Is this a step too far in Britain's quest for multiculturalism.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241656/Sikh-soldier-Jatinderpal-Singh-Bhullar-guard-Buckingham-Palace-bearskin.html

Please don't turn this into a racist condemnation thread.

There are some British traditions that have stood firm for hundreds of years, why should they be changed now?

Nothing wrong with him joining the Scots Guards, but regardless of his religion he must be prepared to wear the correct uniform.

[jake-the-peg]

I'm very heartened by the messages of support I read in the Daily Mail's readers comments at the bottom of the page.

It seems much of the Mail's readership is not as daft and easilly manipulated as it's journalists think!

[sp1814]

AOG

Re: Femail - you're mistaken. Look at the Daily Mail side bar pictures, and then click on a story. These are not in the Femail section. The stories in the Femail link are completely different.

So - now having brought the subject up again, would you like to comment on the quality of the Daily Mail side bar stories on its index page?

[Just-Jude]

Wearing a turban means one innocent animal less to be killed. It's time for the British Army fashion police to concentrate on soldiering and forget the catwalk!

[Baldric]

///chair bound computer operative/// works both ways I'm sure!

[Sparkles62]

The issue here is not whether Bearskins are ethical or correct, but whether people should have to wear the correct uniform for their chosen proffession. The man in question knew the uniform requirements before he took the job, and should be made to wear it. In a lot of cases I'm sure that things could be adapted to fit around religious beliefs....but if the uniform is essentially part of the job, then there should be no leeway, if your religion required you to wear a burka, you would be wasting your time training as a ballet dancer, wouldn't you. Surely there must be something else the gentleman could do in his regiment that doesn't involve wearing a bearskin.

[THECORBYLOON]

I don't think it's Regiment first, religion second, it looks like religion is in third place preceded by what the tourists think.

[chaptazbru]

Still have no problem with it whatsoever AOG !!!

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

We are just going round the houses here.

Those side-bar stories you mentioned are under FEMALE TODAY, therefore meaning they are predominately of Female interest, regardless of what heading they appear under.

When one clicks on them, one is directed to any one of the headings, mainly TV & Showbiz, but the one I clicked on did in fact direct me to Female, and the story was, how to drop a dress size before Christmas.

Why a male should want to click on any one of them is anyone's guess, but I did because you requested I did, so as to prove your point, which I am afraid it failed to do.

[anotheoldgit]

Just-Jude

/// Wearing a turban means one innocent animal less to be
killed. ///

As I have already said these Canadian Brown Bears have to be culled every year, so as to keep their numbers down, so they would be killed regardless of whether or not the British army used them for their headgear.

/// It's time for the British Army fashion police to concentrate on soldiering and forget the catwalk! ///

Well what can be said regarding this rather silly suggestion?

[venator]

Read the word "uniform" That means all the same, dunnit?

As Pope of the First Church of Answerbank (see Ab Editor ) , I require all my flock to wear pointy red hats when on guard duty.

Make one exception, and you open the floodgates.

[jake-the-peg]

Isn't tradition just an excuse to keep doing the same thing - because that's how it's always been?

It was tradition to have cock fights and bear baiting

We'd all be wearing wigs and writing in Latin if we just gave in to people saying 'Oh don't change it's traditional'

[anotheoldgit]

jake-the-peg

/// We'd all be wearing wigs and writing in Latin if we just gave in to people saying 'Oh don't change it's traditional' ///

Most of the Judiciary still wear wigs, as do others in the Houses of Parliament, should they do away with therm also, and what about the Chelsea Pensioners uniform. the Beefeaters, the Horse Guards?

Where would you like our traditions to end, would you be satisfied if we all wore the dress the Chinese wore under Chairman Mae's regime?

Regarding the writing of Latin, would you also wish to have all the heraldry mottoes along with plant names all translated into modern day English?

Please tell us jake what other English traditions should we rid ourselves of, so as to fit in with your utopian nation?

[sp1814]

AOG

Whether the stories are directed to women or not is not the point. This is the side bar of the Mail's index page, and therefore its main news portal.

The fact that the Mail chooses to lead with these Heat magazine-style fluff pieces leads directly to my point. Lowest common denominator reporting.

[THECORBYLOON]

anotholdgit, the report shows that he was abused by fellow soldiers for sticking to his religion and you're more concerned about headgear worn only for a couple of hours when on ceremonial duty???

[Zeuhl]

Let's cut to the chase here.

1. Guards regiments should retain their distinctive parade uniforms.
2. Sikhs are good soldiers and if one qualifies for and wants to be in the Guards that's a good thing
3. Sikhs have to wear a turban
4. In other uniform situations, the uniforms have been adopted to accommodate the turban

I can't imagine any reason why a bearskin can't be adapted for a turban to fit underneath

If it can, it's worth it and a tiny fraction of the cost of recruiting, training, equipping and maintaining a Guardsman.

[TWR]

why a bearskin can't be adapted for a turban to fit underneath

Why should it? do you not think the UK has shifted words, things enough? I understand the person is a goog soldier, he must have done his homework about the regiment before applying for the job & knew the dress code.

[Mick-Talbot]

Why should it? do you not think the UK has shifted words, things enough?


Brilliant, how can you argue with that?

[Zeuhl]

<Why should it? do you not think the UK has shifted words, things enough?>

Indeed, asking the person who creates these hand crafted, bespoke and very expensive hats to make a few adjustments could mean the end of civilisation as we know it.

(sigh)

[Zeuhl]

<he must have done his homework about the regiment before applying for the job & knew the dress code. >

absolutely

General Slim in the Burma campaign is just one of the British officers who valued the sikh soldiers for their part in driving back the Japs.

What was he thinking of??

The scoundrels don't even follow the proper dress code!