DowHeater account wanted “Islam out of the UK” after linking to a story about Vue Cinemas ‘discriminating against non-Muslims’ (a story more complex than originally reported).
I’ve already dedicated more words than intended in exposing the vile @DowHeater account. Accounts like @DowHeater are only content with caricatures of religious identity – where the crimes of a minority are held up as the majority and where ethnicity brings an assumption of faith. The echo chamber is self-evident.
Robust critique of religion is welcome but advocating for its removal from Britain is not.
