Comments

1. 

   Alyson

   January 7, 2016 at 13:11

   What seems to be unclear at the moment is whether the attacks were planned and coordinated in advance or spontaneous misbehaviour, that seemed like a good idea at the time to the large numbers of new arrivals, who do not yet understand that the law applies to them. It is to be hoped that enough people filmed the events to identify perpetrators of these dreadful crimes and that they will be prosecuted under the legal system which guarantees freedom, with responsibility, to Europe's citizens.
2. 

   Ivy

   January 7, 2016 at 15:41

   The deplorable crimes in Germany, Rotherham, et al were largely preventable. There is a lack of political will to speak up against the Lügenpresse and to hold Merkel and her ilk accountable. That is compounded by the suppression and demonization of opinion among so many citizens.
   1. 

      Andre Levy

      February 7, 2016 at 04:21

      "suppression and demonization of opinion among so many citizens" Now, that's something we hardly ever see in feminist circles...
3. 

   WHS

   January 7, 2016 at 16:59

   A pathetic, contemptible, mealy-mouthed article. Rape culture is actually here and happening (rather than being a fraudulent construct), and yet it must be ignored for fear of - what, exactly? Fear of doing what some right-wingers would like to see you do? Fear of encouraging anti-migrant sentiment? Ludicrous, and weak.
   1. 

      Ian Paling

      January 20, 2016 at 13:28

      Exactly, their Marxist theory ideological stance in and intersectional way of thinking is completely destroyed by REALITY, so full are they with white and affluence guilt no to mention self loathing, celebrate their own culture and heritage, hell no.! Pathetic COWARD'S who are only capable of turning on their own people without justification or cause! Without their faux Marxist B.S. pathological Jealousy, virtue signalling and all the rest of the unadulterated, patronising B. S. we wouldn't be in this mess we are today! Blame the phoney guilt ridden chattering class!!
4. 

   lukelea

   January 7, 2016 at 17:19

   Yes, sexual assaults occur with or without the presence of immigrants from the Middle East, but not nearly in the same proportions as Norway and Sweden have learned to their regret. For some insight into the underlying reasons we might look at the cultural foundations of Middle Eastern societies compared with our own: https://goo.gl/q18ekk The truth is, the West really is different as is our Western civilization, which we ought to want to preserve.
5. 

   Strategy King

   January 7, 2016 at 18:07

   Of course you forgive 'feminists' for their silence. Is there anything that 'feminist' writers do that you wouldn't forgive? So there is nothing to see here then. Here is why the issue hasn't been commented on in for example, the Guardian. Because it will disrupt their narrative of humble peace loving migrants just looking for a bit of kindness. It will disrupt their narrative of western culture bad, non-western culture good. We don't let actual events get in the way of feel good stories.
6. 

   GetReal

   January 8, 2016 at 00:31

   Oh, please. We know the real reason, don't we? Feminists are happy to protest "rape culture" when there's no rape happening. When there's a whole bunch of rape, and it might need a little bit of courage to stand up against it - then you run for cover. You're a disgrace to the legacy of the struggle for women's rights. This is the reason: you'll yell about sexism when it is Page 3 of the Sun - but when it's open rape and assault by Muslims, feminists all have better things to do.
7. 

   Ian

   January 8, 2016 at 01:35

   Jessica A thoughtful and well written piece though I can't agree with you. I don't believe you can temper your criticism if it conflicts with your perspectives. Too often people will choose not to condemn certain abuses if they are deemed to be from "their side", this occurs in all belief systems and is a deplorable human trait. This enables bad behaviour that should otherwise bee condemned. All the Best Ian
8. 

   Anon.

   January 8, 2016 at 11:04

   I think what's frustrating everyone is the double standard. I don't claim to know the finer points of modern feminist thought, but I believe it's called "intersectionality"? The necessity to consider overlapping factors that relate to violence, oppression etc? Social media and online articles are stuffed full of vitriol for white male privilege; race seems to play a huge part when feminists want it to, but then when a huge gathering of men harass and assault women, suddenly all we're getting is evasive politicians answers! "At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation of the ethnic origins of those involved in the Cologne attacks" - come on. Just look at the amateur video footage online. This isn't a new or strictly opportunistic criticism either. There has been a longstanding critique of the fact that some western feminists seem to prefer doing down white male privilege for the billionth time than criticise policies and regimes in other countries that subjugate and oppress women in a very tangible, official way, for fear of being considered racist or islamophobic.
9. 

   Jay Aich

   January 8, 2016 at 12:51

   No - your argument does not fit the facts. Look how the media, and feminists, pounced on the Rolling Stone rape article. Look at the Cosby story. Look at the Duggar story. You are treating this story differently.
10. 

