Just back from my early morning bike ride along the seawall. As I have said many times this is quality thinking time - even in the rain - it was so nice to be out there.
Anyway this came into my head and I couldn't shift it. It seems at one level that it is a bit of a negative subject - so leave it - but of course it is an important one too - so don't -ha! I will start writing about it in order to form my thoughts - although I already know what my base point of view is.
This is the scene. A week ago I was on a Qatar Airlines flight back to the UK from Doha. The flight was evidently busy - in fact full. I got to my seat and became aware of a rather heated discussion going on between cabin staff and with an oldish lady dressed in Muslim black and covered head to toe including all but her eyes and nose. She was across from me in the gangway and one row ahead. The cabin staff and at one time the woman was stood next to me in earnest discussion and with some arm waving on her part.
The issue that they were trying to resolve was she didn't want to be seated next to a man. The cabin staff were trying to keep her happy and I overheard them say they had asked someone to move and they refused. There was a fuss. I don't know how they resolved it but eventually she was left with the seat next to her empty. (very nice to be able to spread your wings on a long flight - ha!)
I was sat next to my brother. We didn't really debate it - but we both grimaced in a tolerant British way and let it go - but we did both have the same thought along the lines of "bloody cheek!" What if we said we didn't want to sit next to a woman - or next to a woman because how she was dressed because we thought it offensive or against our religious belief. We can guess how it would have been received. Probably we would have been labelled racist or at least unacceptably intolerant.
In this instance I am pretty sure the woman was making her point on religious grounds - tell me otherwise. She wanted special treatment (and got it) because of her religious belief.
I need to say - I fully uphold every individuals right to pursue their own religion and live their life according to it. However that right cannot be greater than "equal under the law" and it cannot be greater than "equity" - fairness. I cannot see how special privilege or special treatment can be granted or worse expected or demanded by an individual on the grounds of their personal religious belief. This is what happened in the case I described and the woman got away with it.
Scale her attitude up and it is why we have so many problems in society - in the world. It is why there is so much intolerance and suspicion. (and I am not just referring to Muslims.)
The only answer is to state emphatically that while you are free to follow your own religion when it comes in to direct conflict with common law and common equity and your religion, common law must be paramount. It is a route to misery if one section of society starts demanding special treatment.
We are making this mistake in this country already. Freedom of speech is being curtailed. It is causing a great deal of resentment and negativity - and it is the wrong road to go down - too much "tolerance" is weak and will backfire. This is my thought.
Anyway this came into my head and I couldn't shift it. It seems at one level that it is a bit of a negative subject - so leave it - but of course it is an important one too - so don't -ha! I will start writing about it in order to form my thoughts - although I already know what my base point of view is.
This is the scene. A week ago I was on a Qatar Airlines flight back to the UK from Doha. The flight was evidently busy - in fact full. I got to my seat and became aware of a rather heated discussion going on between cabin staff and with an oldish lady dressed in Muslim black and covered head to toe including all but her eyes and nose. She was across from me in the gangway and one row ahead. The cabin staff and at one time the woman was stood next to me in earnest discussion and with some arm waving on her part.
The issue that they were trying to resolve was she didn't want to be seated next to a man. The cabin staff were trying to keep her happy and I overheard them say they had asked someone to move and they refused. There was a fuss. I don't know how they resolved it but eventually she was left with the seat next to her empty. (very nice to be able to spread your wings on a long flight - ha!)
I was sat next to my brother. We didn't really debate it - but we both grimaced in a tolerant British way and let it go - but we did both have the same thought along the lines of "bloody cheek!" What if we said we didn't want to sit next to a woman - or next to a woman because how she was dressed because we thought it offensive or against our religious belief. We can guess how it would have been received. Probably we would have been labelled racist or at least unacceptably intolerant.
In this instance I am pretty sure the woman was making her point on religious grounds - tell me otherwise. She wanted special treatment (and got it) because of her religious belief.
