Immigrant recieves 2nd highest bravery award

[boyfriday]

So the brave soldiers serving in the army/navy and air force are dross are they?

 

Nope, a number of my own family are serving and retired members of the armed services.

You need to go have a word with yourself in the mirror. Any one of our British soldiers are worth 10 of you any day of the week!

Yep, I agree.

I think your post is damn right insulting to all those soldiers that serve and have died in the course of serving this country.

Perhaps you could clarify how you arrive at that conclusion, I was making no negative reference to British soldiers whatsoever, I was referring to British dross-never mentioned British soldiers at all.

[Frank Sidney]

I don't think Mel's wrong to highlight he's an "immigrant" although that terminology always sounds a bit offensive to me. Don't know why though. There's enough bad publicity about "immigrants" so good for him, the "immigrant" that is, and not Mel. He's a pain in the ass...

[boyfriday]

How can you not think he was talking about our servicemen ?

 

This was the post I was responding to:

 

but anyway, a big well done to this brave man. in my view and the majority of the country, gurkha's are welcome here any day of the week. they are a dam sight more british than the dross we allow to settle here these days.

 

It seems clear to me that the poster was referring to us allowing foreign dross to settle here (not soldiers), I was reflecting on the fact that we have enough of our own home grown dross (black & white).

[boyfriday]

My biggest gripe with Muslims (by that I mean real ones, not some mentally challenged Muslim wannabe's) is that they just don't integrate with people from other faiths at all. They like living in their own little world, mixing mainly with people from their own faith. The areas they live in seem to turn into slums, with houses that are painted pink and yellow.

 

Integration is a two way street, most of us only encounter Muslims when collecting our Friday night curry or relying on them for a lift home when we're too drunk to get there ourselves-yes some may be quite insular, but others are just like the rest of us-most lovely people, some of them crap.

 

I remember a thread here a few years ago where a poster was trying to get members here to attend the open day at Severn Road mosque so we could get an idea about them and their religion...a lot of tumbleweed rolled down the road that day.

[boyfriday]

No I don't disagree but there is kneejerk liberalism as well as kneejerk reactionary prats.

 

I hear what you say Mr Prime, but there's a helluva lot of the latter and a lot less of the former in discussions about Muslims/immigrants/asylum seekers here, and I think mel should be congratulated for trying to even up the balance.

 

As Obelix pointed out earlier, any positive reflection on this subject matter does seem to flush out the xenophobes amongst us, I'm not including you in that number btw

[boyfriday]

Of course when that debate consists of immediate abuse and innuendo from people I think it's clear to see where peoples true colours lie and I'm sure that was part of the idea.

[ronthenekred]

But his post quite evidently was.

 

You're wrong. Don't sit on a jury, you invent evidence, evidently.

 

 

How can you not think he was talking about our servicemen ?

 

 

Because the poster can read. Not reinvent what he reads.

 

 

 

It seems a pity his action had to be reduced to 'racist fishing thread'. I just don't connect "immigrant" with fighting for his last breath.

[WeX]

Integration is a two way street, most of us only encounter Muslims when collecting our Friday night curry or relying on them for a lift home when we're too drunk to get there ourselves-yes some may be quite insular, but others are just like the rest of us-most lovely people, some of them crap.

 

I remember a thread here a few years ago where a poster was trying to get members here to attend the open day at Severn Road mosque so we could get an idea about them and their religion...a lot of tumbleweed rolled down the road that day.

 

it is, that is true, but why do other religions appear less segregated? hindu's sikhs, jews, buddhists etc. now you could say they all number much less than our muslim population but together they are far larger but less noticeable. is this because they integrate more or are we more used to seeing them? i suppose its a bit of both.

 

there does appear to be a number of factors that builds walls between muslims and other religions and the none religious population.

[Mr Prime]

I hear what you say Mr Prime, but there's a helluva lot of the latter and a lot less of the former in discussions about Muslims/immigrants/asylum seekers here, and I think mel should be congratulated for trying to even up the balance.

 

As Obelix pointed out earlier, any positive reflection on this subject matter does seem to flush out the xenophobes amongst us, I'm not including you in that number btw

 

I agree, I defended Melthebell the other day when someone called him/her a troll but was curious about this point, which s/he answered with the Gurkha's address.

 

As for me I've had several black girlfriends and have black artists in my CD collection so am obviously a massive expert on race!

[boyfriday]

it is, that is true, but why do other religions appear less segregated? hindu's sikhs, jews, buddhists etc. now you could say they all number much less than our muslim population but together they are far larger but less noticeable. is this because they integrate more or are we more used to seeing them? i suppose its a bit of both.

I suspect you may be right, but to be honest, our cultural radars only operate when we see/perceive something negative about a group of people who we know little about.

 

When I was growing up in the 60's/70's Muslims were seen as a benign, non threatening community. I realise I have to tread carefully here but blacks of the Afro-Caribbean variety were perceived as threatening, mainly because certain elements of that community were vocal and drawn towards anti-social behaviour and remember we're talking about a group who had a common language and (notionally) religion to the indigenous population.

 

The problems seen in Muslims now and blacks in the 70's are the identity issues that affect many 2nd/3rd generation immigrants. The youth particularly feel disenfranchised, pulled by two cultures and tempted by the worst elements of both. I guess the disenfranchised white working class experience similar problems.