Free Republic

British prison officers who wore a St. George's Cross tie-pin have been ticked off by the jails watchdog over concerns about the symbol's racist connotations. The pins showing the English flag -- which has often raised hackles due to its connection with the Crusades of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries -- could be "misconstrued," Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers said in a section on race in a report on a jail in the northern English city of Wakefield. The banner of St. George, the red cross of a martyr on a white background, was adopted for the uniform...

A poll at CNN asks, “Is it time for England to change its national flag?” Why in the world would such a thing even be considered? To avoid offending ... you know who: Race fears spark St. George ban. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding, said Tuesday the red cross was an insensitive reminder of the Crusades. “A lot of Muslims and Arabs view the Crusades as a bloody episode in our history,” he told CNN. “They see those campaigns as Christendom launching a brutal holy war against Islam. “Muslim or Arab prisoners could take...

Toy pigs must go at council Oct 1, 2005 (photo mine -YD) Novelty pig calendars and toys have been banned by bosses at Dudley Council in case Muslim staff are offended. Workers in the council's benefits department have been told to remove or cover up all pig products including toys, porcelain, calendars and even a tissue box featuring Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. It comes after a Muslim worker said they were offended by pig-shaped stress relievers delivered to the authority. Muslims are forbidden from eating pork in the Koran and staff were asked to remove the items. The...

NOVELTY pig calendars and toys have been banned from a council office — in case they offend Muslim staff. Workers in the benefits department at Dudley Council, West Midlands, were told to remove or cover up all pig-related items, including toys, porcelain figures, calendars and even a tissue box featuring Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. Bosses acted after a Muslim complained about pig-shaped stress relievers delivered to the council in the run-up to the Islamic festival of Ramadan. Muslims are barred from eating pork in the Koran and consider pigs unclean. Councillor Mahbubur Rahman, a practising Muslim, backed the ban....