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Don't Eat Near Ramadan Fasters, Home Office Staff Told
Daily Mail (UK) ^ | September 19, 2009

Posted on 09/19/2009 9:40:35 PM PDT by Steelfish

Don't Eat Near Ramadan Fasters, Home Office Staff Told

By JASON LEWIS 19th September 2009.

Home Office staff were officially warned not to eat in front of their fasting Muslim colleagues during Ramadan – in case it made them feel hungry.

The advice came in a taxpayer-funded internal document listing do’s and don’ts during the Muslim holy month, which ends this weekend.

But the guide is now at the centre of a row with Islamic groups who said it was more likely to incite hatred of Muslims than promote understanding.

Fasting: During the holy month, devout Muslims do not drink or eat from dawn until sunset and must avoid 'all obscene and irreligious sights and sounds'

The Home Office Islamic Network produced the five-page information sheet which says: ‘In practical terms, please be sensitive when eating lunch near a Muslim colleague who is fasting. This can make an individual feel hungrier and make it more challenging to observe the fast.’

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: homeoffice; mhmmdnsm09202009; ramadan
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To: Steelfish

21 posted on 09/20/2009 12:04:29 AM PDT by smokingfrog (No man's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session. I AM JIM THOMPSON)
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To: Steelfish
meccon

To the tune of "I'm proud to be an American":

I'm proud to be an Infidel
Because at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the Christians that died who fought those pigs for me.
I'll gladly stand up and join in their crusade
because there ain't no doubt I despise Islam
Islam hates the USA!

22 posted on 09/20/2009 12:51:20 AM PDT by Nateman (If liberals aren't screaming you're doing it wrong.)
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To: Steelfish

Offer them one of your bacon rinds.


23 posted on 09/20/2009 5:29:55 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (Obama, you stop lying; we'll stop callin' you a LIAR.)
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To: Steelfish
LOL. This brought back memories of something we were told when I was over there for Gulf I.

Our C.O. and 1SG told us during a platoon sergeants meeting that we needed to stress upon our soldiers the importance of not eating in front of any Arabs they might come into contact with because the Arabs were celebrating Ramadan. They also said to make sure the troops understood that the Arab men might be a little "testy", since they also refrain from having sex during Ramadan.

I'll never forget the look on the other PSG's faces as we all looked at one another... knowing our soldiers had been living on MRE's and "refraining" from sex as well.

Thanks for the memory.

24 posted on 09/20/2009 6:09:59 AM PDT by PalmettoMason ("an empty limousine pulled up in front of the White House, and Barack Obama got out")
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To: Steelfish

Just wondering how many people would make a show of eating pork in front of Jewish clients?

Or scheduling meetings on Saturday if working with Seventh Day Adventists?

It is sheer stupidity to be deliberately offensive and shameful to be ignorantly offensive to clients and business colleagues and associates.

Don’t think for a moment I’m enamored by Islamic culture because I’m not, but I see a lot of Big Talkers on this thread that say that they would fall on their sword and risk their jobs over petty rude behavior when I think that the reality is they wouldn’t have the nerve to follow thru on their threats.


25 posted on 09/20/2009 7:02:04 AM PDT by Eagle Eye (Kenya? Kenya? Kenya just show us the birth certificate?)
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To: WSGilcrest

As a joke I used to carry a bag of pork rinds with me whenever I was on convoy or flights around Iraq. It was supposedly my last ditch plan to escape capture should that happen.


26 posted on 09/20/2009 7:05:20 AM PDT by Eagle Eye (Kenya? Kenya? Kenya just show us the birth certificate?)
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To: Steelfish
Brits still love their SPAM, don't they?

Hmmmmm.....

27 posted on 09/20/2009 7:06:42 AM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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To: JRios1968

I’d order BBQ pork ribs for the whole office!!


28 posted on 09/20/2009 7:09:32 AM PDT by KosmicKitty (WARNING: Hormonally crazed woman ahead!!)
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To: mewzilla
Brits still love their SPAM, don't they?

Not all of them do...


29 posted on 09/20/2009 7:29:58 AM PDT by JRios1968 (The real first rule of Fight Club: don't invite Chuck Norris...EVER)
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To: JRios1968
Traditional Brit grub: the Bacon Sandwich

(Now I'm hungry)

30 posted on 09/20/2009 8:35:09 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy ("Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's ACORN" - pace Auric Goldfinger)
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To: Eagle Eye

This is true. And yet there should no reason for an official manual or book of instructions. Like in most other matters this should be left to the better discretion of society.


31 posted on 09/20/2009 9:45:34 AM PDT by Steelfish
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To: Eagle Eye
I won't modify my behavior if its within societal norms for anothers beliefs, and I do not expect others to modify theirs to accommodate me.

If the person next to me on the flight leaving DFW objects to me eating the pulled pork sandwich I got Dickeys in Terminal C, they are free to find another seat, since I fully intend to eat my lunch instead of airline boxes

I do work around clients beliefs, if I know them. However, I won't project what they might be. If they don't bring it up or its not obvious, standard rules apply.

Finally I had great pork ribs in Israel one night for dinner, and all of my Israeli colleagues had them too. Stereotyping is often an epic fail

32 posted on 09/20/2009 9:51:13 AM PDT by Starwolf
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To: Starwolf

The context of the article and my comments were in the business setting.

When we have Saudi clients I do not go out of my way, as some posters suggested that they would do, to offend them. Yes, I accommodate them. I wouldn’t look at their holiday or dietary habits any differently than I would of any other religious or cultural group in the business setting. Although there are many things about some nationalities that I do not understand or appreciate I keep my opinions and such to myself in the workplace.

Offending the clients that hire us and pay the bills is incredibly stupid.


33 posted on 09/20/2009 12:49:34 PM PDT by Eagle Eye (Kenya? Kenya? Kenya just show us the birth certificate?)
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To: Steelfish

Most Americans have little or no exposure to Ramadan observances and even those of us that have been around it some need reminders.

Personally I think it ungracious for a few observers to pressure the rest of us into accommodating them, but when a company has a large regular Islamic client base then it is best to encourage some understanding and respect just as would be appropriate for any other culture with unique observances.


34 posted on 09/20/2009 12:55:17 PM PDT by Eagle Eye (Kenya? Kenya? Kenya just show us the birth certificate?)
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To: Steelfish

celebrate diversity!


35 posted on 09/21/2009 12:47:06 PM PDT by WOBBLY BOB (ACORN:American Corruption for Obama Right Now)
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