Muslim Council Chiefs Ban ALL Members From ‘Tea and Sandwiches’ in Meetings During Ramadan
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This Is London, August 28, 2008
Muslim council leaders have sparked outrage after trying to ban all councillors eating in meetings until sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.
Politicians have hit out after the move to impose hardline Islamic rules on non-Muslim colleagues throughout September.
The bombshell has been dropped by Labour chiefs of the notoriously loony Tower Hamlets Council in east London.
The storm was sparked by an e-mail sent to all councillors this week highlighting arrangements for Town Hall committee meetings next month, which marks the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan.
The memo said that new council leader Lutfur Rahman and his deputy, Siraj Islam, had requested that meetings be kept to a minimum to accommodate fasting councillors.
They have also urged all other councillors to resist eating until the breaking of the fast at sunset.
Cllr Stephanie Eaton, leader of the Lib Dem group on the left-wing East End authority, said she would be ignoring the new Ramadan regime.
She insisted the new Labour leadership was favouring one religious group over others.
Cllr Eaton said: ‘The Liberal Democrats have enormous respect for the contribution of all faith groups and cultures to the life of the community of Tower Hamlets.
‘But we fervently believe that the rules of any one religion should not be imposed upon others.’
It is the first time such a request has been made and it comes as Ramadan falls earlier this year during the longer daylight hours.
Council bosses have also ordered that the town hall’s business agenda should be reduced, with only seven scheduled committee meetings for the entire month, to deal with the Ramadan restrictions.
Officers have also been barred from arranging any more and been told to explore ways of dropping some of the scheduled seven.
Those going ahead generally start at about 6.30pm.
So with sunset due to fall just after 7.30pm at the beginning of September and around 6.30pm by the end of Ramadan, the breaking of the fast will take place during meetings.
At those points, there will be 45-minute adjournments to allow members to eat and pray, council leaders have ordered.
But it is the arrangements for the food and other refreshments that has angered Cllr Eaton and the rest of her party, which includes two Muslim councillors.
Normally tea, coffee and sandwiches are set aside for councillors to nibble at during evening meetings.
But during Ramadan these will be reduced and complemented by special Muslim food packs containing chicken, lamb and vegetarian snacks.
But in his email, John Williams, the council’s head of democratic services, said: ‘It is requested that members do not partake of any refreshments until after the Iftar refreshments are served.’
Cllr Eaton said that was going too far. Speaking on behalf of all her stunned party colleagues, she said: ‘I was rather disconcerted to see that the arrangements put in place for Ramadan, which we support for Muslim colleagues, have been imposed upon all councillors.
‘We object to the request that non-Muslim councillors observe the fasting rules for Ramadan.
‘This sends out the wrong message to our community. Our community consists of a huge number of different religions, all of which should be valued, and no one religion should be accorded more status or influence than others.
‘Freedom of belief is an important human right, and we Liberal Democrat councillors, Muslim and non-Muslim, agree that this request is inappropriate.’
Cllr Eaton has also written to Town Hall bosses about her concerns that their move ‘will not enhance community cohesion and asking for their reassurance that no faith is given any particular status or priority in the operation or decisions of the council’.
Council bosses said their arrangements were in place ‘where it is not reasonable to expect members observing Ramadan, and who are required to attend a formal committee or other meeting, to travel home in time for sundown in order to break fast and undertake prayers’.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar and the holiest of the four holy months. It begins with the sighting of the new moon after which all physically mature and healthy Muslims are obliged to abstain from all food, drink, gum chewing, any kind of tobacco use, and any kind of sexual contact between dawn and sunset.
(Posted on August 28, 2008)
Comments
And this women is - really - surprised by this? The only thing that surprises me is the surprise that this woman seems to express. Even in her request she is kow-towing to the muslims (I will not capitalize it), groveling at their feet while she expresses support for their freedom to practice their “religion”. Please. If she really wants to express herself, she needs to go into the first meeting after the start of ramadan (again, I will not capitalize it) with a pint and a meal of fish and chips, and start porking away (hey, a ham sandwich might even be better…) Let the muslims start wailing and gnashing their teeth in the name of allah. If we’re lucky, one of ‘em might even pass out from exhaustion after not eating all day. Anyway, she’ll soon find that she has to wear the scarf then the veil then she won’t even be able to attend at all, since she’s, well, a she. That’s where we’re headed folks.
hts
Posted by hts at 8:08 PM on August 28
“Muslim Council Chiefs Ban ALL Members From ‘Tea and Sandwiches’ in Meetings During Ramadan.”
And if they don’t there just might be another bus bombing to worry about in London.
Make up your minds now, multicults. It’s either jihad or Sharia law.
It’s your choice.
Posted by ice at 9:32 PM on August 28
Now we see another aspect of what is in store for Western societies that don’t have the backbone to stand up to these Muslims who seek to impose their will on everybody.
Wish I could go to one of those meetings…..I would not only be snacking, but snacking on some fried pork skins or a ham sandwich. They don’t like it, they can go back to that third world toilet of a country they came from!
Seriously, I can see the day coming where students are no longer allowed to eat any pork products in the school lunch room, but of course Muslims will be allowed to eat halal meat, where the animals die a gruesome, nasty death when they get their throats slit.
