Charlie Hebdo

RDW

Yes 5% is a small number but if that grew to 15% or 20% I think you'd see Islam as a political force in the UK

Birmingham is about 20% Muslim and, except in the Fox News Universe, doesn't seem to have declared a Caliphate. Even after Tony Blair, there's a tendency to vote Labour, and there seems to be little enthusiasm for radical candidates (a typically British attitude). The only non-mainstream party that has had any 'significant' Muslim support is the broadly socialist/anti-war Respect, which seems to have descended into Life of Brian style factionalism. They have exactly one elected representative, George Galloway, who isn't going to dismantle democracy any time soon (he'd probably at least have to turn up in the House occasionally to do that).

Moontrane

RDW wrote:

Yes 5% is a small number but if that grew to 15% or 20% I think you'd see Islam as a political force in the UK

Birmingham is about 20% Muslim and, except in the Fox News Universe, doesn't seem to have declared a Caliphate. Even after Tony Blair, there's a tendency to vote Labour, and there seems to be little enthusiasm for radical candidates (a typically British attitude). The only non-mainstream party that has had any 'significant' Muslim support is the broadly socialist/anti-war Respect, which seems to have descended into Life of Brian style factionalism. They have exactly one elected representative, George Galloway, who isn't going to dismantle democracy any time soon (he'd probably at least have to turn up in the House occasionally to do that).

From 2001 to 2011, the population and percentage of population of Muslims in Birmingham has increased by more than 50% - to nearly a ¼ million or 22% of population. I predict that by the time the population reaches 33% you will find Birmingham to be a place where only Muslims are welcome.

Do you believe that this demographic change won't result in the Islamification of that wonderful city?

ddraver

I suspect your location rather gives you away there moontrane...

pblakeney

ddraver wrote:

I suspect your location rather gives you away there moontrane...

Does not mean that he is wrong.

ddraver

In the same way that you can't prove Russel's Teapot does not exist...

RideOnTime

Moontrane wrote:

RDW wrote:

Yes 5% is a small number but if that grew to 15% or 20% I think you'd see Islam as a political force in the UK

Birmingham is about 20% Muslim and, except in the Fox News Universe, doesn't seem to have declared a Caliphate. Even after Tony Blair, there's a tendency to vote Labour, and there seems to be little enthusiasm for radical candidates (a typically British attitude). The only non-mainstream party that has had any 'significant' Muslim support is the broadly socialist/anti-war Respect, which seems to have descended into Life of Brian style factionalism. They have exactly one elected representative, George Galloway, who isn't going to dismantle democracy any time soon (he'd probably at least have to turn up in the House occasionally to do that).

From 2001 to 2011, the population and percentage of population of Muslims in Birmingham has increased by more than 50% - to nearly a ¼ million or 22% of population. I predict a riot.

Do you believe that this demographic change won't result in the Islamification of that wonderful city?

mr_goo

From the vile contemptible pig that told us Bradford is a Jew free zone. I guess he is just making sure that he gets enough votes to retain his seat come May so he can keep feeding from the trough and collect his salary from RT.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/01/20/george-galloway-charlie-hebdo-racist-islamophobic-hypocritical-rag-freedom-speech-rally_n_6506008.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK

RDW

I wondered what this referred to, so Googled it - apparently Galloway declared his Bradford constituency an 'Israel free zone' at the time of the last Gaza conflict, and seems to have imagined he had the power to enfoce a boycott on Israeli products and even visitors (Israeli's ambassador's response: "In the best spirit of Yorkshire, the real voice of Bradford knows that there has only ever been one good boycott – and that's Geoff Boycott."). Galloway will have a much harder time of it this year if he seriously contests his seat - he won it on the back of a by-election protest vote and the situation is likely to be very different in May - the bookies are going for a Labour win at better than evens. Wasn't he banging on about running for London major next?

thegreatdivide

RDW wrote:

I wondered what this referred to, so Googled it - apparently Galloway declared his Bradford constituency an 'Israel free zone' at the time of the last Gaza conflict, and seems to have imagined he had the power to enfoce a boycott on Israeli products and even visitors (Israeli's ambassador's response: "In the best spirit of Yorkshire, the real voice of Bradford knows that there has only ever been one good boycott – and that's Geoff Boycott."). Galloway will have a much harder time of it this year if he seriously contests his seat - he won it on the back of a by-election protest vote and the situation is likely to be very different in May - the bookies are going for a Labour win at better than evens. Wasn't he banging on about running for London major next?

While I agree he's a bit of a knob, he's fighting a war of words. Israel on the other hand drops white phosphorus on civilians and it's for this reason I don't buy products from that vile little fuxked up country.

