Nerd Church - Some Thoughts on Finsbury Park

The terrorist attack on theFinsbury Park Mosque broke my heart.

I'm so sorry. I know it might seem very little consolation, but I am. As a white woman, a Welsh woman, and a British citizen – my heart is broken.

That such hate can spread is... it's just awful. It's truly, truly, awful. I don't know what else to say.

My heart tore just a little bit more when I saw that the van used was from Pontyclun Van Hire – there's no way someone non-local, i.e., not from South Wales, would rent a van from there to drive to London.

I am so, so, so sorry.

My thoughts and best wishes are with those injured, and the family of Makram Ali, who was killed in the attack. Heddwch i'w lwch.

The press have centred the van, 'a van mounted the curb,' etc., as if it was driving itself, instead of being driven by a white right-wing alleged* terrorist.

And that's what he is – A. White. Right-wing. (Alleged*) Terrorist.

* I say 'alleged' not out of any disrespect to the family or the victims, but because under English and Welsh law, any published definitive statement as to whether he is or guilty or not before the outcome of the trial would be breaking Contempt of Court laws.

Of course, now that it turns out Darren Osborne lived in Cardiff – it's ok, because the English can blame the Welsh.

Never mind that he was born in Somerset (to my international readers – that's in England.)

No, to the press, instead of a 'British man' or a 'white man,' he is now a 'Cardiff man' or a 'Welsh man.'

But the naive questions of 'How?' are being asked all over the UK.

As if an atmosphere of hate and division really lends itself to peace and understanding, rather than murder and terror.

As if the bigotry of Nazis that the press refuses to label as such – that the press gives a platform to, even – is not something that slips into the national consciousness, poison drop by poison drop.

I'm also tired of hearing how 'difficult' it is to identify right-wing extremists. Like, are you actually f**king kidding me?!

How can you not identify them?! Go online, you can't miss the b*****ds!

You want a place to start?

Breitbart; MRA groups; Britain First; the EDL; the BNP.

These are the extremist and terrorist organisations. Treat them as such.

(All links here are to Wikipedia pages - not the websites of these vile creatures, I will not give them the web traffic.)

You want names?

OK, Tommy Robinson, Mike Cernovich, Milo Yiannopoulos, Richard Spencer, Nigel Farage, Donald Trump, The Daily Mail.

These are the right-wing hate preachers. Treat them as such.

(Again, all links here are to Wikipedia pages.)

But you've spent so much time f**king normalising their sh**, that now you can't get the rabid dogs back on their leads.

But you have to. We all have to.

It's 2017, and my heart is breaking.

Fascism is poison. Let's kick its a** for good.