confused identity

A Muslim woman wearing a veil

"Straw's veil comments spark anger
Jack Straw angers Muslim groups by suggesting community relations can suffer if women wear veils. ............."(bbc)



"Met defends Muslim officer move
Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson
Paul Stephenson says the move was not down to political correctness
A Muslim police officer was excused duty guarding Israel's embassy for safety reasons, Scotland Yard has said.
The Sun newspaper said the officer was reassigned on "moral grounds" as he objected to Israeli actions in Lebanon.
The Diplomatic Protection Group officer, named as Pc Alexander Omar Basha, had Lebanese relatives. ................."(bbc)

Even after the events of the last few years, Britain continues to wrestle with itself about muticulturalism. Pre 9-11 and pre London bombings, British people would have agreed that a religious hotpot, and variety of cultures was indeed how we wanted the landscape of our society to be. Now people are not so sure. Here are a couple more articles in today's press...




"Pope meets Muslim envoys: Your reaction

Can the Pope calm relations between the Catholic Church and Islam?

The Pope has expressed "total and profound respect" for the Muslim faith after meeting envoys from more than a dozen predominantly Muslim countries........."(bbc)


"Meanwhile in France, a philosophy teacher is under police protection after receiving death threats over an op-ed article [French text here] which he wrote in a national newspaper. In the article, which was published in the conservative daily Le Figaro of September 19th, Robert Redeker accused Islam of “exalting violence.” Mr Redeker has not attended classes at his school near Toulouse since the article was published."(time)


Surely tolerance has to work both ways.It is interesting to note that actively being Christian is illegal and can lead to the death penalty in some countries.
As 'children of Abraham' isn't it time we started to live and let live?