On the topic of fuxked up countries, I see the King of Hypocrisy is dead. Good riddance. Is that one less small dick super car vtech?

mr_goo

thegreatdivide wrote:

RDW wrote:

I wondered what this referred to, so Googled it - apparently Galloway declared his Bradford constituency an 'Israel free zone' at the time of the last Gaza conflict, and seems to have imagined he had the power to enfoce a boycott on Israeli products and even visitors (Israeli's ambassador's response: "In the best spirit of Yorkshire, the real voice of Bradford knows that there has only ever been one good boycott – and that's Geoff Boycott."). Galloway will have a much harder time of it this year if he seriously contests his seat - he won it on the back of a by-election protest vote and the situation is likely to be very different in May - the bookies are going for a Labour win at better than evens. Wasn't he banging on about running for London major next?

While I agree he's a bit of a knob, he's fighting a war of words. Israel on the other hand drops white phosphorus on civilians and it's for this reason I don't buy products from that vile little fuxked up country.

On the topic of fuxked up countries, I see the King of Hypocrisy is dead. Good riddance. Is that one less small dick super car vtech?

You should still support the products of Israel. It's the government that are dropping the bombs etc. Not the farmers. Bet you still buy products from China.

And as for that King of the Kingdom. I agree. Good riddance to a despotic ruler. However, only to be replaced by another Shiite. Or is he Sunni? ....

thegreatdivide

You should still support the products of Israel. It's the government that are dropping the bombs etc. Not the farmers.

Framing on illegal West Bank settlements? It's a fuxked up little country.

[Edit] It's not even a country, it's a state.

pblakeney

thegreatdivide wrote:

You should still support the products of Israel. It's the government that are dropping the bombs etc. Not the farmers.

Framing on illegal West Bank settlements? It's a fuxked up little country.

[Edit] It's not even a country, it's a state.

Framing?
I should hope so.

thegreatdivide

LOL. I'm sure you get the picture.

VTech

thegreatdivide wrote:

RDW wrote:

I wondered what this referred to, so Googled it - apparently Galloway declared his Bradford constituency an 'Israel free zone' at the time of the last Gaza conflict, and seems to have imagined he had the power to enfoce a boycott on Israeli products and even visitors (Israeli's ambassador's response: "In the best spirit of Yorkshire, the real voice of Bradford knows that there has only ever been one good boycott – and that's Geoff Boycott."). Galloway will have a much harder time of it this year if he seriously contests his seat - he won it on the back of a by-election protest vote and the situation is likely to be very different in May - the bookies are going for a Labour win at better than evens. Wasn't he banging on about running for London major next?

While I agree he's a bit of a knob, he's fighting a war of words. Israel on the other hand drops white phosphorus on civilians and it's for this reason I don't buy products from that vile little fuxked up country.

On the topic of fuxked up countries, I see the King of Hypocrisy is dead. Good riddance. Is that one less small dick super car vtech?

I struggle to manage the work I have and being in semi retirement doesn't give me as much time so I'm afraid it doesn't really effect me other than to say that I have never felt the need to rejoice at the death of anyone.

mamba80

"The UK government has been heavily criticised by human rights campaigners for requesting that all flags on government buildings be flown at half-mast in tribute to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, who died on Thursday.
Including Westminster Abbey.

The decision – which was made by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport – has attracted criticism from Amnesty International, which says Abdullah’s regime was responsible for human rights abuses such as public beheadings, the lashing of blogger Raif Badawi, and arresting women for attempting to drive"

i couldnt have made this up perhaps a 1/2 flag flying for the persecuted Christians throughout the middle east?

RDW

I love this story from the memoirs of Sherard Cowper-Coles, former ambassador to Saudi Arabia:

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/t ... eJYX859rsl

"You are not supposed to repeat what the Queen says in private conversation. But the story she told me on that occasion was one that I was also to hear later from its subject - Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia - and it is too funny not to repeat. Five years earlier, in September 1998, Abdullah had been invited up to Balmoral, for lunch with the Queen. Following his brother King Fahd’s stroke in 1995, Abdullah was already the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. After lunch, the Queen had asked her royal guest whether he would like a tour of the estate. Prompted by his Foreign Minister, the urbane Prince Saud, an initially hesitant Abdullah agreed. The royal Land Rovers were drawn up in front of the castle. As instructed, the Crown Prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, with his interpreter in the seat behind. To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off. Women are not - yet - allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen. His nervousness only increased as the Queen, an Army driver in wartime, accelerated the Land Rover along the narrow Scottish estate roads, talking all the time. Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the Queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead."

VTech

Great story. It shows how differently people live at the same time in different parts of the world.

I remember the first time I went to Dubai. I was having breakfast with a sheikh and automatically picked up my phone and wallet when I went to get food. He calmly put his hand over mine and said "we don't need to do that here" and I left my phone and wallet on the table.

I must admit it was a hard thought in doing that but of course there was no chance of it being stolen. It is no big deal now and I always leave my items as I get food etc but would I do it in the UK or USA ?

verylonglegs

So having women (er, roughly 50% of the population) treated as total inferiors is fair game in exchange for the privelige of leaving your wallet lying around when dining with a sheikh. Unless I missed your point?

