Muslims call for more holidays

[jgs]

At a Whitehall meeting between muslim leaders and the government, the muslims are reported to have asked for sharia law (for family matters) and more holidays for the muslim community.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=400605

Also, it's interesting to note that the BBC report on the same meeting omits any mention of these demands.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4789617 .stm

What are your opinions on these reported demands?
Why would the BBC not include this in their report?

Thanks.

[violetblue]

Personally, I don't trust the Daily Mail as it's like any other tabloid, out to sensationalise and has a reputation for stirring up hatred between ethnic groups. Wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. I trust the Beeb in as much as I trust any press organisation.

[OBonio]

You see your mistake here... quoting the Daily Hate. Stick to the BBC for more balanced information.

[mushroom25]

Post-Hutton, I wouldn't trust the BBC to be entirely impartial any more - they are too scared of what the Labour administration might do to them.

[suffragette]

I wouldn't have a problem with bank holidays being used to reflect the growing multicultural nature of Britain, as long as everyone was included in the holidays, but they will have to drag me screaming from the gates of 10 Downing Street before I accepted the introduction of any aspect of Sharia law into the British legal system.

I accept the Moslem community are only asking for Sharia Law with regards to family matters and I accept its not all about stoning women and the lopping off of hands, but Moslems have chosen to live in the democracy that is the UK and should content themselves with a legal system that reflects our heritage and traditions, many of which were hard fought for by men and women alike.

I was prepared to abide by Moslem laws when I visited Turkey, Bahrain and Lebanon in the past and I would hope they could accept that my cultural traditions and laws are equally important to me.

As for the BBC and The Daily Mail, I would read both, but not be fully accepting of either viewpoint.

[teag1rl]

The BBC balanced information?? Didn't they say, oh no, there's no trouble being caused by hateful english hooligans over the world cup, then few weeks later produce a documentary on just how sickening the true extent of such hooliganism was?

[mushroom25]

so, suffragette, when will we be treated to the spectacle of you being dragged screaming from Downing Street? You see, a recent subtle change to banking legislation (allowing banks complying with Islamic requirements) means that Sharia Law is already here.

In some ways a Sharia bank is preferable to "the big 4"

[suffragette]

Hi mushroom, was that something to do with mortgages as Moslems are not supposed to borrow money from 'usurers'?

I'll get me chains!!!!

[WaldoMcFroog]

When did this new definition of 'unbiased' get announced?

Koran 9.71: "[9.71] And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Apostle; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise."

Are you sure that's the reference you mean? You're reading at a far deeper level than I can if so...

In any case, the age of betrothal of Aisha (who I suspect you mean) may have been at six but the date of consumation is later and then disputed. Some sources suggest it to have been at nine (And for those of you reading in moronvision, no, this is not acceptable), but others at between 15 and twenty.

If you accept the commonly held scholarly belief - and I believe that you've said you're a Christian - that Mrs Christ was between 13-15 at the time of giving birth to Jesus then surely that too must be considered kiddy fiddling by a deity, unless you accept some practises have changed.

We know that the age of consent has changed over time, and indeed is still significantly different just within modern day Europe. Aren't you just picking and choosing when relativism applies in order to suit your particular biases..?

---------------------------------------

As for not trusting the Mail, the story has appeared widely inlcuding . Given it's not an op-ed piece, I see no reason to get too upset.

I'm amazed that no one has yet pointed it's a completely pointless thing to ask for given that everyone already has the legal right to time off to observe religious holidays.

[keyvan]

As I have said before never considered Daily Mail as a serious paper. It is particularly targetted at housewives who enjoy sharing a bit of gossip (sorry didn't mean to sound sexist)

I'm not particularly a religious person but surely if there's a jewish holiday to celebrate "Yom Kippur" as part of their national holidays why can't moselms celebrate theirs? It's all part of a multicuturalism if we believe such a thing exists.

[keyvan]

You would argue that the adult age of consent for marriage in most moselm countries is raised from nine and what you quoted is no longer applicable in many of these countries

[violetblue]

Would this question have been raised had the religious group in question had been Jews, Hindus etc? Thought not.

[jno]

sometimes seems to me that Muslim-run shops are the only ones open on bank holidays; so why shouldn't they have the occasional day off?

[Gromit]

The Daily Telegraph reports on the same meeting and says

"Muslim supplicants for religious holidays based on the Islamic calendar were sent away with a flea in their collective ear."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml? xml=/opinion/2006/08/16/do1604.xml

Daily Mail omitted to report this. Sloppy journalism or a deliberate ommision to make the DM readers irate?

[WaldoMcFroog]

What's a 'Charleton'..?

[Monster-S]

How about national hanging day for these idiots.

[Kim A]

Which idiots did you have in mind?