Ignorance isn't necessarily bliss, and even more so for a Matthew Doyle who faced flak for his insensitive and crass tweet in the wake of the devastating Brussels bomb blasts. Partner at a South London-based talent and PR agency, Doyle posted a tweet that read, “I confronted a Muslim woman in Croydon yesterday. I asked her to explain Brussels. She had 'nothing to do with me'. A mealy mouthed reply.” Not only was the distasteful tweet retweeted a hundred times, it also led to his arrest.
In an interview, he explained, “What everyone's got wrong about this is I didn't confront the woman. I just said, 'excuse me, can I ask what you thought about the incident in Brussels?' She was white, and British, wearing a hijab, and she told me it was nothing to do with her. I said 'thank you for explaining that', and her little boy said goodbye to me as we went out separate ways.” In another statement that dripped of naivete, he said, “I am not some far-right merchant, I'm not a mouthpiece for any kind of racism or radicalism. If I was xenophobic I wouldn't live in London,” however, adding that he does believe Muslims aren't doing enough to speak out against terrorism.
Doyle's tweet soon became trending on Twitter, with people firing back with replies and retorts. Doylw even said someone who was so outraged by his comments, “turned up at my door, gave me a load of abuse and tried to throw a punch at me.” He claims the statement was a joke and people who know him would understand. Some of the twitteratti even spoofed his tweet. “Confronted a white man in Croydon yday. Asked him 2 explain Osborne's disability cuts. He said "nothing to do with me." A mealy-mouthed reply” and “I confronted a woman in Croydon and asked her to explain shredless marmalade. 'Nothing to do with me'. A peely-mouthed reply.”