VTech

verylonglegs wrote:

So having women (er, roughly 50% of the population) treated as total inferiors is fair game in exchange for the privelige of leaving your wallet lying around when dining with a sheikh. Unless I missed your point?

Not at all, like always you made a stupid comment based on nothing more than wanten incitement.

I don't agree with all laws in the UAE.
Similarly I don't agree with all of the laws of Europe.

Difference is, I understand that for a certain amount of time we are forced to live with them. I wouldn't take someone's property in the Middle East just as I wouldn't sell drugs in Thailand.

finchy

Go to any beach in Britain and you'll see that loads of people happily leave their possessions unattended while they for a swim. I think that people here are fairly decent in general.

mfin

VTech wrote:

I remember the first time I went to Dubai. I was having breakfast with a sheikh and automatically picked up my phone and wallet when I went to get food. He calmly put his hand over mine and said "we don't need to do that here" and I left my phone and wallet on the table.

Then whilst you were off getting your sugar puffs I bet it was bloody hard for him to resist taking the opportunity to rub your cutlery down his arse crack and take a photo of himself doing it on your phone.

verylonglegs

VTech wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

So having women (er, roughly 50% of the population) treated as total inferiors is fair game in exchange for the privelige of leaving your wallet lying around when dining with a sheikh. Unless I missed your point?

Not at all, like always you made a stupid comment based on nothing more than wanten incitement.

I don't agree with all laws in the UAE.
Similarly I don't agree with all of the laws of Europe.

Difference is, I understand that for a certain amount of time we are forced to live with them. I wouldn't take someone's property in the Middle East just as I wouldn't sell drugs in Thailand.

Your post implies you are merely over-looking minor subtleties intrinsic to each society but the truth is that it's much more than that, the two cultures are absolute poles apart, they really are. There isn't any real compatibility between the two, it's only distance and political convenience (oil) that lets them co-exist and co-operate.

VTech

verylonglegs wrote:

VTech wrote:

verylonglegs wrote:

So having women (er, roughly 50% of the population) treated as total inferiors is fair game in exchange for the privelige of leaving your wallet lying around when dining with a sheikh. Unless I missed your point?

Not at all, like always you made a stupid comment based on nothing more than wanten incitement.

I don't agree with all laws in the UAE.
Similarly I don't agree with all of the laws of Europe.

Difference is, I understand that for a certain amount of time we are forced to live with them. I wouldn't take someone's property in the Middle East just as I wouldn't sell drugs in Thailand.

Your post implies you are merely over-looking minor subtleties intrinsic to each society but the truth is that it's much more than that, the two cultures are absolute poles apart, they really are. There isn't any real compatibility between the two, it's only distance and political convenience (oil) that lets them co-exist and co-operate.

There isn't oil in Dubai. It's a banking state (quite a few people make the same mistake)


@mfin, I'm sorry you've not had the chance to travel and see different cultures. Maybe then your eyes would be opened to reality.

rick_chasey

Only have caught the end of this.

Is Vtech using Dubai as some kind of measure for how to live?

It's aaawful.

thegreatdivide

Rick Chasey wrote:

Only have caught the end of this.

Is Vtech using Dubai as some kind of measure for how to live?

It's aaawful.

Indeed. A tacky destination for Z-list 'celebrities'.

bianchimoon

The most un-evironmentally friendly, blot on the landscape on the whole of planet earth, how much damage have those man made islands have done to the delicate ocean ecosystem? Coral reefs, sea grasses, and oyster beds that were once part of protected marine lands lie choked under a barrage of dredged up sea sand. Then there's the waste that occurs from erecting buildings on top of these sand monsters and from the people that occupy them coupled with the lack of any effective recycling program and you have an environmental disaster on your hands. Add to this more gas guzzling SUVs than fuel-efficient cars on the road and the need for 24-hour powerful air-conditioning ...
it's enough to make a grown man cry

mamba80

VTech wrote:

Great story. It shows how differently people live at the same time in different parts of the world.

I remember the first time I went to Dubai. I was having breakfast with a sheikh. He calmly put his hand over mine and said "we don't need to do that here"

a close call, over there you could be stoned for things like that, i had no idea.

bianchimoon

mamba80 wrote:

VTech wrote:

Great story. It shows how differently people live at the same time in different parts of the world.

I remember the first time I went to Dubai. I was having breakfast with a sheikh. He calmly put his hand over mine and said "we don't need to do that here"

a close call, over there you could be stoned for things like that, i had no idea.

thegreatdivide

bianchimoon wrote:

The most un-evironmentally friendly, blot on the landscape on the whole of planet earth

That's China, but I'd still like to see Dubai removed from the planet.

thegreatdivide

bianchimoon wrote:

mamba80 wrote:

VTech wrote:

Great story. It shows how differently people live at the same time in different parts of the world.

I remember the first time I went to Dubai. I was having breakfast with a sheikh. He calmly put his hand over mine and said "we don't need to do that here"

a close call, over there you could be stoned for things like that, i had no idea.

I actually LOL'd :-D