Author Topic: Do We Offend Muslims?  (Read 7099 times)

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Offline Colwyn

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #20 on: November 08, 2013, 13:40:46 PM »
I don't care about "what's behind" Christmas. I'm just up for the gluttony. This morning I ordered half a case of special Christmas red wine including Californian Zinfandel and NZ Pinot Noir. Hilary is preparing ingredients for her Christmas cake as I type.


As for councils banning Christmas - I'll believe it when I see it. I just looked up the Bristol Council website to see what they said about Christmes. My search produced 384 hits including The Lord Mayor's Christmas Appeal, a Christmas market to be held at the Council House (our version of Town Hall) and {perhaps of interest to Menthol} how to cope with the post-Christmas clean up.


{P.S. I just realized that some of the Council references to Christmas were actually about Christmas steps - a stone's throw away from Christmas Street. There would be riots in the street - again - if they renamed this famous old Bristol landmark "December 25th Steps".}
« Last Edit: November 08, 2013, 14:53:40 PM by Colwyn »

Offline Menthol

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #21 on: November 08, 2013, 14:10:15 PM »
My feelings for Christmas are pretty much like WordBird's.

Rest of my family (the Muslims and the non Muslims) love it. My husband is still looking for somewhere that re-creates that feeling of Christmas that he remembers so vividly from the 1970s. He came to live in the UK, from Kashmir, in 1969 as a wee nipper and got caught up in the whole build up to Christmas excitement.

I really do despise the full on, put yourselves in debt, let's not even think about the less fortunate for a minute culture. An excess of everything and more often than not, the pressure people subscribe to to 'get Christmas right' (colour co-ordinated Xmas tree, anyone?) means they are so stressed they dont actually enjoy it much and the divorce figures rise.

I haven't sent Christmas Cards for over 20 years now. I was spending ridiculous amounts on these bits of paper and then posting them. I decided to translate the cost into a charity donation. And not for any religious reasons, but just because I admire the excellent work they do with the homeless locally, the Salvation Army gets £75 from me and several bin bags of decent clothes I've sorted out.

I promise myself every year that I'll volunteer to help them with their Christmas meals for the homeless work and of course I never have  :-[

Offline teetee

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #22 on: November 08, 2013, 15:12:22 PM »
Being an atheist I am not offended by Christmas or any other celebration although the true meaning of Christmas has now pretty much disappeared for the majority.

I have also not seen any evidence that Muslims are offended by people celebrating Christmas, the more westenised muslims that I am aquainted with enjoy the holiday feel at this time of year.

All that aside Christmas has sadly become for many a big budget excercise with too much food and drink and an excess of presents for people with little appreciation for them.

Right I'm off to read a few line from my favorite book A Christmas Carol 

"The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, made his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and he spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice ...."   


   :( :(

Offline Bluwise

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #23 on: November 08, 2013, 17:53:48 PM »
I too have stopped sending cards to everyone I have ever rubbed shoulders with - it just got ridiculous.  I also think exchanging of gifts should be kept to closest family as invariably something I have bought or has been bought for me ends up in the back of a cupboard as individual tastes vary so much.  What a terrible waste of time and effort.
 I keep dropping hints to friends not to buy me anything as I simply don't want anything - their friendship is enough and besides that, every year it gets harder to buy for them.  I end up clutching at straws buying extortionately priced tat in xmas packaging!
The last straw was when some very dear friends bought us a plot of land on the Moon or somewhere equally remote……..and a few years later, an entitlement to be called Lord and Lady.  Dear oh dear oh dear…………. :-[  Never mind offending Muslims - I am offended by the one-upmanship approach to xmas too.

Offline Scott and Lisa

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #24 on: November 08, 2013, 23:25:36 PM »
should we call you Lady B ? ;)

Offline johntaylor49

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #25 on: November 09, 2013, 11:57:42 AM »
TeeTee are you sure that wasn't a description of Tony Blair in the Christmas issue of "Shysters and Charlatans for young political science graduates"??