    Katherine Woo

    January 8, 2016 at 23:20

    It is really quite outrageous to suggest that the "fault" for failure among feminists to adequately speak out would lie elsewhere. The reaction of racist and xenophobes is something many feminists use as a rationalization for what is politically-driven silence. Abrahams tells us that "feminists are necessarily concerned with the protection of minorities and marginalised groups." Notice how Abrahams tacitly claims to speak for all feminists and presents this position, intersectionality, as an orthodoxy which it is unimaginable to question. Yet, and this is the part that outrages me as a dissident feminist, she is willing to accept equivocation on whether feminists must aggressively condemn mass sexual assault. So her message is that feminists are absolutely bound to protect "marginalized" groups, even those with traditional values rooted in misogyny, but if these values lead to actual misogynistic violence, it is OK to be reticent, because some white racist somewhere might say or do something. This is Exhibit A on how intersectionality has soldout gender equality, and even our basic safety as women to identity politics. As a woman of color, count me out.
11. 

    John

    January 9, 2016 at 10:07

    Yet another example of Western feminism resorting to cultural relativism and political correctness when confronted with a misogynistic culture that condones forced marriages, genital circumcision and honour killings. Far easier to whine about boutique issues like glass ceilings dear to the heart of upper middle class white liberals.
12. 

    Xam

    January 9, 2016 at 11:23

    Actually according to the report just released by the police "refugees" ripped up their identity papers in front of police telling them that "I'll just get a different one tomorrow", or "you can't do anything to me, mrs.merkel invited me". Enjoy your rape culture, it looks good on you. Unfortunate, but also quite predictably everyone else must of course be dragged down as well Perhaps we should reconsider this, or rather consider it as the necessity and benefit of this is absent.
13. 

    JimmieMack

    January 9, 2016 at 14:37

    "The Cologne attacks have unsurprisingly been set upon enthusiastically by those who wish to turn emotions against the new arrivals and have portrayed the incident as the result of an influx of immigrants who engage in crime and have little respect for women". The left, of which I count myself a member, simply needs to address the facts. Listen to what the women who were assaulted are saying about who attacked them and how. I am unaware of any modern peacetime example in western Europe of this kind of mass organised misogyny, but there are innumerable recent examples from north Africa, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent. Protest by women was effectively shut down by such behaviour during the 'Arab Spring'. I don't know what feminists may be saying on social media (I don't use it) or what people may be saying feminists should be saying. However, if your piece - especially the example I quote - is typical of what self-declared feminist spokespeople are saying, the critics may have a point. Are the people who haven't followed the 'mass immigration is always good' orthodoxy really seizing 'enthusiastically' on these shocking events and the shameful attempted cover-up as a way of turning sentiment against refugees? Or is it that the facts seem (yes, we need more evidence) to have astonishingly quickly and, if true, utterly, vindicated the warnings of people who were dismissed by 'the left' as crazy racists? Left and liberal writers need to rediscover how to listen to evidence and speak plainly. Otherwise you are just propagandists and apologists.
    1. 

       Niru

       January 10, 2016 at 22:51

       One option may be that any male asylum seeker needs a reference from 4 women to be accepted. That should fix things. And also if four women say he should NOT be allowed in, then that should act as a negative too. Should improve things immensely.
14. 

    David Cooper

    January 9, 2016 at 15:23

    If feminists are too cowardly to speak up against disgusting behavior from "minorities and marginalised groups" perhaps they should not be blamed: fear can affect us all. But they should be despised.
15. 

    Gregory O.

    January 9, 2016 at 15:41

    Grow up, sonny
16. 

    jimmiemack

    January 13, 2016 at 08:28

    Returning to this post having just heard on the Today Programme the organiser of the Swedish youth festival where young women and girls were similarly treated by men alleged to be migrants and there was a similar alleged cover up. She spoke plainly, from a liberal Western perspective and without the equivocal rote geneflection to 'cultural sensitivities' or 'men from all cultures are equally capable and culpable'. It was refreshing to hear the simple statement 'Women here are equal to men. The view they are not is not welcome here. If you hold this view, you are not welcome'.
17. 

    Blackgriffin

    January 18, 2016 at 15:28

    Are you effing kidding with this article? COWARDICE is the reason so-called 'feminists' aren't speaking out about this. Just plain, old-fashioned COWARDICE.
18. 

    Peter Sullivan

    March 8, 2016 at 14:05

    I'm not extreme in my views and like a varied and diverse society, but articles like this, the approach they take, especially about how there is sexual violence in general in society (true) and therefore incidents like Cologne should be placed in context and effectively played down, do not address the key point - that the violence we saw in Cologne is rooted in a particular culture. That is not to say all people from that culture will act like that, of course. But writers like Abrahams, and there are many others like her, are afraid to directly address this fact due to what I can only call a neurotic obsession with race and a deep dislike of talking about it unless it concerns minorities being discriminated against.