The Afgahnistan Youth Orchestra ,

[cuttsie]

These talented kids who in there own Country had their instruments smashed up with sledge hammers by the brave religious nutters in charge in that Country have finally been allowed to play concerts in the UK .

We refused to give them visas for many months fearing that these talented kids would not go home once the concert tour was finished   We should welcome them with open arms as music  breaks down all barriers ( Except in these stone age Country's where Religion is prominent and makes every day life a  nightmare )  .

The Orchestra has now found a home in Portugal where they have been allowed to live for as long as they like . Perhaps one day they can return home and practice the music they love in a free and welcoming land .

 

[Mister M]

32 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

These talented kids who in there own Country had their instruments smashed up with sledge hammers by the brave religious nutters in charge in that Country have finally been allowed to play concerts in the UK .

We refused to give them visas for many months fearing that these talented kids would not go home once the concert tour was finished   We should welcome them with open arms as music  breaks down all barriers ( Except in these stone age Country's where Religion is prominent and makes every day life a  nightmare )  .

The Orchestra has now found a home in Portugal where they have been allowed to live for as long as they like . Perhaps one day they can return home and practice the music they love in a free and welcoming land .

 

I agree with you.

I can't even put myself into the same head space as the primitive pond life that currently rule Afghanistan, who smash up their musical instruments. What have they got to be scared of? That people might discover their imaginations, and envisage a life different to the barbarity of the Taliban?

As for those in the Home Office who initially refused their visas - I wouldn't quite go so far as to refer to them as primitive pond life; but appealing to the racism which sees us open our arms to the Ukrainians, yet turn out backs on Afghani young people is pretty hard to stomach.

 

Anyway there was a debate over on the Conservative Party thread about this:

 

On 04/03/2024 at 19:59, Al Bundy said:

"But he said the Home Office had told them it was not convinced by the information the orchestra provided about the status of the students, saying it was vague"

 

 

Sounds a sensible move to me if that's the case.

 

On 04/03/2024 at 20:06, Mister M said:

I reckon it's a dog whistle. 

Tories know their f***ed, so they're up-turning every stone to find every racist who might be tempted to hold their nose and vote for them.

 

On 04/03/2024 at 20:24, hackey lad said:

The Home Office needs a massive reform .

 

On 04/03/2024 at 22:58, Mister M said:

Glad to see that The Guardian still has some leverage:

Outcry forces Home Office to allow Afghan youth orchestra to go on England tour | Music | The Guardian

 

On 04/03/2024 at 23:28, Organgrinder said:

I think the government's focus was trying to convince the electorate that they are watching our borders carefully after willingly allowing three quarters of a million in during the last year,

and having to do a numbers reduction job to fool us into thinking they had got to grips with the "boat people" problem.      I'm quite sure their violin cases will only contain violins.

 

On 05/03/2024 at 10:02, Axe said:

The Home Office should have stuck to their guns.  There are plenty of places in Europe where the orchestra can preform.  Lets hope all the orchestra go back to to their Portugal base after their tour of England has ended and none of them go missing.

 

On 05/03/2024 at 10:35, Organgrinder said:

You do have a rare talent for backing the loser in every argument.  I'm sure everyone but Tory's will enjoy listening to the orchestra during their stay.

 

 

On 05/03/2024 at 17:03, Mister M said:

There are plenty of people who would love to go and listen to the orchestra play. Why should everybody else suffer because of your racist tendencies?

 

On 05/03/2024 at 19:24, Axe said:

Stop Drama Queening. The Home Office made their original decision to deny the orchestra visas in the first place for reasons. The Home Office have shown weak leadership by caving into a newspaper.  Nothing racist about expecting the Home Office not to cave into a newspaper. 

 

Everyone can enjoy listening to the orchestra without them coming to our country.

 

Enjoy .......

 

 

[cuttsie]

I did not know that this had been raised on the Conservative thread 

[Mister M]

6 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

I did not know that this had been raised on the Conservative thread 

No worries.

I think the topic deserves a thread on its own anyway 

[m williamson]

48 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

These talented kids who in there own Country had their instruments smashed up with sledge hammers by the brave religious nutters in charge in that Country have finally been allowed to play concerts in the UK .

We refused to give them visas for many months fearing that these talented kids would not go home once the concert tour was finished   We should welcome them with open arms as music  breaks down all barriers ( Except in these stone age Country's where Religion is prominent and makes every day life a  nightmare )  .

The Orchestra has now found a home in Portugal where they have been allowed to live for as long as they like . Perhaps one day they can return home and practice the music they love in a free and welcoming land .

 

The ' brave religious nutters ' as you rightly call them are weak fanatically ignorant men who by their actions are condemning their country(s) to third world poverty and obstructing future opportunities for their children.

By denying education and voices to their women they are reducing the intellectual capability of their country by 50% ( or if you ask a woman 75% ) there is no way that they can compete in the modern world with that attitude.

 

Effectively they have handicapped themselves and ruined any chance of ever competing on a level playing field with more rational nations.

Before we get too above ourselves it should be remembered that women only got the vote in the UK in 1918 and there's still a way to go before women are fully accepted by some of our more Neanderthal fellow male citizens, or so my two daughters inform me. 

 

[cuttsie]

2 hours ago, m williamson said:

The ' brave religious nutters ' as you rightly call them are weak fanatically ignorant men who by their actions are condemning their country(s) to third world poverty and obstructing future opportunities for their children.

By denying education and voices to their women they are reducing the intellectual capability of their country by 50% ( or if you ask a woman 75% ) there is no way that they can compete in the modern world with that attitude.

 

Effectively they have handicapped themselves and ruined any chance of ever competing on a level playing field with more rational nations.

Before we get too above ourselves it should be remembered that women only got the vote in the UK in 1918 and there's still a way to go before women are fully accepted by some of our more Neanderthal fellow male citizens, or so my two daughters inform me. 

 

Bang on , I am in a constant battle with my Mrs who thinks most  men are misogynists  .    She does not include me I hope ,, The finest human beings  I have ever known have been women ,,  my adoptive mother , my wife and daughter to name three among two or three others along the way .