This is an update to the posts here, here, and here.
When a non-political charity - against its own rules - awarded first prize in the Redbridge finals of its speaking competition for youngsters to a virulently anti-Israel speech full of lies and blood libels, I was one of the first to complain. Not to demand the speech be censored, but simply to point out that this speech should not have won the competition and that the charity should set the record straight by allowing a proper response to the speech (which had been met with enthusiastic applause at Wanstead High School). I also noted that the student in question had been extensively re-tweeting hateful material from a well-know terrorist supporter called Abbas Sarsour.
The charity said that they had already decided a week earlier that the speech was in breach of their two fundamental rules and that because of this the student was not being put through to the Grand Final.
Because the antisemites (of whom there are far more than Israel supporters) decided that I had played a role in 'silencing a child' I have now been abused, threatened in many ways - including being reported to the police - and accused of being a child molester and paedophile. I am currently receiving, for example, hundreds of abusive tweets per hour (even though I only joined twitter a few months ago and before the weekend had received less than a dozen tweets in total). You can see them on my twitter feed and comments on my recent blog postings. There is also a campaign to 'ban' me (whatever that means):
@Support Please ban @EdgarDavidson81 for online threats to @LeanneMohamad #LetLeanneSpeak
David Collier has a brilliant report on the same thing here.
Daphne Anson: Police have been informed tweets Israel defaming schoolgirl as anti-Israel forces rally
And here is a reminder for all the haters - who say they are not antisemites - now visiting my blog:
23 comments:
Just saws "Occupation of the American Mind" and you are full of shit. No Arab ever immigrated to Eastern Europe to take land, businesses, bank deposits, homes, etc. away from the Jews living there. That never happened. And the reverse is all ye need to know about Israel-Palestine.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20160530-british-palestinian-schoolgirl-expelled-from-public-speaking-competition/
Your fame is spreading, Edgar!
Davey Wavey, they didn't have to go as far as Eastern Europe - the Arabs took the property and land of the 800,000 Jews they ethnically cleansed from across the Arab world - know your facts before you talk crap.
Edgar, on Facebook, at the suggestion of the PSC, the usual suspects have been leaving messages on the Speakers Trust's page.
The Trust has issued this statement, which you may or may not have seen: http://www.speakerstrust.org/statement-from-speakers-trust/?platform=hootsuite
May 30, 2016
Statement:
Our primary duty of care is to the young people we work with and we cannot tolerate any form of insult or abuse. We are concerned and saddened that Leanne’s experience has been less than positive.
Leanne Mohamad is the Redbridge Regional Final winner and there has never been any suggestion that she should be disqualified. Almost 190,000 young people have spoken out over the years on any topic which they feel passionately about and none has ever been banned from the process or silenced.
We are, however, a small charity without the capacity to moderate comments 24 hours a day and it was considered essential to protect Leanne by temporarily suspending the regional video over the bank holiday, until we were able to consult with her school and family.
Of 37 talented regional Champions only fifteen can be voted through to the Grand Final. This selection process took place on Saturday 21st May based on standard judging criteria and without any external influence or input.
The general “rules” of effective public speaking are guidelines to help speakers to create a speech that will connect with a large and diverse audience and every speech was judged on its own merits. At the heart of what we do lies the determination that all of our young speakers, irrespective of background, race or creed, should be able to speak out in a safe and supportive environment.
Which part of the Middle East does the name Davidson originate from then?
Just like your heroes, that two bob excuse for an army called the IDF, all you are capable of doing is harassing schoolgirls.
Lloyd Kennedy, Davidson = son of David, David = Hebrew meaning "beloved" Name of the king of Israel and Judea who in his youth defeated Goliath. :)
Edgar, despite the blood libels, the usual suspects are rallying:
Letter to
Trudy Kilcullen - Chief Executive Officer Jack Petchey Foundation
councillor wanstead council sheila bain
Bob Hamlyn Wanstead Highschool, london
MP John Cryer
I am writing to request that you uncensor Leanne Muhamad of Wansted High School, the British Palestinian Award winning schoolgirl.
Leanne Muhamad won the "Speak out" challenge after giving an impressive performance to enthusiastic applause. However one day later, following complaints from extremist anti-Palestinian blogger Edgar Davidson to the Speakers Trust (the charity that trains the students to take part in the Speak Out Challenge) you have now decided against sending Leanne Mohamad through to the final rounds of the competition.
Julie Holness, CEO of the Speakers Trust, alleged that Ms Mohamad had breached “two fundamental rules that are made explicit during the training”. She said: “There are two fundamental rules that are made explicit during the training: the speech must have a positive and uplifting message - in fact this is one of the core terms of the agreement with the Jack Petchey Foundation [and] a speaker should never inflame or offend the audience or insult others and this, by definition, means that propaganda is ruled out absolutely from the outset.
These "two fundamantal rules" are not written as Ms Holness shared them - and also were taken out of context - it is not stated anywhere about an "uplifting message" nor is it stated anywhere about "insulting others" nor any reference to "propaganda" in the topics recommended: Topics (note not rules) should be presented in a positive/constructive manner even if the subject is of a more serious or hard-hitting nature.
