I heard a paper review late last night on the radio and decided to look up the full story:
I heard about a story on the radio the other day. According to the papers, and even the BBC, 'Muslims' had made a swimming pool in Walsall cover all of its 250 windows blocking off all light...
[url]Swimmers plunged into dark after council covers swimming pool windows 'to protect Muslim women's modesty'[/url]
The truth was that the whole of the local community (which includes some Muslims) had been asked how the facility could be improved. One suggestion was that some lower windows have an opaque film placed over them, and the managers of the pool thought it was a good idea...
http://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/2010/07/non-story-about-local-pool-forces.html
It's scary that the media runs stories like these without checking the facts, and even more scary that people reinforce their prejudices based on stuff like this.
It's scary that the media runs stories like these without checking the facts, and even more scary that people reinforce their prejudices based on stuff like this.
Nothing new there...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_journalism
yep, and that kind of negative rumour making (or yellow journalim) feeds already exisiting xenophobic attitudes and exarcebates them.
I remember the Friench riots of 2006 when thousands cars were burnt in most big cities in France and violent clashes took place...well how surprised was I to hear the BBC1 10 pm news presentor almost boasting it was a New Revolution, that the whole French nation was disintegrating and falling down and it was also a personal attack against the president. Science Fiction couldnt have done better! I was almost laughing. the violent events that took place werent directed at the president or any specific minister, but the paroxysm of street violence that happens every day, every year in many city suburbs. It is sad but it wasnt the european French that went down in the street. It was a huge problem, yes, but something to do with ethnic minorities tensions and especially, youth culture.
but it wasnt the first time I was hearing a re-interpretation of my country's news, I had heard it about the Irak war etc.
and similarly, Ive seen how events are totally dj-ed in the French news to enable political changes to be passed without anyone noticing it. Like our catastrophic Football team lazy and surrealist behaviour...but while everybody is happy to gossip about that or the new type of influenza virus, pensions plans and NHS budget are scrapped or electricity prices double!
and arent catastrophes and football results often a godsend for many governments to present to us what they think are "priorities"..?
I remember a story, fadette, about an older colleague who went to Paris in the 1960s to work as a journalist for a British newspaper. There was some international crisis going on (probably Cold War-related) and when he looked out of his window, he saw all the Parisians packing their cars to leave the city - so he wrote a story about how the French were so panicked by this crisis that they were fleeing Paris.
Someone had to explain to the new boy that the Parisians were doing what they always did then: packing up and going on their August holidays at the seaside!
you got that exactly right on the head, Supersub!!
after going on strike and loudly marching in the streets with banners, the next French folklore is to emigrate south of the country for the August holidays. meaning August is a pretty good month for visiting Paris. all empty and quiet. 🙂
I'm sorry to backtrack but I haven't really had a chance to post for a couple of days - well, not to post at any length anyway! I really wanted to comment on the 'terrible' Muslim loos to say that, firstly, I agree they're not Muslim at all but Asian and secondly they're actually a very much healthier way to evacuate your bowels than by way of our comfy yet insanitary loo seats. Firstly they make your thigh muscles very strong(!) and secondly the force of gravity while you're squatting makes doing what one must much easier. Far from being dreadful, that's the way we're supposed to do it! When I'm in India, if given a choice, I go for a room with an Indian style toilet every time!
xxx
Whilst not contributing anything to the actual thread topic, I have to say I agree with Sunanda. When abroad in countries which have "squat" toilets, I have always found them to be much more sanitary than the alternatives. You do get used to them very quickly.
I heard about a story on the radio the other day. According to the papers, and even the BBC, 'Muslims' had made a swimming pool in Walsall cover all of its 250 windows blocking off all light...
Yes, these sort of stories are typical, aren't they? I remember watching a documentary maybe 3 years ago, can't remember what it was called - but it might've been a current affairs programme like 'Dispatches' - where they took a whole batch of recent stories about Muslims/Islam and investigated them. Until I'd seen it, I might have been guilty of being one of these people who say, 'Why don't the Muslims make a public stand against this? Publicly refute it, etc etc...' Well it turned out that ALL of these so-called items of 'news' were twisted and distorted... virtually nothing short of blatant lies, in fact. Many of the people behind these stories were able to give their side of things, which was very different to how they were portrayed. I suddenly realised that it wasn't because Islamic communities didn't speak out, it was because the media WON'T LISTEN to them, or give them a public voice. It really is a disgusting state of affairs. I can now see that you have to take all of these Islam reports with a very large pinch of salt indeed. I now know that it's called 'Yellow journalism', so I've learnt something there!
As for the squat toilets, I remember Gillian McKeith recommending you put your feet up flat on a footstool or the edge of the toilet seat to get a good squat position for a good, thorough 'evacuation' (I love that expression in this context). Well it would normally be our natural position to do our business!
As for the squat toilets, I remember Gillian McKeith recommending you put your feet up flat on a footstool or the edge of the toilet seat to get a good squat position for a good, thorough 'evacuation' (I love that expression in this context). Well it would normally be our natural position to do our business!
Ah, but it's 'primitive', isn't it? And we are so advanced and modern now, we can't possibly acknowledge that something that has been natural to mankind since prehistory is better than our modern 'civilised' way of doing things!
No Muslim I ask here has ever heard of this rule regarding music and my kids have been through the school system "recorders" and all ....:) Its seems that there is no escaping the recorder wherever you go !
One point that did make me laugh was an earlier mail mentioning something about "English language assessment test for foreigners". I know many Brits who have been living in Istanbul for over 20 years and can hardly string a sentence of Turkish together. Funnily enough the expat Germans, French and Dutch learn the language within 6 months
I have never in over 20 years been treated with anything accept kindness and acceptance and my religion and views have never been questioned. At Christmas time Muslim friends and family always contact me and wish me happy christmas (and of course I get time of work). However I cannot recall one time when a friend or relative from Scotland has called to wish my children and family "Happy Bayram".
Lastly, I also do not know anyone here who agrees that it is acceptable for a women to be covered up. As my muslim husband says (and I agree with him) that it goes against the human rights of a women as who can possibly choose to wear this awful garment. The only reason that they do is because they have been brain washed into some wrong way of thinking in order to be controlled. If you support the head scarf then you are not helping women.
you guys need to deal with these people. they will not conform........