I agree with a lot of what Havoc says, however I'll say this: I am willing to respect Islamic practices provided they aren't infringing on peoples human rights. Which is whhy I dislike the burka. The hajib is a part of their religion and I have zero problem with Islamic women wearing one if they choose, but the Burka isn't required by the Qur'an, and is just a symbol of the female discrimination that has lingered in elements of Islamic culture.
When I go to Spain on holiday I make an effort to speak Spanish as much as possible: it's their country & culture so I should respect their customs. I hate going to the "English ghetto" type places (Note: when I use the term ghetto I mean it as a concentration of a particular ethnicity, not as a poor/run down area),where you get all this chavvish culture and little actual Spanish culture. You put the customs of your host first, not the other way round. When in Rome and all that. A perfect example is a friend of mine who recently informed me he was Islamic. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, I think he might attend the mosque, and he might know Arabic (I've only ever heard him speak English, however). However he never tries to impose his faith on others: he's a perfect example of how its fully compatible to be Islamic AND western British. If you're religious then that is great, but there's no need to impose your faith onto others, whatever your religion. Just to answer Joe's post:
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What's so wrong with having to learn Arabic?
What's so wrong about respecting the practices of our neighbors?
What's so important and rigid about our culture?
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1- Nothing wrong with learning Arabic if you choose to. But the guest follows the host's customs first, not the other way round. Suppose I was at a friend's house and he was drinking beer, and I say "Hey, you've got to drink this too" and try to make him drink some wine, that's not fair on him. However if I go "Want to try this?" and he accepts, then all's well. Common courtesy to your host.
2-Absolutely nothing at all, but respecting your neighbour's practices doesn't mean having to adopt their practices in place of your own.
3-Nothing but by the samme token what's so important and rigid about THEIRS? I've noticed a trend in society recently that seems to be of a "You arent important but everyone different is" mentality. I saw an article in a papeer where the columnist was labelling white British people as lazy, alcoholic, theiving scroungers, and all immigrants as saints. If that had been the other way round it would be banned. I've got absolutely zero problem with any other cultures comnig to Britain provided they're willing to integrate. If they respect our traditions and don't try to infringe, I'll completely respect theirs and won't infringe either.
I firmly disagree with banning the building of mosques- they have every right to worship. Also, on deporting radical preachers: that depends whether all radical preachers are going to be stopped or just the Islamic ones. If the latter then that's not exactly fair. I don't want to hear them spouting such inflammtory extremism, but you can't ban them and then still allow radical Christian puritans, say, to also spread intolerance.
Capital punishment I feel has its merits but also its major disadvantages. You can't just apply it to a crime category, you've got to look at individual cases. Harold Shipman for instance was a complete monster, however a guy who murders someone because they'd I dunno, pickpocketed him or nicked his missus- while it's still a dreadful act, isn't really on the same level. And I don't know about giving it to drug dealers-would it be just the crime lords, or would it be to Johnny Marijuana who flogs a few joints on the weekend too? As for terrorism, if you execute them you just create a martyr for their cause. It's no coincidence that they use suicide bombings. As for a penal station....eh, I'm not so sure. We're overcrowded here sure, but again I'm just concerned about the selection criteria and specific details.
I'd never vote BNP for 3 reasons: 1) I think several policies go too far, and several aren't outlined clearly 2) I don't trust Nick Griffin at alll and would be very concerned that he would become more radical if in power, and 3) Even if the BNP did tone things down, cut out the objectionable policies and replace Nick Griffin, the stigma of them being a racist party won't go away and a vote with them associates you with all kinds of unpleasant people.
I'm torn between voting Conservative & voting Green Party. 2 very different parties I know. I have no interest in voting Labour, while I like elements of the Lib Dems (Mostly Vince Cable & repealing the Digital Economy bill), I have issue with more of their policies than with Green or Tory. Green will never get in though, so I'm unsure what to do.
Never intended this post to last so long. I'm done now, I think.
UK General Election thread