Leanne Muhamad's chosen topic is extremely serious and she approached it in a highly meaningful and passionate way, as a call to peace. This is an uplifting message and I am writing to ask that you uncensor her and allow her to proceed in the competition, so that her voice can be heard and to repect the freedom of expression as laid down by the law.
You are a Hasbara Troll Edgar Davidson ! Blind , Sick and heartless !
Clearly your actions have backfired. What a great way to give more attention to the plight of the Palestinian people.
It's also pretty easy to see that you are picking some pretty horrid pictures to portray the Palestinian cause as somehow illegitimate.
I hope you are being given some funding by the Israeli government. If not then to spend your valuable life doing this sort of work is truly pitiful. I sincerely hope you can move onto more worthwhile pursuits.
What a nasty little shit of a man you are headgear.
Campaigning for Palestinian rights makes one an antisemite?
What makes one person more deserving than another; who are these "more deserving" people you speak of?
What about if the apartheid claim is backed up by many sources?
- US Secretary of State John F Kerry: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/28/israel-apartheid-state-peace-talks-john-kerry
- South African foreign minister: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/361399
- Desmond Tutu http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1957644.stm
- Haaretz http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/1.671538
- Palestinian human rights organisations LAW https://electronicintifada.net/content/defining-apartheid-israels-record/4095
- The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/calling-israels-occupation-of-palestine-apartheid-isnt-lazy-or-inflammatory-its-based-on-fact-a6893706.html
- LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-makdisi-israel-apartheid-20140518-story.html
You didn't like the fact the people kept pointing out your sympathies The English Neo Nazis & the fact that you Consider organisations like sport relief and save the children anti-Semitic . Even expressed doubts about the community safety trust. You're an extremist bigot . You shame Jews and you shame Israel. You single-handedly did more to get the Palestinian case heard than anyone else in Britain in 2016 . Congratulations - oh I've got some screenshots of the tweets you deleted.
its wonderful to see the same old tired logic used to attack you and brian.
her speech never should have won the competition. less for the content (which was filled with heinous and false imagery meant only to inflame hate) then for how her speech was crafted.
she started off with what seemed like just another "wars are bad for kids" speech, then dove right into "palestinians are poor victims, because israel never should have been created and the jew loves killing kids" and then into the "islam is perfect" spiel, which btw was as much hate speech as the rest. for if islam is perfect, then all the other religions, by definition cannot be. the speech was not cohesive and was misleading. "birds instead of bombs" give me a break
what her speech really taught me was that the "moderate muslim" is a myth
and go ahead boys, attack me for commenting on a 15 year old's speech. even though its done every minute on youtube and other sites. age is not a shield.
His status as a cowardly bully and lying piece of shit, you mean?
You're no different, of course. Human garbage.
Loving seeing the cowards shrieking "antisemitism!" and "blood libel!" because it's the only think they know how to do.
It's very pathetic but I love it because more and more people just snort with laughter when they hear those accusations shrieked.
I believe we will all see the day when people just dismiss you cretins entirely out of hand, as the bad, hysterical jokes you are.
Please read my recent guest post on the Shiloh Musings blog:
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/06/why-all-jews-must-die.html
I am concerned that you should equate opposition to the policies and actions of the current Israeli government with antisemitism. In my long life I have taken part in boycotts and other non-violent actions against a fair number of government actions where they are acting against internationally agree human rights and/or international law. That would make me anticommunist, antifascist, antichristian, antimuslim, antibuddhist, antiBritish, antiAmerican, antiRussian and more by your reasoning. What matters is mutual humanity and solidarity with the victims of bullying and opression irrespective of any form of classification other than that of humanity - and I should remind you that the most destructive thing the Nazis did to Jewish and Romany people was to seek to deny them their humanity concurrent with depriving them of their lives.
Hi, I'm a UK-based journalist writing for a newspaper in the UAE. The Speakers Trust claims that in your email of complaint about Leanne Mohamad's speech you posed as a well-known Jewish academic. It also says you doctored the reply you were sent by the CEO to suggest, incorrectly, that the speech was in breach of the organisation's rules. How do you respond? Also, is Edgar Davidson your real name? Thanks. My name is Jonathan Gornall, email jonathangornall@me.com, website jonathangornall.com
Bullying little refugee girls. Palestine needs to be freed from the likes of your vile cult.
Oh poor wittle baby.
You can dish it out but you can't take it in. Classic zionist bully & coward--busies himself with abusing, harassing, smearing and destroying a 15yr old girl but HOW DARE anyone give you pushback.
You're a liar, hypocrite, a coward and a bully. What pushback you're getting is NOTHING compared to the despicable behavior you've indulged in.
GROW THE HELL UP. If you're going to go after 15yr old girls and their free speech rights THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WHINE WHINE WHINE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES.
Edgar
There's nothing better than getting hateful comments from anti Israel and antisemitic posters. You should see it as a badge of honour. Every time you read one of their hate-filled messages just laugh and think about the fact that if you are pissing off so many haters you must be doing something right.
hi jonathan,
im a us based non journalist and im wondering what your questions have to do with whether the video spreads blood libels and should not have been allowed into the competition
Hi I'm a British based Jew wondering why American Jews are harrassing British citizens
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