Culture  Sports
English FA wants end to 'Yid' chants
Associated Press
Published: 12.09.13, 09:02
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7 Talkbacks for this article
1. About time!
Gil ,   Tel Aviv / London   (09.13.13)
Yid being acceptable in a football stadium but not on the street, isn't that a bit hypocritical? Surely the word is either offensive or isn't? You can't pick and choose when you and your supporter mates can use it but when others can't, what kind of double standard is that? In any case, its such nonsense to compare "Yid" to "Niggah" in that way. Black people use the "n word" as a form of brotherhood - yes! But not all Tottenham fans are Jewish to use the y word in the same way and its ridiculous to imply otherwise. The truth is that north London's Jewish Tottenham fans have become immune to hearing Yid as an insult by non-Jews because they have become ghettoised and forced to do so. I know this, I grew up in north London and remember the unbridled hatred from some non-Jews towards Jews at school and on the street. We've been forced to put up with this garbage for too long and its about time it ended. Tottenham fans should be ashamed of themselves for going along with this BS for so long. I salute David Baddiel for finally trying to do something about it.
2. Gill--the word YID . . .
David N. ,   Haifa, ISRAEL   (09.13.13)
Gil said: "Surely the word is either offensive or isn't?" Respectfully, yes, the same word CAN be both innocent AND offensive. Language is rarely black & white, or absolute. Context determines the true meaning, though not everyone will agree even there. Legislating language use is always tricky, especially word use in an emotionally charge football stadium. The intention may be good--to limit any offensive, bigoted language against a national minority like Jews, people of African race, or whatever. Any changes will be slow in coming, unless a punitive system is in place--or an educational one. Go Yids, err, Spurs!
3. #1.Whats it like in streets TODAY with millions of UK Muslim
Alan ,   SA   (09.13.13)
imigrants?The minorities today are in the majority in UK. (over 50% according to statistics) You have memories of past times when there were far less Muslims and for that matter Catholics from Eastern Europe where AntiJewism is very much entrenched.
4. not acceptable, and using it risks criminal prosecution.-LOL
(09.13.13)
5. How English Jews love debasement
WeirdCommunity ,   Jerusalem Israel   (09.13.13)
The Jews of England have to be one of the strangest communities in Jewish history Debasement of Jews in politics popular culture is and always has been rampant and the more they dish it out the more the British Jew seems to justify and love it go figure
6. #1 My British boarding school kids were antisemitic
Sam ,   New York, USA   (09.13.13)
#1 I grew up unfortunately in a British boarding school. Many kids were antisemitic. Too much Merchant of Venice and Charles Dickens.
7. #5 Not sure you understand Jew in UK
David N. ,   Haifa, ISRAEL   (09.14.13)
Do you mean the Jews of England, or of Britain as a whole? There are now very few Jews left in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland compared to 50 years ago. England has a few hundred thousand left. Much of the cream of Jewry from Britain is in Israel. The British exile as a whole is shrinking noticable, though it will hold on in England for a while yet, while this shrinking takes place. Jews are not really English, but British citizens. When I lived in the Jewish community of Leeds, they lead a very different life from the English. Same for Edinburgh when I lived there. Excepting assimilated Jews with little or no Jewish identity or belief. Shrinking communities are always a bit insecure. Even where I live there are a fair number of Jews from England living as Israeli citizens, having claimed a far deeper heritage as Jews than the brief sojourn in Britain ever gave them.
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