Well I absolutely love Christmas, I have my albums with things like "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" on them, Fir Scented joss sticks, an extravaganza of tasteful decoration, Christmas Cake I baked last year all ready along with Vintage Champagne and Barolo and Nuits St.George in the Wine Rack all ready! Not too mention my Santa Mankini for the neighbours Xmas party (Not a  pretty sight but will amuse them!).

MMMM! Can taste the Christmas Day Bufard and Lamb and Chicken Curries with steaming Aromatic Rice already --- well I don't like Turkey and wifey from India so ........................................

Sad however I doubt I will see a single "Merry Christmas" in any of the Shopping Malls in Manchester and Bolton so as "not to offend the Muslims" the vast majority of whom are looking forward to the Holiday and enjoying Christmas with Christian and Hannukah with Jewish friends, just not joining in the religious part.






Offline Colwyn

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #26 on: November 09, 2013, 12:45:47 PM »
Is this the same Manchester where the Council is proudly celebrating 15 years of its "award winning" Christmas Market and which switched on the Christmas Lights yesterday? Or is this a different, fantasy Manchester you have created in your imagination?


P.S. If you want to go to all the Manchester Christmas Markets the City Council helpfully provides a brochure and also a Christmas Markets Trail Map to show you where they all are. You'll be jingle-belled up to your eyebrows.
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/5525/christmas_markets_2013_brochure


P.P.S. Couldn't resist adding this. Bolton's Christmas lights will be switched on Monday 11 November and will be shown on BBC1 The One Show (I might watch this for the first time ever just to see if I can spot you in the crowd JT). Who will be the celebrity guest who will switch on the lights? Why, Bolton's famous boxer - Amir Khan, who else? He wouldn't appear to be offended by Christmas then !!!
« Last Edit: November 09, 2013, 13:36:34 PM by Colwyn »

Offline johntaylor49

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #27 on: November 09, 2013, 18:04:47 PM »
Well, if you read my post again anyone you will notice I referred to Shopping Malls, did I say there would be no Christmas Lights in Manchester? -- nope cant see I did, and yes they have lights, but rarely a "Merry Christmas" -- lots of Seasons greetings though!  :) Be interesting this year to see if we have Merry Christmas but the reason I specified shopping malls was it is there where the most abandonment of the "C" word can be seen --- mustn't offend the Moslems -- ! Looking in the Bodyshop (from outside while wifey shopped) I was able to deliberately stand in front of the "seasons Greetings" in the Window ------- that made me feel so much better  :)

Must share my amusement when being forced to go round the Manchester Christmas Market (load of crap in my opinion), I was delighted to hear one of the Girls on a stall say "Oh, yes, the Carpenter in our village makes all the windmills", (you know, those ones with candles and the hot air spins them round), which, as I had just looked underneath one to observe the "Made in China" confirmed my views!

Cant remember last year in Bolton -- but I am pretty sure the "c" word wasn't anywhere. I wont be there for the lights as I will be busy compiling statistics to get better performance from my "standard differential" or possibly studying for degree in "political media studies" with a group session of the Worsley Popular Front.

Meanwhile, off to the Old Boathouse on the Bridgewater Canal for real ale and some nice Pig!

Oink!

Offline Colwyn

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #28 on: November 09, 2013, 18:13:26 PM »
By pandering to their hatred by avoiding using the word Christmas which a lot of councils do makes me very angry indeed
JT, did you forget you wrote this? Since you say there are "a lot" of these councils I suppose you are able to name some. Obviously not Manchester or Bolton though.

Offline quackers

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Re: Do We Offend Muslims?
« Reply #29 on: November 10, 2013, 06:11:10 AM »
I love Chrıstmas out here. No hype. We put up the tree and decoratıons early December. I paint my own Chrıstmas cards . Have the Chrıstmas CD,s on ın the car from 1st December and sıng a long .Go to the Carol Servıce  christmas eve. Have Chrıstmas lunch wıth frıends at a local Hotel or Restaurant and end up at our Local bar for a quiz or card games and drinks. I make a Chrıstmas cake and mincemeat and the kıds bring us out Chrıstmas Puddıngs. Do we offend our Muslım neıghbours.  No they all wısh us Happy Chrıstmas.




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