I need to say - I fully uphold every individuals right to pursue their own religion and live their life according to it. However that right cannot be greater than "equal under the law" and it cannot be greater than "equity" - fairness. I cannot see how special privilege or special treatment can be granted or worse expected or demanded by an individual on the grounds of their personal religious belief. This is what happened in the case I described and the woman got away with it.
Scale her attitude up and it is why we have so many problems in society - in the world. It is why there is so much intolerance and suspicion. (and I am not just referring to Muslims.)
The only answer is to state emphatically that while you are free to follow your own religion when it comes in to direct conflict with common law and common equity and your religion, common law must be paramount. It is a route to misery if one section of society starts demanding special treatment.
We are making this mistake in this country already. Freedom of speech is being curtailed. It is causing a great deal of resentment and negativity - and it is the wrong road to go down - too much "tolerance" is weak and will backfire. This is my thought.
yeah, I always used to feel a bit self-conscious on those airlines and I would make a point of dressing modestly because I wanted to be respectful but me pretending to be a member of the "women's union" is farcical and I'd end up feeling kinda slimey. Not anymore !!! I've already decided that the next time I'll be dressing up like I would for an Air France flight. It will be very tasteful and professional yet subtly revealing to shameful, lecherous, hooded eyes. I will fail to notice any bed linen and drapery that billows into my field of view and will exude a special trademark aura that's equal measure scorn and contentment. Anyway, David, you have a very nice blog. Here's something really neat you might like ... on a lighter note haha. I wish you all the best on your future travels and splashing around in the Solent. http://www.littlethings.com/stealth-camper/?utm_source=proj&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=houses
ReplyDeleteSally you make me grin. We are surrounded by "pc" and that is not you. Excellent. On the clip - I am a budget traveller but the guy trailing a "caravan" behind his bike is taking it perhaps a little too far - certainly not a passion wagon - ha! Apart from anything else don't they have wind where he comes from? Yes I will be bobbing on the Solent over the next few months and am planning a next trip. Looking at Russia so will probably be sensible to write my blog when I get home rather than risk incarceration if I record everything is not glorious. Ps I haven't looked up your web site yet. I will. I also now think I understand what an avatar is. Previously I thought Avatar was just the name of a Disney film!
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with his bicycle seat, I'd add a cushion ... but you're right, he probably uses it to get a break from his wife. Your boat sounds much more comfortable. I'm also quite handy with a bow and arrow.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you'll find the beer and food in Russia but by all accounts the train is lovely. You will have to keep your wits about you.
I'm hoping to go to Sikkim in September but my trekking friend is proving hard to pin down because she too has been retrenched lately. She's busy starting up a global geocaching game ... so even if she doesn't come she will probably want me to hide objects in the Himalayas for her and send her the coordinates.
Otherwise ... the best defence against Islam is their own texts. One book, Reliance of the Traveller, is a must-read and outlines the call to jihad in no uncertain terms. It is available at all good Islamic bookshops near you and has the stamp of approval from both Al-Ahzar in Cairo and the highest authorities in Medina. I keep the material I need handy on my phone so I can show people the facts directly without getting into tedious conversations about what I think or what they think. It's also important to know that the Hadith that call for spiritual jihad are regarded as "weak Hadith" and are superceded by the call to make war on infidels, and that this has been the case since the 9th century so no one must pretend that is the true way of Allah because that's blasphemy. Also good to familiarise yourself with some of the genuine reformers, like Zudhi Jasser and others, but NOT Maajid Nawaz. Just researching the term "Quilliam" is a huge eye-opener. It refers to a British humiliation in Sudan, they love that kind of stuff, that's the kind of cleverness that really gets them going, and he is worth studying because he is a master at the art of "taqiyya". There a few other tricks they have, but in no time you have a watertight case, which you make solely by using their own sacred texts so it's not controversial. It's a remarkable system but once you understand it the whole thing crumbles and that creates peace in the heart, if nowhere else.
Well, I'm flying to Joburg tomorrow for a book launch and to speak to a group of African pastors about jihad. I can use the change of scenery and company for a few days. It's very quiet here once winter sets in ...