Academic quits social media in fear af ter attacks by cybernats
‘I started shaking, I don’t feel safe’
A FEMINIST researcher who supported the London Mayor after he compared Scottish Nationalism and racism has quit Twitter, saying she feared for her safety amid a torrent of abusive cybernat attacks.
Claire Heuchan, a black Scottish PhD student at Stirling University, was ‘physically terrified’ as she realised some of those outraged by her backing of Sadiq Khan were trolling her online, trying to find out where she lives.
Mr Khan sparked fury among SNP politicians and supporters when he told Scottish Labour’s spring conference last week that there is effectively no difference between Nationalists trying to divide Scottish and English people and ‘those who try to divide us on the basis of our background, race or religion’.
Miss Heuchan then wrote an article for the Guardian in which she said: ‘Khan was not wrong to compare Scottish Nationalism to racism or religious intolerance – at least, not entirely.
‘Someone has to say it: the parallels are clear.
‘There is an obvious overlap between Nationalism and racism: both mentalities are defined by a politics of us and them. In order to valourise Scotland, to present it as some sort of progressive Utopia, Nationalists must emphasise the difference between Scotland and our southern neighbour.
‘The mythos of Scotland as a friendly, compassionate country is maintained with fervour – like any other fairytale, it needs heroes and villains.
‘And Scottish exceptionalism – the idea of Scotland as a land of tolerance – is a fairytale.’
Miss Heuchan, whose ‘Scottishness’ was questioned by cybernats, said that she had shut down her Twitter account after becoming ‘pretty terrified’.
She added: ‘When I saw people were trying to work out my location, I became physically terrified. I started shaking and crying. I don’t feel safe.’
Among those who attacked her online was one notorious cybernat who tweeted a link to her article backing Mr Khan and then made remarks too explicit to be printed in a family newspaper. He added: ‘If you can’t stand the heat, don’t stand in front of the fire screaming that it’s racist.’
Another tweeter wrote: ‘You do realise that Farage, UKIP, EDL, BNP, Orange Order were on the No side during indyref? The winning side. Your side.’
Miss Heuchan said the attacks included a comment on her blog calling her an African who had no right to discuss ethnic white Scottish affairs and said there were calls on Twitter for Stirling University to sack her, although she is not employed there.
She said: ‘I’m studying to be a critical race theorist. I can’t help but think it’s very significant that of the people most clearly against Khan’s comments, the majority were white.
‘There seemed to be a contradiction between them claiming on the one hand to be in favour of progressive politics, but being unwilling to listen to what Sadiq Khan, an Asian man, said.’
Professor Karen Boyle, head of gender studies and Miss Heuchan’s PhD supervisor at the university, said it had ‘absolutely no hesitation in condemning any threats to Claire’.
She said the university was proud of her work, adding: ‘Many people who disagree with Claire have done so thoughtfully and respectfully.
‘But whilst it would be absolutely wrong to characterise all disagreement as racist and sexist, much of it has been and exposes the difficulties black women – and many others representing marginalised or minority groups – face when they speak out in public life.
‘This kind of abuse is unacceptable and we condemn it in the strongest terms.’