Top Gear, in the news again.....

[R1Geezer]

It seems the religion of peace are offended,
http://www.dailymail....xing-Day-special.html
Valid outrage or sense of humour bypass? Don't answer just to *** off the program, if you don't like top gear that's your choice, I don't want your twee remarks.

[jaydah]

They wear western clothes why shouldn't we wear their styles if we choose ?

[jd_1984]

The worlds gone mad! It is a matter of intent surely. Did they intend to make any kind of statement re religion and offend people, or, is it just 3 middle aged men doing what all middle aged men would love to do - mess about and drive sports cars?

[jake-the-peg]

Oh for goodness sake JD - the world has not gone mad.

See crowds of demonstrators? No?

Fatwahs against Top Gear? No?

This is just the DM Sh1t stirring

[boxtops]

Hear hear koode - watched in the spirit in which it was intended!

[ludwig]

True Jake. They've phoned up one nutter for a comment (who most likely never saw the program, but they know is guaranteed to be offended by anything and everything), and then just quoted a few comments off a chatroom. Apart from recounting what happened in the program, that's basically the whole story.

[jd_1984]

Fine I am happy to re-phrase. Daily Mirror is coming in at an angle that is bound to stir things up with SOME people.
"The worlds gone mad" is just a phrase - I didnt mean it literally!

[jake-the-peg]

That's true.

Thing is you tend to find that muslims are quite sensitive about Muhhamed but les so about other aspects of their religion.

In fact some have said you can joke about God but not about Muhhamed..

Not quite sure why that is, whether it's to do with the Sunni Shi'ite split or something else but it definately seems to be the case I don't think people often realise how specific that sensitivity is and expect all muslims to get enraged the moment someone dresses up in a burqa

[Whickerman]

Ah, the Daily Mail. The name of the day wouldn't have a Y in it if they weren't finding something else to be 'outraged' by.

[ChuckFickens]

Quite right whickerman..

And where would the average UK citizen be if there wasn't a morning paper to tell them what they are meant to be outraged and/or fearful of everyday. They might actually have to start making up their own minds based on facts and that will never do!

[ChuckFickens]

Also (and although slightly off topic, Apologies geezer)

Wasn't that part of the show in Syria? which Is a country that, earlier this year, banned the wearing of the burqa in all education establishments? interesting that a mainly Muslim country can and has banned the wearing of it in certain places saying "The full-face veil, or niqab, that is worn by some Muslim women is "inconsistent with the values and ethics of academic traditions,"

Anyhow, I'm off to be outraged to the daily mail about nuns on the run.

[naomi24]

Can't see the comparison Chuck. Nuns don't wear masks.

[ChuckFickens]

I don't think masks comes into it, I was making a point that the entire film nuns on the run was based on men wearing habits, an outfit that could be considered to have much more religious connection to several arms of Catholicism than the burqa does to Muslims, yet I don't recall any papers printing outrage stories about that.

[naomi24]

Perhaps that's because, unlike Mr Choudary on this occasion, no one was silly enough to be 'outraged' and therefore there was nothing to report. Just a thought of course.

[ChuckFickens]

I'm actually agreeing with you, Naomi, I think it's a stupid state of affairs when there is apparent outrage at this sort of thing.

I say apparent as it wouldn't surprise me if the DM has a list of likely phone numbers they can call round until they can find the one person that will express outrage just to give them the sound bite.

I'm glad that we live in a country that is able to see humour in a situation even when we are, ourselves, the subject of that humour.

[naomi24]

Me too.