Posted by at 10:33 PM on August 28
Natives of western countries are under no obligation to respect or even tolerate foreigners with alien cultures and religions. If the newcomers can’t fit in to the satisfaction of the native population, they should be made to leave. At least that’s how it would work in a sane world.
Posted by Joe G at 12:35 AM on August 29
We in England simply do not understand the importance of these muslim cultural practices to those who follow them. When they fast, they expect all around them to fast too, as a mark of respect. If we White christians, in our own White christian country, were to eat in the presence of a muslim during ramadan, it would be an insult. There are many such observances in islam, here is just one.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/7584446.stm
Posted by yorkshireman at 12:45 AM on August 29
As I have noted before, here in my 3rd world SE Asian retirement home, we don’t have the Muslims telling us what to do. Yes, there are the usual bombings and kidnappings (currently on the increase), these are Muslims we are talking about, but they don’t try and tell the rest of us how to live our lives, they just want to be separate from the rest of us. On my island, we ignore them and they ignore us.
Posted by Lost in Paradise at 2:17 AM on August 29
I understand quite well the religious oppression that the Muslims are trying to impose on others. Back when I was in grade school we were served fish every Friday in the school cafeteria because we had a Catholic family in our school. As school lunches go, I think it was fish, at least that was what we were told.
Posted by Southern Hoosier at 6:16 AM on August 29
The fact is that the London borough of Tower Hamlets is probably 90% Bangladeshi and Pakistani now, so I’m surprised there are actually any White councillors left.
Posted by Kenelm Digby at 6:30 AM on August 29
Liberal Democrats finally figuring out that they can never out do Labour in giving goodies to Muslims? Don’t bet on it! That rumbling sound is Gladstone turning in his grave.
Posted by Bob at 12:43 PM on August 29
“We in England simply do not understand the importance of these muslim cultural practices to those who follow them.
Posted by yorkshireman at 12:45 AM on August 29”
That is why you are losing your country along with us and the rest of the Western world. You do not have to understand why these beliefs are so important to them. You simply have to understand that they are willing to die for what they believe in. It was not so long ago that we once felt the same way. Once upon a time we had an unshakable belief in Western Civilization and Judeo Christianity. We felt it was our duty to bring law, order and civilization to the rest of the world. Remember Kipling “White Man’s Burden?” But no more.
Islam is like a wild animal that senses doubt and hesitation in us. Like a wild animal sensing weakness they are going on the attack. We think that if we understand them, we can reason with them, but we cannot reason with wild animals. We cannot make wild animals love us no matter what. We think we can tame them, but it is only a matter of time before they turn on us. You cannot run from them, they will simply hunt you down. You have but two choices, to fight or to die. It seems we have chosen to die.
Is it to late to fight? Ask the Serbs. Ask the Serbs what happened to them when they choose to fight against them. So let us all sit in front of our tellies, pop a cold beer and go quietly into the dust bins of history. If we no longer believe in ourselves and our way of life, then we need to step aside before we are pushed aside by those that do believe in themselves, even if we don’t understand them.
Posted by Southern Hoosier at 12:50 PM on August 29
In my kids school district, they quietly removed all pork products from the breakfast and lunch menus a couple of years ago. Happened when the first muslim Kurds were brought in by Christian do-gooders.
Posted by Simon at 2:38 PM on August 29
Christian do-gooders will spell the end of us all faster than all the Libtards, and diversi-freaks and multi-culti-commies all put together.
Posted by at 11:22 PM on August 29
It is obvious to me that ‘Southern Hoosier’ posting at 12.50 PM on August 29 does not understand the subtlety of irony, and, more importantly, did not appreciate the link I provided. This is assuming he/she bothered to use it, which would have clarified my point admirably and so pre-empted many points made by the Poster.
Posted by yorkshireman at 12:29 AM on August 30
As I have noted before, here in my 3rd world SE Asian retirement home, we don’t have the Muslims telling us what to do. Yes, there are the usual bombings and kidnappings (currently on the increase), these are Muslims we are talking about, but they don’t try and tell the rest of us how to live our lives, they just want to be separate from the rest of us. On my island, we ignore them and they ignore us.
Posted by Lost in Paradise at 2:17 AM on August 29
And you must feel that things will remain at that status quo!! No way my friend, the Muslims want it all and will settle for NOTHING LESS. I work with a large number of Philippino mechanics here in Iraq (I know, not supposed to be here) and they watch the Pinay TV station all day watching the Muslims demanding ALL OF MINDINAO Island (Quite a LARGE island I might add) as their Muslim Homeland. They will settle for nothing less.
Posted by Skip at 11:52 AM on August 30
To yorkshireman, I apologize for not reading your link the first time. I did go back and read it. I am simply stating what appears to be the obvious to you, that these people are acting like animals. If they treat their own children this way in the name of religion, how will they treat us and our children? Some of your subtlety of irony are lost on us Americans. Remember we are two people separated by a common language.
Posted by Souther Hoosier at 12:41 PM on August 30
Can someone let us know if these people crumble and observe the Muslim Ramadan as demanded by the Muslims? If they do, it is all over but the beheadings.
Posted by Skip at 10:03 AM on September 1
It is the 2nd day of Ramadan, has any evidence come forth to suggest that these council people have caved in to the Muslim ‘demands’ or even suggesting a compromise (appeasement)?
Posted by Skip at 3:35 PM on September 2